Vanilla Applesauce with a
Crunchy Meringue Cap

Contributed by Molly Wizenberg, an Oklahoma City
native who blogs at http://orangette.blogspot.com. Her
first book, A Homemade Life, was published last year
and contains personal essays on food and life.

The applesauce can be made up to three days before the
meringue. Leftovers should be sealed airtight and stored
in the refrigerator. Although the meringue will soften to a
more spongy texture, it still tastes delicious for a day or so.
Adjust the sugar level in the applesauce to taste.

Applesauce:
3 pounds apples, peeled, cored and cut into
½-inch-thick slices
½ cup good-quality apple juice or cider
1 T fresh lemon juice
½ cup granulated sugar, or to taste
½ t pure vanilla extract
Meringue:
½ cup egg whites (from about 4 large eggs)
pinch salt
1 cup granulated sugar

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine apples,
apple juice and lemon juice. Cover the pan; place it
over low heat and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Cook, stirring often, until the apples are tender and
beginning to fall apart, about 20 minutes. Stir in the
sugar to taste and cook until it dissolves, stirring
about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat
and, using an immersion blender or potato masher,
puree the mixture to a smooth sauce. Stir in the vanilla
extract, then set aside the applesauce while you
prepare the meringue.

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Pour the eggwhites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with
the whisk attachment—or, alternatively, a medium
mixing bowl. Add the salt. Beat the egg whites at
medium speed until they are opaque and loosely
foamy. Increase the mixer speed to high, and add
the sugar in a very slow and gradual stream; do
not rush. Beat until the meringue is glossy and
bright white and holds very silky peaks. Spoon and
scrape the applesauce into a baking dish or several
individual-size baking dishes. Molly likes to use a
2-quart Pyrex bowl or about 10 half-cup ramekins.
(You may have a little leftover meringue.) Using a
rubber spatula, scoop the meringue on top of the
applesauce, and gently coax it evenly to the edges of
the dish. Slide the dish or dishes into the oven. Bake
for about 1 hour, 45 minutes, or until the meringue
is firm and feels crisp and dry to the touch. Cool
slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Apple-Stuffed Mushrooms

Reprinted from Rodale’s Garden-Fresh Cooking by
Judith Hurley. Copyright © 1987 by Rodale Press, Inc. By
permission of Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098.

12medium-size mushrooms
(about 1½ to 2 inches in diameter)
½ cup finely minced peeled apples (use
sweet cooking or baking apples)
1 t lemon juice
2 t crumbled blue cheese
1 T  finely chopped walnuts, lightly
toasted
1 T  fine, lightly toasted whole-grain
bread crumbs

Wipe mushrooms clean with a soft cloth. Remove
stems; reserve for another use. Hollow-out mushroom
caps with a small spoon. In a small bowl, stir
together apples and lemon juice. Stir in cheese,
walnuts and bread crumbs. Fill mushroom caps.
Place under broiler about 4 inches from the heat
source. Broil for about 5 minutes or until filling is
heated through and lightly browned.

Apple-Ginger Strudel
Reprinted from Rodale’s Garden-Fresh Cooking by
Judith Hurley. Take note: the pastry dough needs to chill
for 8 hours before the strudel can be assembled.

Pastry:
½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
½ cup unbleached white flour
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup plain yogurt

Filling:
4 cups peeled, thinly sliced baking apples
1 T lemon juice
½ cup golden raisins
⅓ cup ground almonds
3 T honey
3 T maple syrup
1 t finely grated lemon peel
1 t ground ginger

To prepare the pastry: In a small bowl, stir together
whole-wheat flour and white flour. Cut in butter
with pastry blender. Add yogurt and, using your
hands, mix well. Form dough into a ball; flatten
slightly and dust with flour. Wrap with waxed paper
and chill for 8 hours or overnight.

In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. Add
raisins, almonds, honey, maple syrup, lemon peel,
and ginger. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough
in half. On a lightly floured surface with a floured
rolling pin, roll out one-half of the dough in a 14x8-
inch rectangle. Spread half of the filling over the
dough. Starting from the short side, carefully roll
up dough, jelly-roll fashion.