Hasselback apples, or accordion apples, are a delicious variation of the classic baked apples, enriched with a walnut and oat crumble. One of those treats to enjoy during the cold season, perhaps by the fireplace. At least I always imagine this picture of comfort food, enjoyed in front of the fire, when apples are the stars of the show. Preparing Hasselback apples is very easy, just cut the apples in half and then score their entire surface in an accordion pattern before proceeding with cooking. Of course, some spices can’t be missing, even in this case, the classic combination of cinnamon with apples is perfect, but you can also use some star anise or a few cloves.
To make these Hasselback apples I used Golden Delicious apples from Val Venosta, which with their sweet and finely acidic taste are perfect in my opinion. A little tip for the sweet-toothed: Add a scoop of ice cream to the still warm apples, a unique delight!
If you like Golden Delicious apples, try these recipes of mine too:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4-6 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter and Spring
Ingredients
- 3 Golden Delicious apples (Apple Val Venosta)
- 3.5 oz butter
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup pecan nuts (or walnuts)
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon flour
- as needed ice cream (optional)
Steps
To prepare the Hasselback apples with walnut crumble, wash and peel the apples, cut them in half and remove the core with a scooper.
Preheat the oven to 390°F (fan-assisted).
Then place one apple half, cut side down, on a cutting board. Place a wooden stick (alternatively a wooden spoon) on the top and bottom side respectively. Make cuts about 1/16 inch apart across the entire surface of the apple, without cutting it all the way through, as the sticks will prevent the knife from cutting all the way through.
Do the same with the remaining apples.
Melt the butter in a small bowl and brush a baking dish with some of the melted butter. Place the apples in the buttered dish.
Add the sugar and ground cinnamon to the remaining melted butter. Brush the entire surface of the apples with the melted butter and sugar mixture (some will remain, as it’s needed later).
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake at 390°F for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, coarsely chop the walnuts and add them to the remaining butter and sugar mixture, along with the rolled oats and flour. Mix everything well.
After the first 20 minutes of baking, remove the apples from the oven, take off the aluminum foil, and distribute the walnut and oat mixture over each one.
Bake again (uncovered), for another 15 minutes or so, until the apples are tender when pierced with a fork.
Serve your Hasselback apples with walnut crumble hot or cold. If you like, they are excellent accompanied with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.
Tips
For a variation, or if you don’t have walnuts at home, you can also use hazelnuts, almonds, or pistachios instead.
