Applesauce, homemade with crisp fresh apples, cinnamon and nutmeg, is a very healthy and tasty food served all by itself. But it can be more than a side dish for pork chops or a snack between meals or after school. What many people don't realize is that applesauce can be used in some unusual and cool ways.
Applesauce Cinnamon Ornament
Heat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together equal parts applesauce and cinnamon — a good amount to start with is a cup of each — so that the mixture feels a little sticky but somewhat like cookie dough, only with cinnamon in place of flour. If the dough seems to be dried out and brittle, add more applesauce; if it is on the moist side, add more cinnamon. Roll the applesauce dough out on a clean counter top or cutting board, and use cookie cutters to cut the dough into ornament shapes. If the dough sticks, sprinkle more cinnamon on the surface to loosen it. Transfer the shapes to a cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, watching closely so the edges of the ornaments don't start to curl. Cool on a wire rack. Decorate the finished ornaments for any occasion with acrylic paint.
Applesauce Parfait
This is a dessert that children can have fun creating. Use tall glasses or parfait dessert dishes. Spoon in a layer of applesauce, preferably sweetened, then add plain or flavored yogurt and a third layer of sliced bananas. Top off the parfait with crushed nuts, granola, or crumbled oatmeal cookies.
Squash with Applesauce
Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut acorn squash in half and remove the seeds from the center. Place squash in baking dish and spoon applesauce mixed with a squeeze of lemon juice, some cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and raisins into the center of each half. Sprinkle extra cinnamon over the top. Bake covered for 30 minutes and uncovered for another 30 minutes.
Healthy Substitute for Fat
Applesauce can be used in place of butter or oil in baking recipes. For many people, a one-for-one substitution is not as palatable as using the applesauce in place of half the oil. So, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of oil, use 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup applesauce. This subtle difference will cut the amount of fat in the serving but won't affect the flavor. Experiment with increasing the amount of applesauce and decreasing the amount of oil until the taste and consistency are to your liking.
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