T's Delicious Maple-Vanilla Apple Filling

Ingredients

• 4 ½ cups thinly sliced apples
• 2 ¼ teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 ½ cups water
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 whole vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Step 1

Tos the apple slices with some lemon juice in a big bowl to keep them from browning. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the water, honey, and maple syrup. Stir everything until the honey and syrup have melted into the water. Then, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pot and give it a good stir.

Step 2

In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Slowly whisk this mixture into the pot to help it dissolve smoothly. Bring the liquid to a boil, stirring constantly, and let it cook for about 2 minutes until it thickens a bit.

Step 3

Carefully add the apples to the pot. Once it comes back to a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the pot, and let the apples simmer until they’re tender, which usually takes around 6 to 8 minutes.

Step 4

When the apples are soft, take the pot off the heat and remove the lid. Let the filling cool to room temperature—this should take at least 30 minutes before you use it.