Growing up, until about the age of 13, we spent every single Christmas in the snowy hills of Pennsylvania. We would pack up the car and spend 2 weeks with our family, enjoying every last festive minute the holiday had to offer. Both sets of my grandparents lived there, and those Christmases were some of the best memories I have. To this day I can’t hear “No Place Like Home for the Holidays” and the line “I met a man in Tennessee, and he was looking for Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie….” without tearing up remembering them.
Both of my grandmas were exceptional cooks and each one had their own special dishes they always made for Christmas. I had my favorites from each of them, and these were always at top of my list from Grammy. She made them every single year, only at Christmas, and I always looked forward to them. In fact, to this day, even at the age of 90, she still makes them and makes sure I have some in my fridge this time of year.
They are one of the easiest holiday treats you can make, but also one of the most festive looking and flavored too. It doesn’t get much more Christmas-y than red and cinnamon!
Memories of Christmases gone by are so special to me. Of course we are always making new ones with our little boy, and I’m always looking for ways to share some of what I had with him. Food is one of the easiest way to do that, so of course, these are one of his favorites too!
Cinnamon Apples
As many apples as you want to make, peeled, cored and quartered
- 1/4- 1/3 cup cinnamon candies (use more or less depending on how “hot” you want them)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
Mix together candies, sugar and water. Bring to a boil and add apples a few at at time boiling for 1-1 1/2 minutes. When all done cooking apples, pour liquid over apples and add a dash of red food coloring. Store in a air tight container in the fridge.
