Baked Apples with Caramel Sauce

For the Baked Apples

* 1⁄4 cup sugar
* 1⁄4 Cup maple syrup
* 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
* 1⁄4 Tsp. kosher salt
* 6 Firm Fuji apples, stemmed and cored
* Ice cream, for serving

Caramel Sauce

* 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
* 1⁄3 cup heavy cream
* 1⁄2 cup raisins
* 2 tbsp. dark rum

Directions

Fire up the oven to 400-500 degrees F. Combine sugar, syrup, butter, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Cut 1⁄4" from bottom of apples so that they sit flat; transfer apples to a terra cotta or cast iron 9" x 13" baking pan. Fill hollow cores with reserved sugar–syrup mixture. Cover apples with foil; bake until tender, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the caramel sauce: Heat sugar and 1⁄2 cup water in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until amber colored and a candy thermometer inserted into syrup reads 330˚, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat; let cool slightly. Add cream (caramel will bubble up slightly). Stir in raisins and rum; set aside. Serve apples with caramel sauce and ice cream.