I'll confess to liking applesauce just the way it is. The almost-bland sweet-tartness is like baby food, inviting you to scoop it up by the spoonful and eat it plain.
Wait. Did I just gross you out? If you have no love for plain applesauce, don't give up on it as a topping for latkes, a partner for seared pork chops, or even layered with Greek yogurt for a breakfast parfait. Instead, use one of these simple tweaks to transform that innocent apple flavor into something way more deliciously adult. Each of these strategies will upgrade one cup of unsweetened "natural" applesauce:
Brown Butter
To transform applesauce into something almost luxurious, heat a tablespoon of unsalted butter in a small saucepan or skillet, stirring occasionally, until it smells toasty and turns golden brown. Then whisk that browned butter—and a generous pinch of sea salt—into your apple sauce. You might even start spooning this stuff on your pancakes in the morning.
Toasted Spice
Sure, you could simply buy the cinnamon-flavored applesauce. But unless those applesauce-makers are toasting their own fresh spices before stirring them into each batch, the flavor won't compare to a spice-infused applesauce made right in your kitchen. Start by toasting a half-teaspoon of your favorite ground baking spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice) in a small skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl to stop the cooking, then stir in a pinch or two of the spice into your applesauce, adding more to taste.
For an extra dose of fall sweetness, a drizzle of pure maple syrup is just the thing. You can even go sweet-and-tangy with a quickly simmered combo of a couple teaspoons of pure maple syrup and a splash of apple cider vinegar. This concoction is especially good alongside freshly-seared pork chops or a nice slab of ham.
But, hey, don't let this stop you from making your own:
The mellow sweetness of toasted sugar adds complexity. Apple cider vinegar helps brighten cooked fruit. Using skin-on fruit improves both flavor and color in the finished product. Aromatics like cinnamon, orange peel, and rose water intensify the flavor of the apples.
The mellow sweetness of toasted sugar adds complexity. Apple cider vinegar helps brighten cooked fruit. Using skin-on fruit improves both flavor and color in the finished product. Aromatics like cinnamon, orange peel, and rose water intensify the flavor of the apples.
Use on waffles, pancakes or French toast, instead of syrup. Eat plain as a snack or heat up on the stove and add cinnamon. Spread on top of peanut butter toast, or instead of jelly on a peanut butter sandwich.
The best apples for applesauce are whatever apples you have on hand and need to use up. However, if you have a choice, we recommend using a combination of sweet and tangy varieties for the best flavor. Popular sweet varieties include Honeycrisp and Fuji, while popular tangy varieties include Granny Smith and Braeburn.
(You can also go for classic, if that's your style!) In each, I recommend using either Golden Delicious or Fuji apples. They are naturally sweet, necessitating less additional sugar. To help you decide which you'd like to use if you don't already have a favorite, we can cover a couple of the basic facts of each.
Introduction: My name is Nicola Considine CPA, I am a determined, witty, powerful, brainy, open, smiling, proud person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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