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Sekai Gohan

Tufahija: Bosnian Walnut-Stuffed Apples Poached in Syrup

Servings 6 servings

A whole walnut-stuffed poached apple topped with whipped cream and a walnut half in a glass dessert bowl
Steps with photos

Ingredients

Ingredient Amount Role
Granny Smith apples 6 The cup that holds everything. Tart and firm enough to keep their shape in syrup
Lemon juice, for the apples Juice of ½ lemon Keeps the peeled apples and their hollows from browning
Water, for the syrup 2 cups The poaching liquid
Sugar, for the syrup 3 cups Makes a heavy, glossy syrup
Lemon juice, for the syrup Juice of ½ lemon Sharpens the syrup
Vanilla extract (or vanilla sugar) ½ tsp (or 1 tsp vanilla sugar) Scents the syrup
Apple peel Peel of 1 of the apples Adds flavor and color to the syrup
Milk, heated 2 oz Softens the ground walnuts
Walnuts, finely ground 5 oz The body of the filling
Butter 1.5 oz Richness. Binds the filling
Sugar, for the filling 2 tbsp Sweetens the filling
Whipped cream As needed The cold, soft top
Walnut halves As needed The Bosnian topping

Steps

  1. 1Peel the apples whole and protect them with lemon

    Peel all six apples whole and keep their round shape. Do not halve or slice them. Set aside the peel from one apple for the syrup. Brush the lemon juice meant for the apples over each one as soon as it is bare, and keep the second lemon half for the syrup. When every surface is wet and glossy and still pale cream, with no brown patches, move on.

  2. 2Hollow out the core in small bites

    Stand a peeled apple upright and work in from the top with a small spoon or corer. Take out the core, the seeds and the seed chamber a little at a time. Several small scoops keep the walls thick and the base whole, but one large scoop can break through. Brush lemon juice inside the hollow as well. The apple is ready when no papery seed chamber is left inside and the walls feel solid when you press lightly from outside.

    Thick walls first

    The walls and base hold the filling and keep the apple upright in the pot. Make the hollow too small rather than too large. You can still widen it a little, but you can't repair a hole in the base.

  3. 3Make the syrup and poach the first side

    In a wide pot, combine the water, the sugar, the lemon juice meant for the syrup, the vanilla and the reserved apple peel, and stir well. Bring it to a boil over high heat while stirring, then turn the heat down to low-medium. With a slotted spoon, lower the apples in so each one sits about half submerged, and poach for 5–7 minutes. Turn them after the 5–7 minutes.

  4. 4Turn, finish and lift out to cool

    Turn each apple gently and poach for another 2–3 minutes. Test with a fork. An apple is done when it is deep yellow all over and the fork slides in easily. If an apple's base starts to give way, lift it out at once, even while the others keep cooking. In all, the apples spend no more than 14–15 minutes in the syrup, and very tart apples are done in about 10. Move the apples to a deep dish, save the syrup and leave the apples until they are cool before you fill them.

    Take them out early

    Watch the base, not the clock. A slightly firm apple softens as it cools. A base that has started to collapse won't hold the filling.

  5. 5Soak the walnuts in hot milk

    While the apples are in the syrup, heat the milk and pour it over the ground walnuts in a mixing bowl. Stir once so all the walnuts are wet. Then leave them for about 10 minutes. They are ready when they have soaked up the milk and look damp all through, with no milk pooling in the bottom of the bowl.

  6. 6Mix in the butter and sugar

    Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the sugar and stir until it is almost dissolved. Take the pan off the heat and pour it over the soaked walnuts. Stir until the filling is one even paste. The filling is done when it holds together on the spoon as a moist, finely grained paste with no dry crumbs or streaks of butter.

  7. 7Fill the apples and chill them in syrup

    Spoon the filling generously into each cooled apple and press it down into the hollow. Stand the filled apples back in the pot or in a shallow container. Pour in the saved syrup until it comes about a third of the way up the apples, then put them in the refrigerator. Leave them until they are completely cold right through to the center.

  8. 8Finish with cream and a walnut half

    When the apples are completely cold, top each one with whipped cream. Lift them into glass bowls and spoon a little syrup around each one. Press a walnut half into the cream. The apple is finished when the cream holds its shape on the cold apple without slumping or sliding down the sides.