Red apples in cinnamon, cloves and panela sauce

Serves 2

2 red apples, peeled but left whole, scored lengthwise 4 times
Panela Sauce
1 cup sugar or panela (piloncillo broken into pieces)
1 cup of water
1 Mexican cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves

Garnish: pomegranate seeds and mint

Make the Panela Sauce. Combine the panela pieces, water, Mexican cinnamon and whole cloves in a small saucepan. Bring to a quick boil, then lower the heat to low and continue simmering for one minute longer.

Poach the apples in the Panela Sauce. Carefully submerge the apples in the hot panela sauce and weigh them down with a heavy heat resistant object. Do not allow the sauce to boil. Poach the apples until soft and flavorful, about 5-10 minutes. Quickly transfer the saucepan to the refrigerator to cool slightly. Allow the apples to sit in the sauce until needed.

Assemble the dish. Handle apples gently. Place one apple on a small plate, add some sauce and garnish.