Every time I cook these walnut-stuffed apples, I remember my childhood in Bosnia. The poached apples are one of the most popular desserts in the country, and when topped with whipped cream and drizzled with syrup, one of the best treats in the world.
Have you ever poached apples before? Fruits are nature’s desserts. You don’t have to do much to turn them into delicious sweets that taste like home, but that could easily be served at a restaurant. That’s precisely the case with today’s walnut-stuffed apples.
We’ll start with 8 medium size firm, and juicy Golden Delicious Apples, and we’re poaching them in simple syrup. The apples become soft and lusciously sweet, and they still have a nice texture, something you don’t get when baking them. I like using Golden Delicious for my Walnut-Stuffed Apples, but if you want a tarter version, go for Granny Smith.
Then we’re making a filling characterized for its nice crunchy texture. Sweetened chopped walnuts, that’s all you need. There’s beauty in natural preparations like this one.
Learn more about the Walnut-Stuffed Apples
This Bosnian dessert is locally called Tufahija or Tufahije in plural. Actually, Tuffaha means apple in Arabic, and the dessert might have arrived in the region centuries ago during the Ottoman Empire.
People have been cultivating apples for thousands of years in Bosnia and the surrounding countries; they have native cultivars that aren’t found anywhere else.
Pro tips
- Be careful when removing the apple cores, you don’t want to pierce the apples; otherwise, your filling will spill.
- This dessert is gorgeous with a cup of Turkish coffee. If you can’t get one, make yourself a toasty, strong Italian espresso.
- I like topping my stuffed apples with bright cherry, it’s traditional, but if you want a more serious feel, sprinkle a few crushed walnuts. It’s beautiful both ways.
What you’ll need
To make your walnut-stuffed apple Bosnian-style, you’ll need a large saucepan or a pot to poach your apples, a medium-sized bowl to prepare your filling, and another bowl to whisk your cream.
You’ll need a sharp knife too; you’ll be putting your apple peeling skills to the test. Remember, slow and steady, and be careful with those fingers!
I promise you’ll have lots of fun making these apples, it takes skills and cooking techniques that we don’t use often, and that’s what we all want, to try different things, right? I hope you enjoy one of my favorite desserts. If you make yours, send me a picture, I’d love to see how yours turn out.
PrintWalnut-Stuffed Apples
Ingredients
8 Apples medium size
3 cups (750ml) water
3 cups (600g) sugar
1 pack of vanilla sugar or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup finally chopped walnuts
1/2 cup powder sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon of powder sugar
Cherries for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan combine water, sugar and vanilla; bring to boil. Add lemon juice.
- Lower the heat and let it cook on low while you preparing apples.
- Peel the apples and cut the small slice off the bottom to create a flat base. This helps the apples stand upright.
- Core the apples carefully. Make a circle around the steam, and discard the inside little by little.
- Place the apples in saucepan and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes turning them after 5 minutes so they cook evenly on both sides.
- Transfer to a plate to cool.
- Add honey to remaining syrup and cook on low for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
- In a small bowl combine walnuts and powder sugar; add 4-5 tablespoons of syrup to make filling for apples.
- Stuff apples with walnut filling.
- Beat whipping cream with 1 tablespoon of powder sugar until stiff peak.
- Place each poached apple on a serving plate.
- Top each apple generously with whipping cream. Pour some of the remaining syrup into the serving plate. Refrigerate pouched apples until ready to serve.
- Save the rest of the syrup in a jar and keep in refrigerator. When ready to serve place the apple into a dessert bowl and pour some more syrup over.
- I like to put cherries on top. Optionally, garnish with a sprinkle of ground walnuts or cinnamon. Grated chocolate is also nice for the top.
Another family favorite with apples as the star ingredient: Apple Strudel.
