Walnut-Stuffed Slow-Cooked Apples

I dusted off my slow cooker to make this yummy dessert tonight!  By the time I was home from evening graduate school classes, it was ready to go...

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, 3 tablespoons dried currants, 2 and 1/2 tablespoons organic brown sugar, and 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon; stir to combine.

Core 4 granny smith apples and peel them about one-third of the way down, then stuff evenly with the walnut mixture.  Place the apples in a slow cooker, and set aside.

Note: I don't have an apple corer, so had to get a little creative here - my solution was to slice the apples in half, cut out the cores, then arrange the walnut mixture between the halves of each apple.  Luckily this seemed to work!  I did forget to peel the top third of the apples, but it hardly seems to have mattered.

In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 cup organic brown sugar, and 3/4 cup apple cider; stir with a whisk to combine.  Pour evenly over the apples, then cover and cook on LOW for 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Remove the apples with a slotted spoon, and place 1 apple on each of 4 dessert plates.  Top each with 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.  Each dessert is 310 calories.  This is great with some non-dairy vanilla ice cream on the side!

Cost:
dried currants $3.39