Dessert: Sliced Baked Apples

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon, Lemon, Apples

Health benefits of Sliced Baked Apples

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060). Lemons can help to prevent oxidative damage to the body, which women with PCOS are often susceptible to. Lemons are also rich in vitamin C, flavonoids, and other antioxidants. They can potentially support the immune system and have other health benefits. Lemons also have a low glycemic index, so they should not cause a rapid rise in blood sugar when consumed in natural form. Apples will improve your body's sensitivity to insulin (Reference: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/1/281.full)

Ingredients

4 McIntosh apples
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into bits
2 tablespoons light rum
four 3-inch cinnamon sticks
apple or mint leaves for garnish if desired

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 °F. Peel and core the apples, leaving them whole. Slice the apples horizontally into even 1/4-inch-thick slices, reassemble the slices to form whole apple shapes, and brush the apples with the lemon juice. Put the apples in a pie plate, fill the cavities with some of the brown sugar, butter, and rum, and sprinkle the apples with the remaining brown sugar, butter, and rum. Bake the apples in the middle of the oven, basting frequently, for 25 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 °F., insert the cinnamon sticks in the cavities of the apples, and bake the apples, basting frequently, for 20 minutes more, or until they are tender and browned well and the juices are thick and syrupy. Divide the apples among 4 plates, spoon the syrup over them, and garnish the apples with the apple or mint leaves.