Tufahija (Bosnian Poached Apples Stuffed with Walnuts)

Name: Tufahija (Bosnian Poached Apples Stuffed with Walnuts)
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Balkan
Ingredients: 4 firm eating apples, such as Braeburn or Pink Lady; 600ml water; 150g caster sugar; 1 lemon, juice, plus 2 strips of peel; 1 cinnamon stick; 3 cloves; 80g walnuts, very finely chopped; 30g caster sugar, for the filling; 150ml double cream; 1 tbsp caster sugar, for the cream

Whole apples poached in lemony syrup, filled with sweet walnuts and finished with softly whipped cream.

Time1 hr
LevelMedium
Costabout £1.05 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

Estimated nutrition per serving

573kcal
73.4gcarbs
65.7gof which sugars
29.6gfat
12.5gsaturates
6.1gprotein
5.3gfibre
0.0gsalt

A rough estimate worked out from the ingredients, for the serving size above. It is a guide only and not medical advice. If you count carbs or manage diabetes, check with your own tools and your care team.

4 apples

Ingredients

Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.

4firm eating applessuch as Braeburn or Pink Lady
600 mlwater
150 gcaster sugar
1lemonjuice, plus 2 strips of peel
1cinnamon stick
3cloves
80 gwalnutsvery finely chopped
30 gcaster sugarfor the filling
150 mldouble cream
1 tbspcaster sugarfor the cream

Method

1
Peel the apples, leaving the stalk end intact. Cut a thin slice from the base so they stand up, then scoop out the core from the top with a teaspoon or melon baller. Keep the walls about 1 cm thick and do not go through the bottom. Rub with a little lemon juice.
2
Put the water, 150 g sugar, remaining lemon juice, lemon peel, cinnamon and cloves in a wide pan that holds the apples snugly. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
3
Stand the apples in the syrup, cover and poach very gently for 15 to 20 minutes, spooning syrup over them now and then, until a knife slides in easily but the apples still hold their shape.
18 min
4
Lift the apples out carefully onto a plate. Boil the syrup hard for 10 minutes until it is reduced by about half and slightly sticky, then take out the spices and peel.
10 min
5
Mix the walnuts with 30 g sugar and 2 tablespoons of the syrup into a thick paste. Pack it into the apples, mounding it a little at the top.
6
Spoon a little syrup over each apple and chill for at least 1 hour.
7
Whip the cream with 1 tablespoon sugar to soft peaks. Serve the apples cold with a big spoonful of cream on top and the rest of the syrup around.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.