Spoon the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly into the hollowed centers of the apples, packing it down gently with the back of the spoon.
Dot the tops of the apples and the filling with the pieces of butter, letting a few fall into the dish so they melt into a syrup as they bake.
Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 15–25 minutes, or until the apples are very tender when pierced with a knife and the juices are bubbling and syrupy.
Let the apples rest for about 5–10 minutes before serving so the juices thicken slightly. Spoon some of the pan syrup over each apple as you serve.
If you’d like a bit more texture, tuck a teaspoon or two of chopped pecans or walnuts into the center of each apple along with the brown sugar and cinnamon—nuts are a common touch in both Southern and Midwestern kitchens when apples are involved. For a deeper flavor, swap part of the brown sugar for a drizzle of real maple syrup or sorghum; both add an old-time sweetness that feels right at home in a farmhouse kitchen. You can also add a pinch of nutmeg or cloves to the cinnamon for a warmer, spicier aroma. If you’re cooking for someone watching their sugar, cut the brown sugar in half and let the natural sweetness of the apples shine, or use a sugar substitute that holds up to baking. For a softer, almost saucy result, pour 1/4 cup of apple cider or water into the baking dish before it goes into the oven—this will create extra syrup to spoon over the apples or over vanilla ice cream. And if you only have very large apples, you can cut them in half, core them, lay them cut side up, and divide the topping among the halves; they’ll bake a bit faster and serve more easily to a crowd.
