I have loved cooked apples, in all of their various forms, for as long as I can remember. In fact, it’s one of the first thing I remember cooking for myself without a recipe.
I honestly have no idea how old I was, but I was old enough to be home alone, so I’d have to guess 11 or so. I really wanted some cinnamon apples, but I had no idea how to make them. Google did not exist (let alone the internet in homes…but, let’s not go there…), so I just had to wing it.
I diced up an apple, put all the small pieces into a pot, poured in some water, and sprinkled a bunch of cinnamon into the water. I let it simmer on the stove for a while, then scooped up the apple pieces with a slotted spoon. I fell in love with the apples, and with the entire process of dreaming up a “recipe” on my own.
Caramelized Apples with Dried Figs & Walnuts
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup dried figs, quartered
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
- 5-6 apples diced
Instructions
- Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Stir in brown sugar and cook for about 5 minutes, until it just begins to bubble. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Add dried figs and and walnuts and continue cooking for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in diced apples and cook for 8-10 minutes, until apples are tender.
