Baked Stuffed Apples

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine the water and 1 cup of the brown sugar in a saucepan. Stir over low heat to dissolve the sugar. Add the cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Set aside.

Remove the apple cores without cutting all the way to the bottom. Mix the remaining brown sugar, golden raisins, hazelnuts and orange zest together. Fill each apple with this mixture, so that each is three-fourths full. Drizzle a little brandy into each and dot with butter. Place the apples in a baking dish and pour on the brown sugar syrup. Basting occasionally, bake for 30 minutes, until tender.

Transfer the apples to a serving dish and the syrup to a saucepan. Boil and reduce syrup by one-third. Pour the syrup over the apples and serve.