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Fruit-and-Wensleydale Stuffed Baked Apples
  • 6 medium baking apples, such as Golden Delicious with stem
  • 8 oz. Wensleydale Creamery Real Yorkshire Wensleydale with Apricots, divided
  • 1/2 cup dates, finely chopped
  • 3 Tbsp. pecans, chopped
  • 3 Tbsp. dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 tsp. apple pie spice
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 cup apple cider or juice
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut off top quarter "hat" of apples and set aside; remove core with a melon baller. Set in an 8"x11 ½" baking dish or a large glass pie plate. Cut 2oz. of the cheese from the wedge and coarsely crumble to make 1/2 cup. Cut remaining cheese into 12 small wedges (6 wedges, cut in half crosswise). Cover and refrigerate until serving.
  2. In a medium bowl, toss together dates, pecans, brown sugar, apple pie spice and crumbled cheese. Spoon and pack mixture into apple hollows and re-cover with top hat mounding on top. Cut 1 Tbsp. butter into small pieces and place on apples. Pour cider and vanilla around apples; cover tightly with foil.
  3. Bake until apples are just tender when pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes. Place apples on a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Place pan juices in a small skillet and bring to a boil. 4 Boil for 6 minutes or until reduced to about 6 Tbsp. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining 1 Tbsp. butter. Serve apples warm or room temperature with cider sauce and small wedges of cheese.