Amaretto Applesauce…Nice!

Now almost mid-July, it’s the middle of summer. We’ve been having some hot weather fairly regularly for a month in the San Francisco north bay region, making it “officially” ice cream season…(though we’ve been known to crave ice cream even on cold winter days).

We brought home a quart of Baskin-Robbins vanilla ice cream (gasp!) a week ago, after our Tuesday evening Tai Chi class. Usually my hubby and I buy a baby scoop of ice cream to share, when we just have to HAVE some and there isn’t any homemade ice cream in the freezer.

Whatever possessed us to bring such sweet creamy temptation into the house? My prize-winning county fair collection of jams, dessert sauces, and this tasty amaretto-infused applesauce, improvised after making Rose Geranium Apple Jelly (post yet to come).

As a creative foodie and food blog author, one has to have some means of featuring delectables from the kitchen. I’m not inclined to bake when outside temperatures are high. Hubby would be dismayed, if I made the house any warmer than it already is, so ice cream is an easy solution. And what a perfect excuse to eat some, after the photo’s taken!

Amaretto Applesauce

COMMENT: A nice way to use cooked apple pulp, left-over from jelly making.
Yield: 3 pints

INGREDIENTS (Organic if possible):
1-1/3 quarts (5+cups) cooked Organic tart Apple Pulp
2 cups sweet Organic Apple Cider or Juice per each quart of pulp
1/2 cup Organic Sugar (for good keeping qualities)
C’s COMMENT: You may use less sugar or no sugar if you prefer, but the applesauce won’t store well.
1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground Cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground Allspice
1/4 cup Amaretto (or preferred Almond Liqueur)
dash of Sea Salt (to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS:
~ Measure your cooked apple pulp.
~ Stir in 2 cups of sweet cider per quart of pulp.

~ Force soften pulp through a sieve or colander into a wide, heavy bottomed, preserves-making pan.
~ Toss any pulp remaining in the sieve into your compost bucket.

~ Add the spices, sugar & Amaretto. Sir to mix well.
~ Bring slowly to a boil over medium heat, stirring so the sauce doesn’t splatter as it heats up.

Meanwhile…
~ Wash & dry pint jars with their lids. Sterilize in 200F oven.
(See instructions in Lemony Fuchsia Berry Apple Jelly.)

After the jars and lids are sterilized and the applesauce is hot (15-20 min),
~ Fill the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top, wipe rims clean, put lids in place and tighten down.
~ With a gentle tap, invert closed jars on towel or cutting board for 5 minutes, before placing upright to let jars cool and make a tight seal.

When the jars have cooled to room temperature,
~ Check your seals, label, and store in a cool, dry, dark cupboard.
Plan to eat the applesauce within 6 months to a year. Will keep longer, but tends to lose flavor.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
For Breakfast: Amaretto Applesauce is a tasty addition to yogurt or creamy cottage cheese or on biscuits, scones, and toast.
For Snacking: A yummy quick snack enjoyed by the spoonful.
For Dinner: It’s a flavorful dessert topping over ice cream or cake
For Holidays: Would be a lovely easy-to-make addition to your Thanksgiving or winter holiday meals.