Clinton St Baking Company – Applesauce

Clinton St. Baking Company is one of those favorite neighborhood restaurants that has become a destination location over the years.  The breakfast and brunch there is killer.  Added bonus is that breakfast is served all day.  If you aren't in the mood for yummy panckes at 3pm, their fried chicken is amazing. 

Last night I made a rotisserie pork loin and the homemade carmelized applesauce out of the Clinton St Baking Company cookbook on the side.  This can be whipped up pretty quick.  Mine definitely did not take as long as the recipe called for but that is ok.  BTW, this recipe could easily be doubled.

Here it is:

6 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored

1 cup sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of one lemon

Place all the incredients in a heavy saucepan.  Turn the heat up to medium-high heat.  The sugar will disolve when heated.  Let this come to a boil.  The mixture will start to melt into a thick soup.  Cook this for about 30 minutes.  Do not stir ( it is hard not to want to ) and let the sugar boil down and the water from the apples evaporate.  When it starts to turn a brown color and the bottom becomes carmelized, turn down the heat to low and then stir.  The bottom apples will be bronzed and the top apples won't be so each time you stir the apples on the bottom get carmelized. Keep stirring on occasion (every 5 minutes or so) until all the apples completely browned.  Turn off the heat.  Serve.