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.

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

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.

*My favorite cooking apple these days is Braeburns, but in this case I used a combination of Granny Smiths and Galas.

Technorati: Food | recipe | kevin d weeks | seriously good | apples | side dish

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