My mom has always effortlessly whiped up 10-course meals for 20 people. When I was a kid, my sister and I would just get in the way so we were given small tasks that we couldn’t screw up. One was shaking heavy cream in a jar until it turned into butter. Eventually we graduated to apple sauce, which is amazingly easy to make and unbelievably delicious. It’s perfect for every holiday meal (we make it at Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s) and since it is so quick, it scores very high on my deliciousness/time consumption index. Here’s how it’s done:

Ingredients:
8 Granny smith apples
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp sugar
ground cinnamon

Method:
Peel and core apples. Cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges. Heat water in the bottom of the saucepan and dissolve sugar. Add apples and a few pinches of cinnamon. Cook over medium heat and use a masher to break up apples when they become soft. Mash to taste (we like to leave small chunks). If the apples are dry, you may want to add a bit of water. Simmer until apple bits are cooked through. Remove from heat. Serve hot or cold with cinnamon sprinkled on top.

Happy holidays!