• Core the baking apples. Peel a strip of apple skin from the top of each apple. Place the apples in a 4 quart crock pot. If need be, take a small thin slice off the bottom of the apples to make them sit level in the crock pot.

  Place the cranberries, walnuts and brown sugar in a small bowl. Stir to combine the ingredients. Spoon the mixture into the center of each cored apple. Pack the mixture in if necessary with a knife.

  Combine the apple juice, lemon zest and lemon juice in a small bowl, stir lightly to combine the ingredients and pour them into the crock pot around the apples. Add the 3 inch cinnamon stick to the liquid in the bottom of the crock pot. Top each apple with a piece of butter.

  Place the lid on the crock pot, turn the setting to low heat, cook the ingredients for 5 hours. You can also turn the heat to high and cook for 2 1/2 hours if you prefer.

For the Sauce

• Place 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup whipping cream, 1/4 cup butter and 1 Tablespoon of corn syrup in a small heavy duty saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium high heat whisking the ingredients occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium and boil gently for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla and sea salt to the pan, stirring them into the pan ingredients. Cool the mixture to room temperature or chill in the refrigerator up to 24 hours and rewarm in the microwave on medium for 1 - 2 minutes before serving on top of the apples.