Baked Apples with Dried Fruit

• 2 medium-sized baking apples (I prefer Macintosh)
• 1 c. assorted dried fruit (I used apricots, prunes, pears and apples)
• 1/2 tsp. grated orange rind
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 T. lemon juice
• 1/4 c. water
• 3 T. sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Core the apples (do not peel) and place them in a glass bread loaf pan. Arrange the dried fruit around the apples. Sprinkle the pan with the orange rind, extract, lemon juice and water. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the apples and fruit. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, place the covered pan in a 350 degree oven and bake until the apples are tender -- about 50 minutes.

To serve, spoon an apple into a bowl and spoon the dried fruit and juices over it. Serve immediately.

• Yields: 2 servings
• Preparation Time: about an hour, plus overnight chilling