applesauce – Ali Does It Herself

This recipe is a modified version of the one that Iris over at the Daily Dietribe came up with. I am indebted to her extensive experimentation. Jul, who eats only gluten-free foods, is also indebted. And the Pie and Cait are just full.

Iris has experimented enough that she knows which flours will do what, so I followed her advice and used a combination of almond flour and brown rice flour.

Take 1 1/4 cups of the flour and whisk it together with 1/2 cup starch (potato works best but I used corn starch because I can’t find it here), 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.

In another, larger bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and between 1/2 and 1 3/4 cups buttermilk (the amount will depend on what kind of flour you are using. Here I used about 3/4 cup).

For a dairy-free version (and this is already egg-free), you can use 2 tablespoons vegetable oil instead of butter, and instead of the buttermilk you could go for coconut milk.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Add more liquid, if necessary, a little bit at a time. If you are making waffles, you’ll want your batter to be a little thicker, while with pancakes you’ll want it a bit runnier.

Then you just pour the batter into a pan or smooth it into a waffle iron and you’re all set. I loved how this was just as simple as making regular buttermilk waffles and took no time at all.

These came out a little darker than I was expecting but they were lovely and crisp, even after I left them to warm in the oven. Just make sure to spray your waffle iron or your pan frequently or they will stick.

… then you really need to figure out what to do with them when you’re about to go on vacation for two weeks.

This was our situation a few weeks back. And really there’s only so much apple crumble you can handle in the summer months.

Why not make yourself some applesauce? In addition to providing a tasty and nutritious snack, you can also use it as a dairy substitute in baking, and even add it to meat marinades to add flavour. And it’s not like it’s hard.

I had nine Mcintosh apples, which I chopped up relatively small. You can take the skins off if you like, but every time I do that I see my mother’s disapproving face in my mind and hear her saying, “that’s where all the vitamins are.” So I leave them on, for texture and colour.

Take two or three cinnamon sticks and about ten cloves, and wrap them up in a square of cheesecloth.

Tie it into a tidy package.

Toss that and your apples into a slow cooker. Add in a few spoonfuls brown sugar and some ground cinnamon, as well. You can leave the sugar out altogether if you want a healthier sauce.

Pour in about 1/4 cup water, just for juice’s sake.

Cook on high for a couple hours, stirring occasionally.

The smell is fantastic.

When the apples are soft and brown, you are all set.

Make sure to remove and discard the spice bag when you’re done.

Squish the apples up with your spoon. If you really want to go super smooth, put the sauce in a blender. I like mine with a bit of structure.

The best part is that applesauce freezes up real good. So you can enjoy it any time!