Thursday, June 24, 2010

Spiced Apple Sauce

Well, it looks like it's time for a new post. Before I begin though I'd like to say, that for the month of July I will be working at Camp Kaskitowa, a Christian Boy's camp about 45 minutes from where I live. Since I'll be gone at camp during the week I'll start posting on Saturday, IF I'm not completely exhausted from working 14 hour days!

That being said let's get on with the food!

I know it's summertime now, but Fall is just around the corner and that means APPLE SAUCE! This is my favorite recipe for a spiced apple sauce and the best part is....NO MEASURING!!! Everything is done to taste! I like mine super spiced and I let it sit in a crock pot over night and it turns DARK brown, it's almost black and it's deliciously bitter. Served warm over vanilla ice cream or topped with a delicious granola (but that's another post!) So let's get down to it!

Spiced Apple Sauce:

Ingredients:

  • Apples (however many you want. I find 1 pre-bagged whatever from the grocery store makes a decent ammount also I like courtland apples, but I can't find them when I'm here in Michigan, so when I'm home I tend to use Galas. Check a cook-book or the internet for good applesauce apples)
  • Water, enough to cover your apples in a pot
  • Brown Sugar Dark or Light, whatever you prefer, Dark brings out the spice flavor a bit more while light tends to be more reserved)
  • White or Regular Sugar
  • Ground Cinnamon
  • Ground Ginger
  • Ground Nutmeg
  • Ground Cloves
  • Any other spices
Directions:
  1. Peel apples (if desired) and chop into 1 in pieces
  2. Put apples into pot and cover with water.
  3. Bring water to a boil and let boil until apples are soft.
  4. Drain water and return apples to pot.
  5. Add about a half a bag of brown sugar if you used a full sized bag of apples.
  6. Add about 1/4 tsp cinnamon for each apple you used.
  7. Add about 1/8 tsp of Nutmeg and Cloves for each apple you used.
  8. Add a small pinch of Ginger for each apple you used.
  9. Mix up apples. I usually use a potato masher for a chunkier apple sauce. If you want smoother applesauce start with the masher then use an immersion blender (stick blender) until you reach the desired consistency. Another option is to pour part of the mix into your full sized blender and use the pulse function until the desired chunkiness is reached. I also like to hold back about 1/2 cup to a cup of the un-mashed apples to add slightly bigger chunks, when I'm making a smoother sauce.
  10. Continue adding spices and brown sugar to taste.
  11. Add regular sugar if needed to bring up the sweetness.
  12. Transfer to a crock pot and let sit overnight. if desired.
Sauce topping for Spiced Apple Sauce:

If you want a beautiful presentation for your apple sauce make up a batch of granola (I will post a recipe on here once I get back to school and find my college cook book, it has an AWESOME granola recipe!) and then top your applesauce with the granola and a drizzle of this Spiced Caramel Sauce. OR use the sauce to top your ice cream or as a dip for gingerbread cookies/chips!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Sugar
  • Water
  • 6 tbsp. Butter
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • Cinnamon
  • Ginger
  • Nutmeg
  • Cloves
  • Any other spices you used in your spiced apple sauce
Directions:

  1. Mix your sugar with water in a pot until it is the consistency of wet sand.
  2. Add any spices desired, to taste.
  3. Turn the heat on to medium and begin to melt the sugar. If you have a candy thermometer you may want to use it if not it's no big deal.
  4. The sugar and spices will begin to caramelize when the reach 320 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  5. Once the sugar mixture has started to turn amber begin stirring the caramel. You can stir early to keep the sugar from burning, but to much stirring with result in re-crystallization of the sugar and we don't want that!
  6. Once the caramel has reached an amber color you like, (the darker the stronger the spiced flavor will be), add your butter, and mix until it is completely emulsified.
  7. Once the butter is emulsified add your cream in small portions. To prevent the caramel from seizing up you can heat the cream before adding it, but be sure to do so BEFORE you start the caramel making process. This isn't necessary and if the caramel does seize just keep mixing in small amounts until the cream is all mixed in.
  8. LET COOL before using.
Remember that caramel making is a process that goes very quickly.so it is best to get all your ingredients together first. This is true of any recipe but especially ones that are rapid.

No comments:

Post a Comment