Baked apples

 For four generously filled apples, mix:

• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ⅓ cup dried cherries, roughly chopped if large
• ¼ cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• A small pinch of cloves or allspice
• A good pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons softened or melted butter

Core the apples generously without cutting through the bottoms, then pack in the filling. If some remains, mound it on top or scatter it around the apples—no need to respect architectural boundaries.

Put about ¼ cup water or apple juice around them while they cook. If you want them especially lush, add another little pat of butter atop each apple.

That should give you brown sugar in every bite, plenty of cherry, and enough pecan for texture without turning the filling into trail mix.