ROASTED CARDAMOM APPLESAUCE

There’s time for one more recipe using apples while the season is still at a peak here in New York state.



My daughter and her family moved to a new home in the country this summer and are the proud possessors of five apple trees. No idea what kind they are and the apples don’t look that appetizing. That’s because they lay where they fall for days, the boys take a bite or two and throw an apple back on the ground, their American Bulldog pup chews pieces out of as many as she can find, and Mom (my daughter) mows through all those and more.

I come along, though, and find whatever is left and looking halfway decent. Plus I occasionally reach a branch and shake loose a few apples. I’m a firm believer in the old adage that it’s what’s inside that counts. And inside these sweet apples is a lovely underlying tartness. Delicious!




CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO SEE AN ENLARGED VERSION.


Credit and kudos for the Roasted Cardamom Applesauce recipe goes to Katie, author of The Parsley Thief.




Katie’s recipe really called to me because I LOVE cardamom. I have a jarful of it in the cupboard and use it often in the creation of Halwa Gajar, an Indian carrot “pudding” which I will feature here on another day. In this dish, as well as in Halwa Gajar, I think it’s the aroma of the cardamom that I appreciate, even more than the taste.

The Parsley Thief’s version of this recipe suggests using a food mill. That allows you to leave the apples unpeeled and uncored while roasting them. Since I don’t possess a food mill, the peel comes off. I remove the apple core and seeds after I quarter them.

Instead of cutting the cardamom pods open with a knife, I push straight down on each one with the pestle (of mortar and pestle!). That breaks them open and exposes the tiny black seeds.



ROASTED CARDAMOM APPLESAUCE


Ingredients...
3 pounds sweet, slightly tart apples
8 cardamom pods
1/3 cup water
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt (I used Kosher)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Directions...
1. Peel, core and quarter apples (If using a food mill, only quarter them.) Spread in a 9x13 baking pan.
2. With mortar and pestle, break open cardamom pods, then crush the seeds slightly.
3. Mix cardamom, water, salt, sugars and cinnamon.
4. Pour cardamom mix over apples and stir to coat all.
5. Roast at 425-degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes or until tender. (I can tell the time has come when they have that cooked aroma and the cardamom mix is beginning to caramelize on the apples and in the pan.
6. Delicious warm or cold. Will keep in refrigerator up to one week.

You’ll notice from my first and my final photos of the finished product that my version is slightly chunky. That’s because I crushed the roasted apples with a fork and personally I love chunky applesauce.



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