Nothing works in our household without some touch of flavor. When the kids were younger, I liked the idea of applesauce, except it seemed so bland to just peel and puree poached apples, I played around with the concept adding dates instead of sugar and a little bit of fragrance and spice. This cross between a chutney and traditional applesauce is what we call applesauce and we use it instead of the traditional variety.
Ingredients:
3 to 4 honey crisp apples
2 Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup (about 15) dates, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup water or apple cider
4 star anise
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
Full recipe: Spiced Applesauce with Star Anise and Dates