Fruit-stuffed baked apples
Fruit-stuffed baked apples.
Honey and figs are the aphrodisiac ingredients in this dish.
Photo Courtesy/METRO
Honey was used as a cure for sterility and impotence. Medieval seducers plied their partners with Mead, a fermented drink made from honey and lovers on their 'honeymoon' drank mead, which was thought to sweeten the marriage. An open fig is thought to emulate the female sex organs and traditionally thought of as sexual stimulant. 1 cup sweet cider 8 dried apricots, cut in two 2 dried figs, cut into eight pieces 2 pitted prunes, cut in two 2 tbsp dried cranberries 2 tbsp sultana raisins 4 baking apples - Fuji, jonagold, golden delicious, braeburn 2/3 cup thawed apple juice concentrate 1/3 cup honeyHeat oven to 350 F. In a small pot, bring cider to a boil. Add apricots, figs, prunes, cranberries and raisins. Cook for two to three minutes, turn off heat and let stand for one hour. Reserve cooking liquid. Slice the top (stem end) off the apples and hollow apples out with a melon baller, leaving 3/4 inch flesh all round. Stuff apples with fruit mixture. Transfer apples to a baking pan, pour cooking liquid round them. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until apples are easily pierced with a knife point. Remove from the oven. Cool 10 minutes before serving. SyrupIn a small pan, cook apple juice concentrate and honey until thick and syrupy. Serve warm or cold. ~ Recipe courtesy of www.metro.ca