This recipe for Rosy Applesauce was given to me by Nancy L., a close family friend, who, ever since she started making this, is now required to bring it to every family feast. One taste and you will know why! It is phenomenally delicious--an amazing twist on traditional applesauce!! Plus, it's a much needed splash of color during the long cold drab days of winter!

The secret here is cranberries! Not enough to overpower the taste of the apples, but enough to keep the applesauce delightfully tart and give it a gorgeous color.

And it's so easy to make too! If you have a food mill, you don't even have to peel the apples before coring and cutting them up (I didn't, so I did peel mine, but it only took a bit longer). Once all the apples are cut up, you toss them in a large pot with some sugar, the cranberries, and a cinnamon stick.

Then you simply cover the pot and let the whole thing cook down into a somewhat chunky sauce which you can leave as is if you like your applesauce with some texture or puree in a food processor or with an immersion blender (that's what I used) if you like a smoother consistency. The end result is just gorgeous and slightly tangier than ordinary applesauce.

My kids are loving it! We're eating it as a side dish with meals and also in mugs as healthy snacks! Thanks Nancy for a recipe that I know I'll be making regularly but still expect you to bring to any of our family feasts!!

Nancy's Rosy Applesauce

Makes about 4 cups

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 45-50 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 lbs. Golden Delicious apples (about 8), peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces (If you have a food mill after cooking, you don't have to peel apples)

• 1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries

• 1/2 cup sugar (use a bit more if you like a sweeter sauce)

• 1 cinnamon stick (3-inches)

The Recipe

1.  Place apples, cranberries, sugar and cinnamon stick in a large pot. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring every now and then, until fruit is fall-apart tender and mixture is sauce-like, for about 45 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick. For a smoother sauce, puree with an immersion blender right in the pot or transfer to a food processor and grind up or to a food mill fitted with a fine disk.

2.  Cool to room temperature and serve or chill in an airtight container until ready to serve.

3.  Applesauce can be made up to a week ahead and kept chilled.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe from a very close family friend, Nancy L. who adapted it from a recipe from Gourmet Magazine, Dec. 2007.