Sweet Apple Risotto
September 21, 2011 | Print | E-mail | Filed under apple, risotto
Have you gone apple picking yet? On a crisp, sunny day with a slight breeze rustling through the trees, apple picking is another one of my favorite autumn activities (I have a lot of them, I know). I went a few weeks ago with some friends, and I ended up picking about fourteen pounds of apples. My friends and I also started the tradition a few years back of heading over to one of our homes after picking to bake with our freshly-picked apples, which is almost more fun than the picking itself. This year, it was me and two other friends, and while they each made different kinds of apples dumplings, I whipped up a caramel-apple pie for the hubby as we talked, giggled, and shared a lovely afternoon together. Even after that pie and a big batch of my usual apple maple butter, I was still up to my elbows in apple recipes I wanted to make, and this apple risotto was one of them. I’m just going to come right out and say that this risotto is absolutely a dessert risotto, unlike the strawberries and cream risotto I made that flirted with both sides of the sweet/savory spectrum. While most other risottos I make are served as dinner, I would definitely serve this one in smaller portions as a dessert or a sweet side. If you haven’t tried a dessert risotto yet, I highly recommend this one…and if you haven’t gone apple picking yet, I highly recommend that too, especially with a friend or three – and maybe start a baking tradition of your own!
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 1/2 cups apples, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 3/4 cup white cooking wine
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 1/4 cups water
In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar, and maple syrup. Cook until softened.
Pour in the rice, and then cook 1-2 minutes. Add in the wine.
Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, until the rice has absorbed most of the wine. Continue this process with the cider and water, adding the 1/2 cup at a time until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid. Cook until al dente, and then remove from the heat.
Serve warm.
September 21st, 2011 at 10:43 am
I want this. RIGHT NOW. This second. It looks beautiful, and I love the idea of dessert risotto.
September 21st, 2011 at 3:46 pm
I love this idea! Yum!
September 21st, 2011 at 8:04 pm
Delish! I made this last week, but with leeks as well. Yum!
September 21st, 2011 at 9:24 pm
Oh, this sounds just perfect, Tracy! It reminds me a bit of a rice pudding, but much more sophisticated. Can’t wait to try it.
September 21st, 2011 at 11:03 pm
Wow, this sounds really good! I’ve never heard of a dessert risotto before, but I imagine it tasting sort of like rice pudding.
September 22nd, 2011 at 7:21 am
I really want to try this for breakfast!
September 22nd, 2011 at 9:25 am
great idea and very creative!
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:07 am
You’re right–I need to get on this dessert risotto train. Being a huge fan of rice pudding, I know it would be a hit in my kitchen. My only problem is that after cooking dinner I rarely feel energized to make dessert.
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:55 am
This looks fabulous! I’ll have to try this asap as I have some arborio rice to use up!
September 22nd, 2011 at 2:39 pm
Tracy, this is so creative! I would have never thought to do an apple risotto, but I love the idea. I just posted about a pumpkin risotto and I’m loving all these fall flavors that are cropping up on the food blogs! Thanks for sharing.
September 22nd, 2011 at 9:05 pm
I love apple picking too; I have not gone yet though. I love your risotto. I have never had a sweet risotto, but I have no doubt that I would love it prepared this way:)
September 22nd, 2011 at 10:02 pm
This looks fantastic. Cannot wait to try it. We are aplenty crazy right now. Come over and visit us. We have some great recipes.