Stuffed Apples

Stuffed Apples ~ In The Crock-Pot or In The Oven 4 granny smith apples 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup raisins light and dark work well 1/3 cup chopped pecans 1/4 cup light brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon cardamom or cinnamon 4 teaspoons butter Wash and core the apples, removing at least a 1" center in each apple. Set the apples on a plate. Stir together the dried fruit, pecans, brown sugar, salt and cardamom or cinnamon. Fill each apple with this mixture, packing it firmly into each apple. CROCK-POT DIRECTIONS: Place the filled apples in the bottom of the crock-pot. If you have a smaller crock-pot, you can raise a couple of the apples by sitting them on top of wadded up balls of foil in between the other two apples. (This is how I cooked ours this time.) Top each apple with a teaspoon of butter. Cover with lid and cook for about 2 hours on high, until the apples are fork tender. If you would like to cook on low, this should take 4-5 hours. OVEN DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the filled apples in a muffin tray. Top each apple with a teaspoon of butter. Bake until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Serve each apple with a dollop of Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream or a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Milk or Ice Cream, if desired.