Criss-Cross Applesauce

On 3 separate occasions this week my mind was filled of images of bubbling homemade applesauce. The first came as I was grabbing my lunch out of the fridge and was staring at a ¾ full tote of apples I swore I’d eat before they got soft. The second was at dinner the other night as I was slicing into a warm pork roast wishing I could have some applesauce. The third occasion, and today’s blog title source, came from a client I was training. We were training his agility and reaction time. I asked him to sit cross-legged with his back to me. With a puzzled look he looked up at me and replied, “Oh, you mean criss-cross apple sauce?” With a roll of my eyes I said, “Sure, whatever works for you dude.” Needless to say, I was left with a craving for applesauce.

Nothing beats homemade applesauce. I can remember helping my grandmother make applesauce when I was a kid. I can’t remember the exact recipe but feel confident that it didn’t require anything more than a bag full of seconds she picked up at the local orchard, cinnamon, and water.

I have no exact recipe to give you. I pulled out the bag of Macouns I had in the fridge, along with a few other Honey Crisps and Braeburns I hadn’t gotten around to eating before turning mushy. I peeled, quartered, cored, and diced even to fill a large, heavy bottomed, pot. I filled the pot with enough water to almost cover the apples; stirred in a teaspoon of cinnamon and a generous shaving of fresh nutmeg. With the pot sitting on a medium heat I let it bubble and simmer for 2-3 hours. The liquid reduced significantly as the apples turned into chunky sauce. At this point I debated about leaving the sauce chunky or blending it. The decision was easy to make as I gave it a quick taste. Leave it chunky! It tastes like apple pie filling, but with no guilt!

As my kitchen was filled with a wonderful apple-y aroma I couldn’t resist the urge to follow through with another recipe I found while nosing around a few of my favorite blog sites. Gingerbread Granola! Seriously, Gingerbread Granola. The holidays are upon us and for many years I would spend HOURS whipping up cookies for friends. Since, my newfound dietary habits limit…wishfully eliminate, the amount of white sugar and white flour I consume, cookies are out.

Ok ok ok…I admit it. I eat cookies! I LOVE a warm gooey chocolate chip cookie and a cold glass of milk. Who doesn't!?

As it is the holiday season Gingerbread Cookies are something I look forward to. They have to be soft and chewy, not crunchy. Leave the frosting and decorations. Give me just the cookie.

In an attempt to match the gingerbread deliciousness with an oat and nut granola I was hoping I’d be rewarded. Much to my surprise I was! Let’s be honest granola does not equal cookie but the sweet and spicy combination is a much healthier alternative.

I even threw caution to the wind and food combing rules out the window and mixed the granola into the warm and bubbly criss-cross applesauce. It had the taste and texture of apple crisp. Amazingly delicious.

I found the recipe for the Gingerbread Granola at the Minimalist Baker. In fact, I’ve found a number of recipes from this site. Most recipes are vegan and gluten-free friendly, of which I am neither but enjoy the variety. This recipe makes A LOT of granola. Be sure to share with friends. Or, if you don’t have friends give them some Gingerbread Granola sprinkled over your very own batch of Criss-Cross Applesauce and you’ll be sure to get at least one. ;)

Enjoy,

SK