Baked Apples with Blackberries

As the Fall blows in with Winter right on it's tail, some days you are in the mood for a sweet, warm delectable treat. Good for you, and good for your family. Gather around a warm fireplace, or cozy up to a movie, you'll get a mouthful of this classic treat, and come back for more.

What you will need:

4 medium-sized cooking apples
1 tbsp. lemon juice
3 1/2 oz prepared blackberries, thawed if frozen*
1/2 oz slivered almonds
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
2 tbsp brown crystal sugar
1 1/4 cups ruby port*
1 cinnamon stick, broken
2 tsp cornstarch blended with 2 tbsp cold water
low-fat custard, to serve

Preheat oven to 400*F. Wash and dry the apples. Using a small sharp knife, make a shallow cut through the skin around the middle of each apple-this will help the apples to cook through.

Core the apples, brush the centers with the lemon juice to prevent browning, and stand in shallow ovenproof dish.

In a bowl, mix together the blackberries*, almonds, allspice, lemon peel, and sugar. Using a teaspoon, spoon the mixture into the center of each apple.

Pour the port* into the tin, add the cinnamon stick, and bake the apples in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until tender and soft. Drain the cooking juices into a pan and keep the apples warm.

Discard the cinnamon and add the cornstarch mixture to the cooking juices. Heat, stirring, until thickened.

Heat the custard until very hot. Pour the sauce over the apples and serve with the custard.

*You could use raspberries instead of blackberries and replace the port with unsweetened orange juice.*