Baked Apples Stuffed With Mascarpone and Cherries

Ingredients

4 large baking apples

1/4 cup hot water

2 cups zinfandel

1/2 cup dried tart cherries

1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese

3 ounces Neufchatel cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

spiced pecans

Preparation

Slice 1/2-inch piece off top of Each apple; reserve. Core apples using small melon baller; discard core. Peel upper one-fourth of each apple; place in shallow baking dish just large enough to hold apples. Replace apple tops and pour 1/4 cup hot water around apples. Bake at 350 F 45 minutes, basting occasionally, or until apples are tender but still hold their shape.

In saucepan, heat wine and cherries to simmer. Turn off heat; let stand 30 minutes to plump cherries. Strain cherries; reserve both cherries and wine separately.

In medium mixing bowl, mix cherries, mascarpone, Neufchatel, lemon rind and salt; set aside. In small saucepan, heat wine and sugar to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until wine is reduced to 1 cup. Cool slightly; keep warm until serving time.

Remove apples from oven; let cool 15 minutes. Remove and set aside apple tops. Carefully fill cavity of each apple with one-fourth of cheese mixture, mounding it on the apple tops. Replace apple tops. Return to oven briefly to rewarm, if desired.

Transfer apples to serving plates, sprinkle with Spiced Pecans and pour sauce around and over them.