Spiced Apples
Simply Outstanding
Is there anything that speaks more to autumn than apples? My fellow cooking guides at About.com have been raving about cider doughnuts. I first had them when I moved to New Hampshire in 1998 and some friends took me out on a fall tour one Saturday afternoon. We visited a number of places offering fall-type things but the one that stands out in my mind is the farm-stand that offered a free apple cider doughnut when we walked in. Extraordinarily good!
And at some point every fall I make an apple pie. This year I used lard in the crust, an ingredient I normally use only in the pie crusts for savory dishes. But I figured a little pigginess would complement the apples (after all, apples complement pig) and I was right. The effect was subtle in a bite of pie, but noticeable if you were paying attention.
Is there anything that speaks more to autumn than apples? My fellow cooking guides at About.com have been raving about cider doughnuts. I first had them when I moved to New Hampshire in 1998 and some friends took me out on a fall tour one Saturday afternoon. We visited a number of places offering fall-type things but the one that stands out in my mind is the farm-stand that offered a free apple cider doughnut when we walked in. Extraordinarily good!
And at some point every fall I make an apple pie. This year I used lard in the crust, an ingredient I normally use only in the pie crusts for savory dishes. But I figured a little pigginess would complement the apples (after all, apples complement pig) and I was right. The effect was subtle in a bite of pie, but noticeable if you were paying attention.
When I was a kid one of our favorite autumn foods was my mother's homemade, hot applesauce.
When I was a kid one of our favorite autumn foods was my mother's homemade, hot applesauce. She'd toss some chopped apples in a sauce pan with a bit of water and those little red cinnamon candies and cook the apples until soft, then coarsely mash them. As kids we loved that dish, but as an adult I do something more sophisticated…Spiced Apples*My favorite cooking apple these days is Braeburns, but in this case I used a combination of Granny Smiths and Galas.
6 apples — peeled, cored, and diced*
2 - 3 tbsp rum, apple brandy, or water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
12 - 15 grates of nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 c molasses
2 tbsp butter
pinch of salt
tiny pinch of cayenne pepper
Add enough rum, apple brandy, or water to a sauce-pan to just cover the bottom. Add all remaining ingredients and stir to blend. Place over low heat, partially cover, and simmer gently until apples are tender — about 30 minutes.
1 Comments:
I always associate the aroma and taste of cooked apples (apple sauce, pie, crumbles, etc.) with Fall in New England. Will add your recipe to my list of Fall favorites.
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