This is adapted from a recipe in The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook (Thunder Bay Press), a great book I highly recommend, full of delightful recipes that are fun and delicious. It was first published in 1996.
Ingredients:
4 large or 6 small pippin apples
2½ cups water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup sweetener of choice
4 whole cloves
4 sprigs fresh mint
6 leaves fresh basil
Cream or yogurt, for serving
Directions:
1. Peel apples, remove cores and cut apples into quarters. Place water, sweetener, cloves, and mint in a pan. Stir over low heat without boiling until sweetener dissolves, then bring to a boil.
2. Add the apples to the pan. Cook over low heat with lid tilted to let steam escape, for 10 minutes or until apples are just soft, but not breaking up. Add basil. Remove from heat and set aside until cold.
3. Carefully remove apples and place in a bowl or platter. Pour syrup over top of apples through a sieve. Serve chilled with berries and cream or yogurt.
Serves 4