Spiced baked apples

Name: Pommes cuites aux épices
Yield: 6 à 8 personnes
Ingredients: Pommes douces (Golden, Gala, Fuji) coupées en quartiers, avec la peau si bio; 4-5 c. à soupe d'eau; 2 bâtons de cannelle de Ceylan; 6 clous de girofle entiers (à retirer avant de servir); 4-5 cardamomes légèrement écrasées

An evening sweet where the apple is enough and the spices elevate it, with no added sugar at all.

Serves 6 to 8

A dessert of disarming simplicity, yet chosen by Ayurveda for a precise reason: the baked apple is light, astringent, it cleanses the digestive tract while its pectins feed the microbiome. No added sugar — the apple is enough, the spices elevate it.

Ingredients

Sweet apples (Golden, Gala, Fuji) cut into quarters, skin on if organic
4-5 tbsp water
2 sticks of Ceylon cinnamon
6 whole cloves (to remove before serving)
4-5 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

Method

Place the apple quarters in a pan with the water, cinnamon sticks, cloves and cardamom. Cover, gentle heat, twelve to fifteen minutes — no more. The quarters should be tender while keeping their shape. Remove the cloves and serve warm, alone or over a gentle evening bowl.

The tip

Ayurveda chooses the baked apple in the evening because gentle cooking makes it lighter to digest when the digestive fire weakens. Astringent, it tightens and cleanses; its pectins become food for the microbiome. Ceylon cinnamon, finer than cassia, supports blood sugar.