Day 21: Roasted Applesauce

I had some leftover apples after making an apple pie (which I'll post about tomorrow) and they were already peeled so I thought, hey, roasted applesauce! I've been meaning to make it for awhile and the perfect opportunity finally arose.

I usually don't like warm applesauce, but this was perfect. I'm sure I will be making this many times this fall. I ended up thirding the recipe and it made two good-sized servings.

The little disc sticking out of the applesauce is one of my favorite treats since I was a child: take leftover pie crust dough, liberally sprinkle cinnamon sugar over it, and bake until the edges are lightly browned. Best eaten a couple minutes after they have come out of the oven. You might be okay eating them later, but they've never lasted that long for me.

Recipe!:

3lbs McIntosh (about 10) [I used Empire apples - I think tart apples work best here]

juice of 1 lemon [I skipped this]

2 tablespoons canola oil

¼ cup pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp lemon zest [skipped this too]

pinch ground allspice [skipped this, blech, allspice]

¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400°.

Peel, core, and slice the apples into 1 inch chunks. Sprinkle with the lemon juice. Set aside.

Combine the oil, maple syrup, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon zest in a glass baking dish and whisk together. Add the apples and toss to coat.

Roast until the apples are very tender, about 25 minutes or so, turning once after 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and mash [I used my ricer instead]. If you prefer smoother applesauce, you can pulse it a few times in a blender or food processor. You can serve this warm, at room temperature, or chilled.