Rooibos Baked Apples

Ingredients:
6 large baking apples (e.g. Granny Smith, Cameo, Golden Delicious, Rome, Winesap)
1 cup maple sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
pinch salt
1 oz butter
1 cup water
1 tbsp of Rooibos loose-leaf tea leaves.

Optional:
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 lemon
1/4 cup crushed pecans or walnuts, toasted
1/4 raisins or dried fruits, chopped

* *Note: I personally prefer alternative sweeteners to white or brown sugar. Most dry, powdered alternative sweeteners (e.g. maple sugar, sucanat, date sugar, stevia) are easy substitutes (1 part for 1 part) in recipes. When using a liquid sweetener (e.g. maple syrup, brown rice syrup, honey, molasses), in place of white or brown sugar, reduce the liquid content in the recipe by 1/4 cup.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F
Rinse and core apples
Arrange apples in ovenproof dish, peeled end up
Mix sugar, spices and salt
Stuff apples with mixture, heaping slightly
Dot with butter
Brew 2 tsps of loose-leaf Rooibos in 1 cup of water
Add vanilla and a few strips of lemon peel to brewed tea (optional)
Pour tea and vanilla mixture around apples
Squeeze lemon over apples (optional)
Bake uncovered for approximately 20 minutes or until apples are tender, basting occasionally
Remove from oven; cool for 5 minutes
Place apples on individual serving plates
Pour pan juices over apples
Serve with whipped cream or a vanilla-ginger flavored icecream
15. Sprinkle with toasted pecans, walnuts, raisins or chopped dried fruits(optional)