Basque Applesauce

Must Try Recipes

When looking through cookbooks I’m often disappointed when I find ridiculously easy recipes.  For instance?  Something like chocolate milk.  Or mashed potatoes.  Or scrambled eggs.  These recipes usually seem like pointless fillers to me.  Unless there’s something revolutionary about the techniques, I’m guessing we’re all OK with continuing to make these things the same way we’ve done all our lives.

But every once in awhile these simple recipes contain a little gem, idea or added ingredient that would have never occurred to us, like in this Basque applesauce.  Would I ever have thought to add sweet sherry to applesauce?  No.  Was it really good?  Yes.  Far from venturing into boozy territory, it just gives the applesauce a little something extra.

Speaking of booze and apples, reading about the Basque Country and their sidrerias, or cider houses, has got me majorly dreaming of a trip to Europe.  All you can drink fresh cider and a sampling of Basque food?  Where do I sign up?

Basque Applesauce

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

* 3 pounds of your favorite baking or cooking apples, peeled and diced
* 1/2 cup water
* 3 Tablespoons sweet Spanish sherry
* 1/4 cup sugar
* pinch of salt
* cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the apples, water, sherry, sugar and salt and bring them to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the apples are soft. Add cinnamon to taste, if desired.

Latest Kitchen Guides

Kitchen Must-haves