Today, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and I've got a not-so-sick kid home from school. On a day that'd I'd love to be snuggling under a blanket and binge-watching 'This is Us' on Netflix, I've got a sweet, sniffly kid to entertain.

So I decided that we deserve one of my favourite treats: Vanilla Bean Applesauce. It's silky smooth (because that's how I like it), sweet, tart and so satisfying. The tiny specks of vanilla add a gentle, delicate flavour that makes this applesauce 'eat the entire jar while standing in the fridge' good.

And because I'm kinda cranky and she's not that sick, we thought it would be a good idea to put her to work.

Start off with about 6 - 8 apples. I've got a mish-mash here. Granny Smith, Cortland, Honey Crisp and Macintosh. 

Peel away,

Removing as much of the peel as you can.

Dice them up.

And squeeze one lemon.

Stir in the juice,

and spices: Sea salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Prep your vanilla bean (this might be a grown-up job). Chop it in half and slice each half long-ways. Scrape out the vanilla seeds.

Place all of that into the pot of apples.  Add 1/2 cup of filtered water and cover.

Simmer on med/low until the apples are soft, about 15 minutes.

Remove the vanilla pods from the apples.

And puree with a submersion blender or mash with a potato masher until it has reached your desired consistency. Again, I like mine smoo-ooth.

Allow it to cool, if you can (this step is a challenge...just look at that vanilla!). It will thicken up as it cools and the vanilla flavour will deepen a bit. So it's definitely worth it to wait (I will admit, however, that I've already eaten my whole jar). 

This recipe will fill a 500ml jar with a bit left over.

Which suits us just fine!

 Vanilla Bean Applesauce

• 6 - 8 medium apples 
• Juice from one lemon
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 vanilla bean, sliced and scraped
• 1/2 cup filtered water

1. Peel and dice the apples and place them into a medium heavy saucepan
2. Add remaining ingredients, including vanilla bean seeds & pod
3. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the apples are soft
4. Remove the vanilla pods
5. Puree with a submersion blender 
6. Chill

Enjoy!