Apple Week: Apple Sauce

***A correction I must address before we go any further.  My dearest mother, the walking dictionary and grammar crusader that she is, was so kind as to point out my typo in the first line of Thursday's post. "I thought you would want to know". No, Mom, I would have rather not known about that one - especially before I had even finished my morning coffee. Personally, "its" versus "it's" is a mistake that makes my skin crawl when I see it. (As do "alot" of other grammatical mistakes.) I know it was wrong and I am mortified. So, let's drop it. Thanks. ***

I go through phases with apple sauce. Much like yogurt, it is a texture thing. I only made my own from scratch for the first time last fall and, after realizing how easy it is, vowed to never buy it in a store again. [Seeing as I don't eat the stuff very often, I have been able to stick to that 100%. Yay me!] Only after tasting apple sauce that you have made from scratch will you understand just how processed the apple sauce is that you buy in the store. In my recipe, I cut way back on sugar so as to keep that tart "this-was-actually-made-from-apples" flavor.  Otherwise, it just tastes like sugary, apple-flavored sauce. Almost candy-like, but I guess that is alright if you are into that sort of thing.

Chunky Apple Sauce
8-10 apples (I prefer Macs or Cortlands)
1-2c. cider (to be honest, I eyeballed it, so I really have no idea)
2t. cinnamon
vanilla (eyeballed, but maybe 3/4t.?)
sugar to taste (I ended up using about 1 cup)

In case you can't tell, I don't often use measuring cups or timers - cooking is an art, not a science! Wash, core, and quarter the apples.  [You can peel them if you'd like, but I prefer to leave the skins on for flavor and then remove them when I mash.] Place in a large pan and add cider.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until apples are soft enough to mash.  [I don't cook for very long as I prefer chunky sauce.] For smoother sauce, cook longer and apples will break down further. Remove skins and mash with a potato masher.  Add cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla and stir to incorporate. Taste and tweak until it's delicious!