The Melt-in-Your-Mouth Dessert That Won’t Add Pounds: Baked Apples Stuffed with Cottage Cheese

When the sweet tooth shows up but you want something light and friendly to your jeans, bake apples and call it dessert. This version leans on the fruit itself, a creamy cottage cheese filling, and a little crunch. No fussy dough, no drama — just a cozy, not-too-sweet finish for tea or a weeknight.

What you need

• Apples — 10
• Cottage cheese — 150 g
• Sugar or honey — 50 g
• Egg yolk — 1
• Butter — 55 g (30 g + 25 g)
• Nuts (your pick) — 100 g
• Raisins — 50 g

How to make it

First, give the raisins a quick soak in warm water so they plump up. While they lounge, finely chop the nuts.

For the filling: mix cottage cheese with the sugar or honey, the egg yolk, and 30 g of softened butter until smooth. Fold in the nuts and the soaked, drained raisins. It should be thick and a little lush.

Prep the apples by coring them from the top, leaving the bottoms intact so the filling stays put. Spoon in the filling generously. To keep the skins from splitting in the oven, prick each apple a few times with a toothpick.

Set the apples into a baking dish. Pour a splash of water into the bottom of the dish to create a gentle steam bath. Use the remaining 25 g of butter to dot over the apples or melt and drizzle into the dish — a small touch that keeps everything tender and aromatic.

Bake at 180 C for about 30 minutes, until the apples are soft and the filling is set and lightly golden at the edges.

Let them cool slightly before serving. Warm is ideal; the flavors settle, the texture turns plush, and you get that cozy baked-apple aroma that basically is autumn in a bowl.