Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly grease a shallow ovenproof dish.
Carefully remove the core of the apples either using an apple corer or a small knife, keeping the rest of the apple in one piece. Sit the apples in the prepared dish and brush all over the outsides with the lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.
Add 1 teaspoon of honey and a piece of butter to each apple cavity. Pour the cider into the dish.
Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the apples are tender, basting them several times with the cider while cooking. Leave to rest for 5–10 minutes before serving, with the buttery cider syrup spooned over to moisten them. Sprinkle with a little sugar, then serve.