Thanks mom for sending me this recipe!
MMMMmmmm….so delicious and warm and soothing and inviting. Funny for a “jam” to be all that but it is! Caramel, vanilla, and apples delightfully and simply combined. Warm this up and pour over some vanilla ice cream and you have a winner. Equally good on the savory side if you serve as a sweet side relish for pork or chicken. Alison Roman, the creator of this apple jam, also suggests ice cream (like me) – but topped with crushed Nilla wafers. And I say, sounds great, but make home made vanilla wafers (coming next) and add a little whipped cream.
Use a variety of apples, makes for a more interesting outcome because different apples break down differently and this will provide texture and fun!
apple jam (from Bon Appetite Oct 24th):
Original recipe and write up are here.
1 cup sugar
3 pounds apples, use a variety if you can, peeled, cored and cubed about 3/4 inch thick.
1/2 vanilla bean (scraped)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
cinnamon stick or powder
kosher salt
Place 3 tablespoons water in a large saucepan. Add the sugar and mix. Heat on medium high and boil – and continue to cook until the sugar caramelizes. It will turn a dark amber color – but be careful as it all happens very fast, and it is HOT. Seriously hot.
Add the apples and the vanilla seeds and bean to the pot and cook on medium heat. The caramel may seize up at the start (because the apples cool it down) but soon it will dissolve again. Add a 1/2 cinnamon stick (if you don’t have a stick, wait and add some ground cinnamon to taste at the end.)
Continue to cook for about 20-25 m, stirring occasionally until some of the apples are translucent and some still have their shape, and most of the liquid is dissolved. You can keep cooking btw, if you like your apples super soft, or remove them earlier if you like them super chunky.
Remove from heat. Add lemon juice and a pinch of kosher salt. Store in a glass jar or container for up to a month in fridge.
