Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Wash the apples thoroughly and core them, leaving enough space at the bottom to hold the stuffing. You can use a melon baller or a small knife to carefully remove the core, ensuring the apples remain intact yet hollow enough for filling.

Prepare the filling by combining brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, a pinch of salt, chopped nuts, raisins, oats, vanilla, lemon juice, a splash of water or apple cider, and melted butter. Mix everything until well combined. The mixture should be moist yet crumbly, perfect for stuffing inside the apples.

Stuff each apple generously with the prepared filling. Press the filling in to ensure it’s packed well. Place the stuffed apples in a baking dish. Drizzle with maple syrup or honey for added sweetness and shine, then pour a bit of water or apple cider at the bottom of the dish to keep everything moist.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the apples are tender and aromatic. Remove the foil halfway through baking to let the filling caramelize and the apples turn a beautiful golden hue. Test doneness by inserting a skewer; it should go in easily.

Once done, remove from oven and let cool slightly. For an extra glaze, brush the apples with warm maple syrup or honey while still warm. Serve the baked apples warm, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, and enjoy the comforting, soft, gooey goodness!