Baked apples are one of the oldest, most honest desserts around: a short ingredient list, no dough to work with, and the oven does nearly all the work. When the weather turns cold and something warm feels right with tea, this is exactly the kind of thing that hits the spot.

Firm, tart apple varieties work best here, since they hold their shape in the oven instead of collapsing into mush, and their acidity balances the sweetness of the honey and filling nicely. Very soft summer varieties aren’t a great fit for this recipe — they tend to fall apart long before the filling has had time to work its way into the flesh.

The filling is easy to adapt to whatever’s on hand: walnuts can be swapped for almonds or hazelnuts, raisins for dried apricots or cranberries, and honey for brown sugar if that’s what’s in the pantry. A little water or juice in the bottom of the dish keeps the filling from scorching and turns into a light caramel-like syrup that’s worth spooning back over the apples before serving. This dessert is good on its own, and even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of plain yogurt — the contrast between the warm apple and the cold topping is part of the appeal.