Wash and cook the sweet potatoes in a saucepan with water to cover until they are tender. Peel them and pass them through a ricer or mash them with a potato masher.
Add orange zest and juice, sugar, butter, nutmeg, milk, salt and pepper. Combine well and reserve.
Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
Core the apples and make a large hole in the center with a melon baller. Fill them with the sweet potatoes, and place them in a baking pan.
In a small bowl mix honey and water. Pour over the apples with the cinnamon sticks and the star anise, and bake for 45 minutes, basting with the cooking juices every 15 minutes or so, until tender.
Recipe by PERU DELIGHTS at http://perudelights.com/baked-apples-with-sweet-potato-puree/