Criss Cross Apple Sauce
You know those friends you have that you just mesh so well with? Those people that even despite your best efforts to remind them they don't, in fact, have to bring anything to your dinner party, come bringing lovely wine + exquisite homemade gifts?
Ahh, I just love those people! My dear friend Courtney, and her husband Taylor, are those people. Just this past week we had a little home-cooked dinner date, and Courtney brought over a jar of homemade apple sauce (in addition to some loooovely pinot noir). Anyway, this apple sauce was just so unexpected and so darn good. Plus it was a sauce with a story. A labor of love from when they went apple picking a few days prior at an orchard and had to really - 'by the sweat of their brow' (as Taylor shared) - find the goodies as all the low-hanging fruit had been picked. It apparently was hard work, but work and time well-spent!
Courtney was kind enough to share her recipe with me for this deliciously satisfying and sweet sauce. It has no added sugar, a ton of wonderful spices, and it just scratches that delicious I-feel-like-I'm-five-again-when-I-eat-this spot. I hope you enjoy this apple sauce as much as I do!
Ingredients
- Granny Smith + Fuji Apples (or mix whatever apples you got!)
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Dried Ginger (or fresh grated ginger)
- Cardamom is optional too!
Directions
- Peel apples and cut into small chunks (avoiding the core + seeds -- you can juice these later if you have a juicer)
- Boil apple chunks in a pot with a bit of water (not a ton - you don't want them drowning)
- While the apples are cooking in a bit of water, add a few pinches of whatever spice combination you have from the above
- If you want chunk applesauce, mash with a potato masher when apples are cooked through. Or if you're a smooth operator, blend with an immersion blender (or actual blender) and enjoy!