This is, hands down, our favorite new dish, discovered courtesy of Mario Batali and his new cookbook, Molto Batali.

We searched all over town for just the right apples, so don't settle for anything other than what's recommended here - it definitely makes a difference. The original recipe called for Gorgonzola cheese, but we're not fans, so substituted goat cheese instead. It was pure perfection.

2 cups Moscato d’Asti or other sweet, fragrant wine

1 Cinnamon stick

1 3/4 cups sugar

8 Tbs (1 stick) butter, cut into ½ inch cues, plus 2 Ts for the pan

10 medium Golden Delicious, Cortland or Empire apples, peeled and cored

5 very ripe Figs, stemmed and halved lengthwise

10 oz. Goat Cheese (or Gorgonzola – if using Gorgonzola, cut into 1-oz pieces at room temperature)

Preheat oven to 375.

Place sugar, wine and cinnamon stick in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower th heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the consistency of a thin syrup. Remove from heat and stir in cubes of butter.

Butter the sides and bottom of a 13.9 baking dish and place apples upright in the dish. Press each fig in the shape that will fit into the cavities in the apples and stuff the apples with the figs. Pour the Moscato syrup over the apples, place the dish in the oven and bake, periodically basting the apples with the pan juices until the apples are soft but still standing, 35 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and immediately place a piece of goat cheese on top of each apple, like a hat on the cavity. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature, with a spoonful of the pan juices over the top.