Cinnamon Applesauce

Tonight we're having pork chops, and it just doesn't seem right to have them without applesauce. My girls absolutely love fresh applesauce, and so do I, so I cooked up a quick batch this evening to have with dinner. It's so quick and easy to make, and tastes so much better than anything you can get at the store. I like to add a healthy amount of cinnamon when I make it, and a fair amount of sugar (I like mine sweet, what can I say?). I wish I had thought about it beforehand, and I would have tried using blue agave nectar, but it completely slipped my mind. Oh well, next time, right?

On that note, I bought the blue agave nectar awhile back, and haven't used it yet, because I just don't know what to do with it. Any suggestions? I'm afraid to substitute it for sugar in baking, in case it doesn't turn out, but if anyone has tried and true uses for it, I'd love to hear them!

Last time I made applesauce, it was really smooth, but tonight I wanted it to be chunkier, so I held back a couple apples while the rest of the applesauce cooked. Once it was all cooked down and smooth, I diced the remaining apples and added them to the sauce, cooking just until they were tender. Perfect!



Fresh Cinnamon Applesauce

6 Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup water
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (brown or white)
1 tsp cinnamon

Peel and core the apples, then cut into chunks. Place in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add water. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30-45 minutes, or until apples cook down and soften. Add sugar and cinnamon to taste. Serve warm or chilled..