Sherry Poached Apples with Filling

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A unique fall dessert full of spicy hints and rich warm flavors, apples poached in sherry can be stuffed or enjoyed plain with ice cream.

This recipe came about because I don’t like apples. 

But I do love pears! Check out these port-poached pears with caramel stuffing and puff pastry!

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Well, I don’t like copious amounts of raw apples. Apples, for me, are like lasagna. If it is put in front of me, I’ll eat it. But I wouldn’t be too terribly sad if I was told I could never have one again.

Try topping these apples with these easy homemade maple candied pecans!

Of course, I always forget this when I go to the farmer’s market. They just look so appealing and classically fall and I remember apple pie and apple cider and all the cozy yummy foods I can make. So I usually wind up buying at least 8 fresh-picked apples whenever I go.

I can eat roughly one raw apple a year. A delicious, crisp and tart Winesap thinly sliced and paired with some gruyere cheese: heaven.

But what to do with the other seven apples…

Well I also happened to have a bottle of Amontillado Sherry in my cellar cupboard. And sherry pairs excellently with apples. They were made for each other. 

You’ve heard of wine or port poached pears. (I hope). So I figured, why not poach these apples in sherry and see what happens?

Well, here’s what happened.

Not bad, huh?

I did decide to stuff these sherry poached apples because I wanted extra crunch. So I just whipped up a little bit of apple crisp topping and popped them in the oven to crisp for a few minutes at high heat.

And then we topped these stuffed poached apples with gelato, because you can’t not top these with gelato.

And here’s the deal. I live two blocks away from the most amazing gelato place in New York. Truly some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had in my life. And while Vasiliy and I are trying really hard to be healthy…this place constantly foils our plans. We come up with all sorts of loopholes to lead back to this gelato stand.

So I had some freshly-made Cinnamon Gelato in the freezer. Couldn’t have paired it better myself. But if you’re short on the most amazing cinnamon gelato in the universe, vanilla ice cream would work too.

How to poach apples?

Poaching apples is fairly easy. Peel and remove their cores with a spoon, but leave them otherwise whole. (You can take the stems off or leave them, up to you.) Then place them in your poaching liquid.

Try to make sure the liquid covers the apples fully as much as you can. If it doesn’t, like in my case, just turn them over once throughout cooking.

Bring the apples to a boil, then reduce your heat and simmer for 10 minutes until they are tender to a fork.

What do I poach apples in?

You can poach apples in any liquid you choose. It’s totally up to you. I chose sherry because it’s naturally bright and spicy and the flavor is so compatible with apples. But you could also poach them in apple cider, wine, even a chai tea would work! Just make sure you add some sugar to the liquid so you can reduce it to a syrup or glaze for serving.

What is Amontillado Sherry?

Amontillado sherry is a semi-dry wine. 

There are many different kinds of sherry, and Amontillado is a fair medium. 

It’s mostly dry, but it’s less crispy and fruity than other varieties. The flavors have oxidized a bit leading to a medium dark color. Amontillado will have more nuts and tobacco and coffee notes, but still a hefty range of spice. Which makes it perfect for apples!

What are Winesap Apples?

My absolute favorite apple variety. Matte-red apples with green streaks, they are tart and crisp and just a tiny bit sweet. Probably discovered around the 18th century, they’re one of the older varieties. Winesaps are perfect juicing/baking apples too!

How to stuff my sherry poached Apples?

After your apples are drained, just spoon some of your desired filling into the cavity you made when you cored them. Place them in the oven with the filling side up so it gets brown and toasty and warm. If you want to stay away from oats or apple crisp, try some nuts, ricotta, or goat cheese.

How to I make the Sherry Glaze?

Sherry glaze or sauce is totally optional here, but I like to add just a bit for flavor and aesthetic. While your apples are draining, just pour out all but about ½ cup poaching liquid, leaving your spices in the pot. Boil this until it is reduced by half. Remove from the heat and serve immediately! (It hardens the longer it cools!)

Looking for a savory version? Try these Baked Apples stuffed with Chorizo Stuffing.