One of my favorite bloggers, Josie of Pink Parsley Catering, blogged a homemade applesauce a little while back that stopped me dead in my tracks. Once I recovered, I headed straight to the kitchen. The Foodie Baby, boy, was she in for a treat!

I temporarily retired last fall, so I had “plenty” (ha!) of time to make our daughter’s baby food. Early on, I’d block out several hours on a weekend to cook and freeze loads of food. Now that she’s older, I don’t have to put quite that much effort into things.

Applesauce is one of her favorites. It’s super, super easy to make – if you don’t count peeling the apples. My veggie peeler didn’t make the move with the rest of us so I have to use a pairing knife. And every time I finish peeling the last apple, I look down in amazement that I still have all my fingers. Truly a miracle.

I’ve been making two variations for The Foodie Baby (and me), both containing cranberries. Both sauces are excellent slathered on a slice of crusty bread with melty brie, so for Thanksgiving, I’m making brie en croute with the Orange Cran-Apple Sauce. Can’t wait!

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Vanilla Bean Cranberry-Apple Sauce and Orange Cranberry-Apple Sauce

Two versions of homemade cranberry-apple sauce: Vanilla Bean and Orange. Perfect as a baby food and big people snack.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs apples (Jonagold and Honeycrisp are my favorites), cored, peeled and cut into 1/8ths
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1-2 Tbsp sugar, to taste
• 1/2 cup Simply Apple juice (or 3/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (optional)*

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients except sugar in a medium sauce pan and cook covered for 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft and the cranberries have burst.
2. Add sugar to taste, if necessary
3. Let cool and store covered in the fridge.
*Use the vanilla bean paste or the scrapings of 1 whole vanilla bean in the apple version, eliminate it in the orange version.

Notes

Yields: ~3 cups

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living and Pink Parsley Catering

Estimated time: 1 hour