Applesauce lovers, it seems to me, fall into two camps. Fans of pale yellow and smooth on the one hand. Fans of chunky, dark with spices, bursting with texture and the taste of crisp fall days in a Northern clime on the other. Guess which camp I’m in?

I make my own applesauce, using only Michigan-grown apples, because step one of this recipe is stopping at farm stands on a fall day when the Up North forests are colored in the same shades as the fruit I’m buying. Aromatherapy from the scent of the bubbling sauce is another reason to DIY. I make my applesauce in small batches and refrigerate what doesn’t get eaten immediately—I’d rather save the work of canning for fruits I can’t get fresh most of the year. The sauce is delicious with everything from roast pork to waffles and pancakes.

Or try this for a sweet ’n’ easy windup to a fall brunch: Sprinkle a bowl of warm applesauce with granola and top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I tweak my applesauce each time I make it—but here’s the basic recipe. – Elizabeth Edwards