Baked Apples with Candied Fennel and Pistachios

Name: Baked Apples with Candied Fennel and Pistachios
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 2 hr
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 1/2 fennel bulb, cut into 1/4-inch pieces; 3/4 cup sugar; 3/4 cup water; 3 (3-inch-long) strips lemon zest; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 4 Gala apples; 1/3 cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped; 3 tablespoons golden raisins; 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

By Maggie Ruggiero

March 10, 2010

Image may contain Plant Food Produce and Fruit

Baked Apples with Candied Fennel and PistachiosStephanie Foley

In our Egg Salad with Lemon and Fennel , fennel contributes juicy crunch and a nice hit of bright flavor. Here, the leftover fennel goes in a decidedly different direction: Candied in a sugar syrup, it has a softer snap and becomes more mellow. Along with pistachios, golden raisins, and fennel seeds, it makes a sophisticated filling for baked Gala apples. Many baked–apple recipes are too homey for company, but this version, with its spectrum of greens and golds, would be the highlight of any dinner party menu.

Recipe notes

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Heavenly Halva Cake

Serve a thick slice for breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up.

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Kung Pao Cabbage With Tofu

Reliable cabbage is cooked in the punchy sauce and then combined with store-bought baked tofu and roasted cashews for a salad that can also be eaten with rice.

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & a Pat of Butter

This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.