Buttery Spiced Sous-Vide Apples

• 1 lemon, yellow zest grated
• 6 small or 4 large apples, peeled and cored
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or any combination of cinnamon, ground ginger and ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 heaping teaspoon dark brown sugar
• 1 heaping tablespoon dark or golden raisins, or a combination
• Dollops of creme fraiche, whipped cream or ice cream (such as vanilla or dulce de leche) for serving

1. Fill sous-vide cooker with hot water and heat to 170 degrees.
2. Place lemon zest in a bowl.
3. In another bowl, place apples.
4. If using large apples, cut in half.
5. Cut lemon and squeeze juice over apples, turning to coat.
6. To bowl with lemon zest, add butter, salt, spices, sugar and raisins; mix together.
7. Divide mixture among apples, packing it into hollowed core.
8. If using apple halves, rub mixture all over them.
9. Place two apples in a sealable plastic bag, and seal it after removing as much air as possible; try squeezing most of it out and then carefully sucking out the rest with a straw as you seal the bag.
10. Or, seal apples in plastic with a FoodSaver or similar vacuum device.
11. Repeat with remaining apples.
12. (For sous-vide cooking at home, a complete vacuum seal is not necessary if food will be served immediately after cooking.)
13. Place plastic bags in sous-vide chamber, making sure they are submerged in hot water.
14. Cook at least 2 hours.
15. Food may remain in cooker for up to 2 additional hours; it will not cook any further.
16. When opening bags, be careful as juices will be hot.
17. Serve apples in bowls, topped with creme fraiche, whipped cream or ice cream.

lemon, apples, unsalted butter, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, brown sugar, golden raisins, creme fraiche

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012930 (may not work)