Apples: from Branch to Sauce

Warm applesauce, straight from the oven, and making the whole place smell of cinnamon & allspice! We picked these apples earlier this week, a mix of Macintosh, Empire, Red Delicious, and Macoun at Smolak Farms in North Andover. Perfect Saturday afternoon task while the kids are napping and the house is quiet: peel, core and quarter the apples (about 10 total), add to large Dutch oven pot, and then add zest and juice of one orange, 1t cinnamon (from Penzey’s), 1/4t allspice (also from Penzey’s), 2T butter, 1/4c brown sugar. Stir well, cover with lid, place in 350F oven for 40-45min. Take a deep breath. Fall has arrived.