Meyer Lemon Applesauce

It is both apple season and Meyer Lemon season, so when I saw this recipe in the November 6^th edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch I could not resist!  As I am intensely busy with Thanksgiving prep, though, I decided to just toss all of the ingredients into my 1.5 quart crockpot, set it to low, and let it go all day.  I used a combination of Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, and Melissa’s Organic Crimson Gold Apples.  It was so good that we were fighting over the last spoonful.

Meyer Lemon Applesauce

Yield: 3 cups

4 large apples, peeled, cored and chopped into ½-inch pieces

½ cup sugar

¼ cup water

Zest and juice of 1 Meyer lemon

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch of kosher salt

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the apples, sugar, water, lemon zest and juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Cook, stirring often, until the apples are very soft and some have broken down completely, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the applesauce warm or chilled. The applesauce will keep, tightly covered in the refrigerator, for 1 week.

This post is linked to:

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Tasty Tuesdays

Applesauce Spice Muffins

One nice thing about being stuck inside during snowy weather is that I have time to make muffins for breakfast in the morning.  These are particular favorites because they can be mixed by hand, so no dragging out the mixer, and the recipe only makes six, so I'm not overwhelmed with more muffins than we can possibly eat, and end up having to freeze the majority of them.  The fragrance that comes out of the kitchen when they are baking will make you weak at the knees.  This combination of spices scents the house so beautifully that you'll wish in came in candle form.

Applesauce Spice Muffins

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

5-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Topping:

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan.  In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg and brown sugar until thoroughly combined, then slowly add butter, whisking until mixture is creamy. Stir in applesauce, then fold in flour mixture until flour is just moistened. Stir in nuts.  Using an ice cream scoop, fill the six cavities in your jumbo muffin pan equally with the mixture.  Stir together topping ingredients and sprinkle on top of muffins. Bake until muffins are puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly before removing muffins from pan, and then cool thoroughly on a wire rack.

This is linked to Real Food Wednesdays.