Rosemary for Remembrance

I read a recipe in James Beard's American Cooking and then made up my own.

Preheat oven to 350.

1. Wash and core 4 baking apples -- I bought Rome Beauties for the purpose.
2. Stand apples on their bottoms in a baking dish; trim bottoms if necessary to make them stand up.
3. Stuff with pecan pieces and ~1 tablespoon of butter cut into bits, alternating layers until you get to the top.
4. Mix 1/2 cup maple syrup and 1/2 cup water. (vary proportions according to taste and to how expensive maple syrup is.)
5. Pour maple mixture into apples. Pour remainder of mixture into baking pan. If there's less than half an inch or so, top up with water.
6. Bake apples uncovered for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on apples. Baste with fluids from the pan every 10 minutes. Apples are done when you can push a skewer from the core to the outside.
7. Take out of oven and let cool. James Beard says to serve them cold; I'm going to rewarm gently in the oven for supper.

If you're feeling fancy, pour off the remainder of the basting mixture, boil down to a syrup, and pass as a sauce at the table.