Baked Apples with Raisin and Goat Cheese
This sweet dessert is easy to prepare and lower in calories! Enjoy! Omit the almonds to make nut-free.
6 apples
1 ¼ cups soft goat cheese
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar (For the calorie-conscience: you can use brown sugar sweetened with Splenda, if desired)
½ cup raisins
¼ cup slivered blanched almonds, toasted (optional) - Omit for nut free.
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Remove the core, to within about ½ inch of the bottom from each apple, using a small paring knife. Be careful not to cut all the way through to the bottom. Using a small spoon, scoop out a cavity in the center of the apple about 1 ½ inches in diameter and 2 inches deep. Set aside.
In a bow, combine the cheese and brown sugar and stir until smooth and creamy. Next, add the raisins and stir again. Spoon the mixture into the hollowed-out apples, until it just rises above the tops. Sprinkle the almonds and cinnamon over the cheese mixture.
Place the apples in a baking dish lined with aluminum foil. It is o.k. if the apples fit snuggly in the dish.
Bake, uncovered, until the filling and almonds brown and the apples are very, very soft, as if about to collapse, for about 45 minutes. Serve hot.