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Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cook Book.
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On the recommendation of a reader, I decided to try out this recipe for applesauce with an interesting addition - red hots/imperials/cinnamon hearts! The combination of apples and cinnamon hearts seems to hold a soft spot in many people's hearts and memories, so I was keen to give it a go.
Original Recipe:
The Verdict:
For my "tart apples" I used crispins. I was planning on using granny smiths, but couldn't find any. Although I've just noticed the apple in the picture is red...whatever.
I started cooking my apples in a pot, but found that they weren't cooking evenly, so transferred them to a frypan. I also needed a bit of extra water.
I was frustrated that the recipe listed "bottle of red hots," which was completely unhelpful. I did a bit of quick googling but couldn't find much, except for an old bottle of cinnamon candy decorations being sold on Etsy, which seemed to have a weight of 1.5 ounces. So I decided to start with 1.5 oz and taste.
I thought this recipe was okay, but not amazing. The flavour was a bit blah, but I felt like more cinnamon hearts would have been overpowering. I think maybe using several varieties of apples and/or adding a bit of real cinnamon would improve the flavour. I can't deny that the vibrant red is very festive and fun though!
Modernized Recipe:
(Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cook Book, found at Vintage Cookbooks & Crafts)
The original recipe is easy to follow. Cook apples to your desired consistency.
Still hanging on to those spicy cinnamon hearts from Valentine's? Also known as Red Hots (brand name) or cinnamon imperials (generic name), cinnamon hearts hold a fond place in my childhood memory. As a child I often accompanied my mother on long car trips, so there was nearly always some sort of candy or snack close at hand. Around Valentine's Day, cinnamon hearts made an appearance, and I can still recall the addictive, spicy sting of their flavour on my tongue. This year, Mr. Man brought some home for me, but oddly I found that I couldn't quite tolerate the flavour as much as I could when I was younger. I wondered if I could find some strange historical recipe so that I could use them up rather than waste them. Amazingly, recipes using cinnamon candies date back to at least 1929, which was before the Red Hots brand was trademarked. These candies are almost always paired with apple(sauce) and/or Jell-O, and often seems to hold a special place on holiday tables, as a symbol of family heritage and tradition.
So, compiled for your convenience, some recipes using cinnamon heart candies:
Applesauce with red hots
From: Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cook Book (1963)
Source
Apple Sundae
From: Reynolds Wrap advertisement (1972)
Source
Imperial Salad/Cinnamon Apple Salad
From: The Parker Cook Book (1932), updated by Laura Gutschke
Source
IMPERIAL SALAD
Cox's cinnamon apple salad called for an usual mix of ingredients that includes cottage cheese, walnuts and red cinnamon candies, famously known as Red Hots. (Another generic name for the candy is cinnamon imperials.) Surprisingly, they work well together.
The candy's intense cinnamon flavor reduces to a subtle hint when cooked in the sugar syrup in the following recipe.
The original instructions called for cooking cored apples whole in the red syrup and stuffing them with a mixture of cottage cheese and walnuts. I instead sliced the apples. I also eliminated the lettuce and mayonnaise that was included in the serving directions.
The apples also can be enjoyed without the cottage cheese.
CINNAMON APPLE SALAD
Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup water
1 cup red cinnamon candies
4 crisp apples, sliced
Cottage cheese
Chopped walnuts
Directions
1. In skillet, cook sugar, water and cinnamon candies over medium-high heat to make a syrup. Stir often to blend well.
2. Add apple slices to the syrup mixture and reduce heat to medium. Cook until apples are tender but not broken, about 10 to 15 minutes. Gently stir occasionally.
3. Remove cooked apples from syrup and place slices skin side down on serving platter. Chill in refrigerator about one hour.
4. In a separate bowl, mix about 2 tablespoons walnuts into 1/2 cup cottage cheese for each serving.
5. Place 5-6 apple slices on a plate and top with serving of cottage cheese mixture.
Applesauce Salad
From: Recipe collection, undated
Source
Cinnamon Candy Jell-O Salad
From: unknown (1961)
Source
1 pkg. Cherry Jello
1/4 C. cinnamon candies (Red Hots)
1 C. hot water
2 C. applesauce
Dissolve candies in hot water and add Jello. Stir into applesauce and chill.
Cinnamon Apple Salad Dessert
From: The Evening Independent (1929)
Source
Blushing Snowballs
From: Westinghouse recipe pamphlet (1950s)
Source
Alphabet Pie
From: 250 Superb Pies and Pastries, Culinary Arts Institute (1941)
Source
Cinnamon Creme
From: Eugene Register-Guard (1959)
Source
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