Caramelized apples with golden raisins, maple syrup and Greek yoghurt

Glistening and as delicious as can get

Published originally on my blog on 21 October 2012

The sun appears and then it plays hide-and-seek. Clouds form in the sky with shades of gray, blue and purple, disappearing in the blink of an eye, puffed away by the strong winds.
The pavements are wet, sometimes by the rain, sometimes by the humidity which makes the trees seem to float above the ground. The leaves cover every street corner, every entrance door and their slippery texture makes dogs glide through parks.

Rain hits the window of my bedroom making it difficult to fall asleep and then difficult to wake up. Cups of hot tea and warm cocoa fill my mornings and early evenings.

And then there's the apples and the pears. Their colors suit those of autumn days. The pale greens, the rusty goldens, the deep scarlets. Dimples and spots, stems and cores. It makes you wonder how it can be that nature has imagined such beautiful colors.

An empty pan that begs to be filled, a whiff of vanilla coming from a freshly split-open bean, seeds stuck on the wooden board and my fingertips. Maple syrup, bought on a whim from an open market, still sealed, is coming handy right about now. Flowing and sweet, in its small, barrel-shaped bottle.

Dutch butter, the best there is, cut into pieces, melting in the hot pan. Apples making friends with cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl, waiting to be glazed. Golden raisins, dried and sweet, soaking up the juices.
Glistening, speckled and dripping with maple syrup caramel, the apples are eaten. One pan, two forks, a dollop of rich yoghurt. A mid-afternoon scene in an apartment somewhere in The Hague.

Caramelized Apples with Golden Raisins, Maple Syrup and Greek Yoghurt

Maple syrup is an ingredient made in heaven, really, but in case you can't find it easily where you live, you can substitute with a good-quality runny honey.

The following day, we enjoyed the caramelized apples and their lovely juices on top of crunchy homemade waffles, for breakfast. If you're more inclined to have pancakes in the morning, add a spoonful of these apples on top. Instant magic.

Don't be tempted to skip the yoghurt. It's there to temper the sweetness of the syrup and apples.