Every season seems to have it's signature fruit or vegetable, that one food that says to us that season is here. For me, Fall's signature fruit is the Apple. I know apples are available all year long, but we don't really use them in cooking in other months like we do in the Fall. The beginning of Fall is the start of tons of tasty apple dishes- apple pie, apple crumble, pork chops with apples, baked apples, and my daughter's favorite- Homemade Apple Sauce. I am sure I will have several apple recipes to share with you over the coming month, but I thought I'd start with this one.
Last week our CSA came with a huge bag of fresh apples. I had so many (because I had also grabbed some from Trader Joes when I was there) that I needed something to do with them. My oldest asked me if I would make my cinnamon applesauce so ,of course, I did. It's so easy, and is a recipe you can definitely play around with.
Ingredients:
8 large Apples of your choice. (I used Fuji and Pink Ladies this time)
1/4-1/2 cup Water
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar (Less if you want to cut down on the sweetness)
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice (if you want a stronger flavor)
Directions:
Peel, core, and slice all your apples. Place them in the slow cooker.
Pour in the water
Add in the brown sugar
Cinnamon
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Gently stir the apple to distribute the spices. Set Slow Cooker to low for 8 hours.
Once the apples are soft, mash them with a potato masher. If they mash easier, set to warm and serve when ready. If they don't mash easily, let cook until the apples are cooked down.
We served this warm with a roasted chicken and veggies. My daughters love it, and prefer it warm. You can also eat it cold, of course. If you like less of a cinnamon flavor, just decrease the amount you put in. It's totally up to you as to how you want this to taste.
What's one of your favorite Fall foods?
Mmm...your homemade applesauce looks fantastic! In the fall I love freshly picked apples, apple cider (Fresh Market has a really good one), pumpkin pies/custards, and in the late fall - tangerines! Thanks for sharing all of your culinary knowledge with the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to try this recipe this weekend!
ReplyDeleteI love warm applesauce. The addition of the pumpkin pie spices sounds great too :) Can't wait to give this a try.
ReplyDelete