It's Apple Time!

Here are a couple of simple apple recipes that are fun to do with children and delicious as well. As I frequently say - "Child tested, Nanny approved!" or "Nanny tested, Child approved!"


Apple Pizza

Ingredients:
- pizza dough, ready made or your favorite recipe
- 6 to 8 apples
- sugar
- cinnamon
- butter
Directions:
Peel and slice apples. You can also chop them into smaller bits if you'd like. Older children can be very helpful in this step. I would peel and core the apples then let the children slice or chop using a butter knife. This usually works well for little hands.
Mix apple slices/pieces with sugar and cinnamon to taste. Sorry I don't have exact portions - guessing about 1/2 cup of sugar to 1 tablespoon of cinnamon.
Roll out dough as you would for a pizza. You can use a round pizza pan or rectangular cookie sheet. This step needs some hands on work - children love this part!
Pile apples onto dough leaving about 2 inches around the perimeter. This 2 inch dough area is then folded over the edge of the apples. This fold does not cover all the apples just the edge.
Using cold butter - about 1/2 stick - cut into small cubes. This is another good job for the children. Distribute the butter over the apples.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until crust is golden and apples are bubbly. Let cool before serving.
Because the pizza dough is not sweet, it is a great contrast to the sweet, tart apples. I like to mix different types of apples in one pizza.

Applesauce

Ingredients:
- Apples
- Sugar
- Cinnamon
Directions:
Peel, core and chop apples into small pieces. Place into large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until apples start to soften. Here's where I take it from the heat and everyone takes a turn "mashing" the apples. I like a traditional potato masher for this job. I wrap the saucepan in a large towel and hold while the child mashes away. If the apples are still firm return to heat to cook a little longer. Let apples cool a little. Add cinnamon and sugar to taste. "To taste" is a magical experiment all it's own. We would add some, sample, add some more, sample again, and so on. I would have a pile of spoons ready for taste testing.
IF you have leftovers store in an airtight container and refrigerate.