Cinnamon and berry-stuffed baked apples with maple syrup

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan170°C/gas 5. To prepare the filling, melt the butter in a small pan, add the maple syrup, brown sugar and cinnamon, remove from the heat and stir to remove any lumps. Stir in the dried blueberries and cranberries, nuts and vanilla extract.
2. Remove the core from each apple with an apple corer, a small, sharp knife or a potato peeler (plunge it into the fruit, then twist). Open up the cavity until it measures about 2.5cm across. Take a thin slice off the base of each apple if necessary, so that they stand upright. Score a shallow horizontal cut around the middle of each apple to prevent the skins from bursting while cooking.
3. Place the apples in a shallow baking dish and fill the cavities generously with the fruit mixture. Pour the cider or apple juice around the apples and cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 50 minutes-1 hour.
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4. Lift the apples into warmed serving dishes and spoon over the cooking juices. Serve with a little low-fat custard, if you wish.