Baked apples are what happens when dessert is cozy instead of complicated. You take whole apples, core them, and let the oven do most of the work, baking them until they slump slightly and turn soft, fragrant, and spoonable.
You can keep them ultra-simple: just apples, a splash of water, maybe a little cinnamon. Or dress them up with an optional nutty filling, chopped walnuts or pecans mixed with a bit of honey or maple syrup, tucked into the center so it melts into a gooey, toasty pocket as they bake.