Homemade April-Applesauce

This one was surprisingly easy and quick. I like serving fruits or vegetables that take a tiny bit more thought than "microwave this for 5 minutes, or cut up this fruit and throw it in a bowl".  This is different enough to make me smile without pulling out my hair or needing to run to the store for ingredients.

 My friend Heidi just made a gazillion jars of applesauce, (one for every week of the year if I remember right) a couple weeks ago and I'm sure she has a perfect recipe but I forgot to ask her for it.  I'll fudge the ingredients next time but I think I'm on to something close enough that if you make it like this you won't be disappointed.

Dice up 3 sort of sweet apples.  I used Fuji.  Now...if you like peels in your applesauce you can leave them on but for some reason I wasn't feeling the peel today which is totally not like me.  I like peels in my mashed potatoes, peels on the apple crostata, peels on my pot roast carrots etc.

If you've never diced an apple without the help of your stupid Pampered Chef apple corer/slicer here's how you do it.  Peel your apple by putting your knife sideways and cutting a curlycue around the apple in a circle.

The cut the apple in half from stem to, um, other stem.  Then with your little knife cut out two triangles into the center of your apple to get the stem part out.  Cut the half in half and then use a little swoopty action with your knife to get the core out.  Lay your 4 pieces of apple on their sides and cut the long way 3 times and then dice it the other direction.

Throw those in a pan.
Add 1/4 plus 2 T water
1 T cinnamon
1/8 t ginger
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 t all spice
1/2 t pumpkin spice
2 T brown sugar
I think I'll add a little more liquid next time but make it apple juice and add another 1/4 C.

Simmer and stir every so often for 20 minutes until soft.
Take all but 1/4-1/2 cup and process in a food processor a couple pulses.
Take the leftovers and using a fork, mash up the rest of the apple.
Combine together and serve warm or cold.

Turns out darker and not runny at all like store-bought but I like it that way.  I don't like it when my applesauce runs into my hamburger bun and soaks it all up to a soggy mess.

This would also be a really great healthy dessert with a touch of whipped cream and caramel sauce.  Or vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.  ORRRRRR put it in your plain oatmeal the next morning.  Or use it as a spread on buttered toast.  OK, I think I needed to make some more.

Cost: I had everything at the house so...ZERO.
Hippie Score: 3
Will I do it again: yep.  i love applesauce but husbando doesn't so I buy a jar and eat as much as I can before I get sick of it and then find moldy applesauce in the back of the fridge on the 1st of the month when I clean out the fridge from tip to toe.