This super simple recipe is a great way to use up apples if you bought too many, as I did last week. I also had a carton of raspberries that no one was eating, so I threw those in too.

I just finished the book “Why French Kids Eat Everything” and have been inspired to get Rowan to eat more food at meal times. Since he has turned two, his palette has taken a real nosedive. He would be happy with a diet that included solely wheat bagels and peanut butter if I did not put up a fight. As a part of my New Year’s resolution, I will be trying out new foods out on the guy. I let you know how it goes!

I found out this week that Rowan likes applesauce. I mixed it with yogurt for lunch and gave it to him on its own for dessert. For this recipe, I added raspberries and flavored it with star anise and a cinnamon stick. Make this with whatever fruit you have. I could see adding blueberries or strawberries to pears working really well too.

Raspberry Applesauce

5 big apples of your choice
1 cup of water
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 cup raspberries
1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick

Cut up apples into even chunks. I left the skin on since it gives a nice color, plus you keep the fiber from the skin. In a medium pot, add apples, water, lemon juice, star anise and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let it gently cook for about 30 minutes until apples are soft.

Remove star anise and cinnamon stick. Add raspberries and let cook about 5 more minutes. Since I left the skins on, I used an immersion blender to mix the sauce. If you peel the apples first, you can get away with just mashing up the apples.

Add maple syrup if needed. My apples were super sweet, so I did not need to add the syrup.

Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.