By Sharon Rus
Special to the Chronicle

As the days get shorter and colder, I start to crave warm dishes to heat myself  up: oatmeal, hot chocolate drinks and soups. But there’s nothing better after a long day of shivering from class to class than a steaming, hot plate of … apples?

Apples are so commonplace that we hardly even think of them when cooking. Yet these fruits can be a Hofstra student’s best friend all year round,especially during the fall time. They are in season right now, fresh and filling. Apples have powerful antioxidants, which may help to fight off disease. Turns out there’s something to the ‘apple a day’ expression afterall.

Baked apples -delicious and nutritious- are the best treat for a cold night and you can’t find them  at any of the dining halls –  not even Hofstra USA Yet the recipe is simple enough that even the busiest of students can manage it. Here are the ingredients that you’ll need:

4 medium  apples (any kind will do)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped pecans

4 teaspoons of raisins or cranberries

1/2 cup boiling water

Granola/ice cream/yogurt (optional topping ideas)

First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Then, scoop out the core from the top of the apple, leaving a hole, but do not cut all the way through. Place the brown sugar, raisins or cranberries and chopped pecans in a small bowl and combine thoroughly. Next, place aluminum foil on the bottom of a baking dish and  put the apples in it. Afterwards, fill each apple with the stuffing mixture and sprinkle with cinnamon. Place more aluminum foil on top of the apples; this will make them more tender. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the sugar begins to caramelize and the apples are tender.

Finally, serve your delicious baked apples with a side of ice cream or yogurt. I find yogurt to be the healthier option and just as satisfying as ice cream. Plus, some yogurts have just a tang of bitterness which will go perfectly with the apple’s natural sweetness. Either way, the contrast of warm and cold will delight your taste buds.  If you’re tired of the classic combination, try some peanut butter and granola to make your treat salty.

Enjoy!