Fall is here! And that means the start of great fall food.
To kick the season off, I wanted to share an easy fall favorite – cinnamon spiced apples (and an alternative BBQ chili-spiced apples for the more adventurous).
After coming back from a long weekend camping up in the Kettle Moraine state forest, we stopped by a small orchard and picked up a big bushel of apples. Right away my head started spinning with possibilities of what to make. With a busy week ahead of me, I settled on something simple – cinnamon spiced apples from my childhood. The aroma alone sends me back on trip through time.
The spiced apples are great as a topping on ice cream or coffee cake (which is what I did). They make a nice addition to morning oatmeal. Or they can be enjoyed on their own as a simple and sweet dessert.
As for the chili-spiced apples, they’d be great as a side dish paired with some bbq pork or chicken.
When it comes to choosing the apples, I’d opt for something like a honeycrisp or granny smith. I went with small semi-tart paula reds, but they break down too quickly when cooking. Which is fine, but you end up with more of a spiced apple sauce than spiced apples.
Time You’ll Need:
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Cook: ~10 minutes
- Serves: About 4 people
What You’ll Need:
For cinnamon spiced:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 8-10 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tbsp honey
For BBQ chili-spiced:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 8-10 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- ½ cup of your favorite classic BBQ sauce
- ½ tsp chili powder
What You’ll Do (for both versions):
- Melt butter over medium high heat in a skillet.
- Add the apples and all the seasonings.
- Cover and stir occasionally.
- Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until apples are soft.