…and here we are, in the final spurt of 2017. Already November 4th! How many days until Xmas? Well, according to all the Christmas stuff available in shops around here since about 3 weeks ago, one could think, Santa is already on the way ;–)

In recent years this early bombardment of Christmas stuff even got me annoyed at times. But 2017 had me come around. Somehow being a mother of an almost 2 1/2 year old little sunshine changes many things. I am really looking forward for him to discover this magical time to come in the last weeks of 2017, with all those twinkling bright lights at dusk and dawn. And the beauty of a lit candle in midst of decorated fir green. And this homey feeling of having a few delectable homemade Christmas-cookies after some fun time out in the snow looking for traces of Christkindl… You see, I am hopeless ;–)

Suppose I just can’t wait for it all to start and therefore don’t mind getting glimpses of shiny stars and cute little angels and glitter balls now and then. On the contrary. These days I even seriously considered turning on some Xmas music… I am going nuts? Yeah, maybe… but at least in a beautifully dreamy kind of way ;–P And after all, nuts fit perfectly into this time of year – already in Autumn! …as well as in these lovely stuffed apples here.

Besides, I did NOT forget to also live in the present :–) We had a lovely scary apple treat for Halloween and as it was such a big hit with my son, I don’t want to keep it from you. I am sure your kids will love it too! And yourself and your partner and granny and dad and sister…

It’s healthy enough to have as breakfast, but works well for a little sweet afternoon snack or even a fruity dessert. Great way to enjoy the last golden sun rays of an Autumn day out on the patio – with a steaming cup of tea, some slices of sweet stuffed apple and a warm, fluffy blanket wrapped around yourself to keep those toes nice and toasty ;–)

Another awesome thing: the people you serve this yummy apples to get somewhat of a surprise, as it is not visible from the outside, what goodness is concealed on the inside. Which is a gorgeous combination of wholesome rolled oats, nuts, honey, a trace of warming cinnamon and to top it all off: a bit of soft and creamy custard!
It also gives a great opportunity for all of you artists to get creative carving designs and messages in your apples :–) That’s what I call a personalised dessert ;–)

But most importantly: it tastes amazing! Have a go and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

1 cup holds 250 ml = an average coffee cup

• 2 big apples (your favourite kind)
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 to 1 tbsp honey to taste (alternatively maple or rice sirup)
• 1 heaped tsp almond butter (or other nut-/seedbutter)
• a dash salt
• a generous dash cinnamon
• 1 tbsp roughly chopped almonds (or other nuts/seeds)
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp native canola or olive oil (omit, if you want to reduce fat. It is meant to give a boost of healthy, essential fats – especially for kids)
• 1 cup milk of your choice
• 1 tbsp whole cane or coconut sugar or to taste
• approx. 2 tbsp cornstarch (20 g)
• either 1 tbsp unsweetened cacao or 1 vanilla pod
• optional: some fresh lemon juice, if you want to keep the apple from oxidising (=turning brown)

Directions:

1. In a cup mix 1 tbsp ground flax seed and 2 tbsp water. Set aside.
2. In a small pan roast 1 tbsp of roughly chopped almonds (no oil/fat needed!) until they are lightly browned and fragrant. Careful not to burn them! Transfer to a plate to cool.
3. Repeat with 1/2 cup of rolled oats.
4. In a small bowl combine flax seed-mix, honey, native oil, nut butter, cinnamon and salt. Add oats and chopped nuts and stir until well combined. It should turn into a somewhat sticky mixture.
5. Once your apples are washed, cut off a generous “lid” (about a fifth to a quarter of the apples top –> see fotos). Next cut out the seedy part either with a small sharp knife or with one of those particular kitchen gadgets to deseed apples. With a small spoon carefully carve a hole into the apples, leaving the “wall” around 1 cm thick. If you like, you can brush some fresh lemon juice on the cut surface to prevent browning.
6. Now to stuffing: divide the oat-mix in two halves and scoop them into an apple each. Use the spoon or slightly wet fingers to press the mixture up the walls and on the bottom evenly. The hole at the very bottom, which was created when deseeding the apples, will be sufficiently sealed by the oat-mix. The space remaining in the apples now is reserved for either chocolate or vanilla custard :–)
7. Place the apples in your fridge to firm up a bit, while you prepare the custard. Therefore mix cornstarch, sugar and cacao pulver (if using) with a few spoons of the milk and stir until no lumps remain. Bring the rest of the milk to a boil and pour in the cornstarch-mix. Turn the heat to medium-low immediately and KEEP STIRRING as custard tends to stick to the bottom of a saucepan easily. Once it has thickened, turn off the heat and stir for a bit longer.
   If opting for vanilla custard, cut open the bean lengthwise and scratch out the little black seeds. The bean itself can be added to the milk before you heat it up. The seeds follow right after you stirred in the cornstarch-mix.
8. Apples out of the fridge, lids off. Fill 2 or 3 tbsp of custard in each and place the lids back on. Off to the fridge again for cooling. It is important that you fill in the custard before it has cooled too much and started setting. For optimal results it should set within the apples.
9. Once cooled, cut off some wedges and enjoy :–)

PS: If you feel like carving some scary faces for halloween, or a love heart for your loved ones, or letters for an original place “card”, etc. I recommend doing so after you have created the hole for stuffing and with the oat-mix supporting the walls, but before you add the custard.