Homemade Apple Sauce

This makes a slightly richer and sweeter applesauce than you might buy at the store. We like to eat it warm over vanilla ice cream. :)

1 large orange
3 pounds washington apples (about 6 to 8 apples)
3 pounds red delicious apples (about 6 to 8 apples)
1/2 cup Splenda brown sugar blend, lightly packed
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a 5 qt Dutch Oven add the following:
Zest and juice of the orange, Peeled, cored apples (I use an apple corer to cut them up) Splenda, butter, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. Cover the pot and bake for 1 hour. Mash with a potato masher for a nice chunky sauce or put in a food processor for a super smooth sauce. (I prefer it chunky.)


_____This is the base recipe that I started with and changed to our liking _________________

Homemade Applesauce

2007, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min Level:

Easy Serves: 2.5 quarts

2 large navel oranges, zested and juiced

1 lemon, zested and juiced

3 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 6 to 8 apples)

3 pounds sweet red apples, such as Macoun, McIntosh, or Winesap (about 6 to 8 apples)

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.



Place the zest and juice of the oranges and lemon in a large bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples (reserving the peel of 2 of the red apples) and toss them in the juice. Pour the apples, reserved apple peel, and juice into a nonreactive Dutch oven or enameled iron pot. Add the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and allspice and cover the pot. Bake for 1 hour, or until all the apples are soft. Remove and discard the red apple peel. Mix with a whisk until smooth, and serve warm or at room temperature.