Baked Applesauce

I apologize for being so absent from this blog the past four months. I have been going through a difficult season with my health.  In July, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and thyroid disfunction.  They are both connected, and in order to heal both, doctors recommended that I avoid eating wheat and gluten, anything processed or refined, all sugar, and as much dairy as possible.  There were other recommendations, but those are the big ones.  It's been a challenging, depressing time for me!  I obviously love food, and always pitied people who had to eat like that.  And now I'm one of those pitiable people! :)  I am feeling better now and usually function well throughout the day.  I'm also on medication to control my thyroid function.

The bad news is, I haven't had too much success with all my experiments of replacing foods I love.  I've tried cauliflower crust pizza.  Will not do that again. I'd just rather not eat pizza. : ) It's taken me some time to figure out how to cook... whether we all eat like this crazy diet I'm on, or if I cook normally for everyone else and make something separate for me once or twice a week and eat it over and over.  It's been a challenge, and taken every spare ounce of concentration I've had.

This week, since we're getting into Autumn, we began to start cooking like it.  One thing I can eat is applesauce. : )  I have tried all kinds of different methods for making applesauce, but this is by far my favorite! So rich, smooth, and delicious!

Baked Applesauce
2 kg apples, halved and cored
2-4 T. butter
6 T. brown sugar (Indian brown sugar works great!
2-4 t. cinnamon

First, cut each apple in half and remove the core.  Preheat the oven to about 175 celsius.  Melt the butter in the bottom of a 9x13 or other large baking dish.  Sprinkle the brown sugar  and cinnamon over the melted butter and place the apples, cut side down on top.  The skin should still be on them, so they look like red domes in the pan.

Bake then until the skin is wrinkly and they are really soft.

After they've cooled, with a spoon, scoop out the apple flesh from the skin.  Scrape it really good to remove as much as you can.  Put the flesh into a mixee/mixer.  Then, scrape all the juice left on the bottom of the pan into the mixer.  Blend until it's the right consistency. You may want to add more cinnamon!

I absolutely love this applesauce. And my kids do too... I can't stop eating it! It should last in the fridge for up to 5 days, but it's hardly ever there the day after I make it! :)