Sweet couscous with apple

What a brilliant combination is an apple with cinnamon? It is one of those flavors – aroma pairs that we never get tired of and always come back for more, especially during autumn months when apples are ripe and sweet. That is why we keep coming up with great recipes featuring these two favorite ingredients.

Today we bring you another sweet couscous recipe. A warm dessert for those cozy afternoons of autumn. The soft and mild couscous, paired with sweet autumn apples and the aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg that will warm your heart. Without any delay, bring the ingredients and get ready for a sweet delight that will bring all those childhood memories back!

Recipe by Sara Bonaccorsi

 

Here is how to prepare the Sweet couscous with apples

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons of butter
• 5 cups of apples, peeled, cored, and cut into a small/medium dice
• 1 cup of cane sugar
• ¾ teaspoon of cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 cups of Martino Couscous
• 2 cups of water
• A pinch of salt
• ½ cup of sliced almonds, toasted

Prepare the apples
Place a skillet on the stove over medium heat and melt the butter. When the foam subsides, add the diced apples and stir to coat. Turn temperature slightly down and cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to make sure the apples evenly cook. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla to the apples and stir to coat. Cook for another 5 minutes. The apples should be soft but still, hold their shape (not complete mush).

Hydrate the couscous
In a saucepan, bring water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil. Pour over couscous, stir briefly with a fork, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let sit for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes, remove the plastic wrap and fluff couscous with a fork – the butter should keep the grains separate and prevent any clumping.

Prepare the mixture
In a large serving bowl, mix together the couscous with the apple mixture and top with the toasted sliced almonds. When mixing the ingredients you can add all kinds of dried fruits and nuts. Raisins and sultanas go pretty well with this recipe.

Serving
You can serve this amazingly easy-to-make dessert on small serving bowls. Make sure to serve it warm and to always sprinkle some toasted sliced almonds on top as well an extra pinch of cinnamon. At this point, if you want you can drizzle some honey on top of the couscous. However, it would be a good idea to reduce the sugar in the recipe if you plan to add honey.

Notes and Variations

The dessert is well served with black tea and coffee.

Another great way to serve this dessert is to turn it into a twisted couscous apple pie. In that case, you can use a flat serving dish, pour a layer of couscous to the bottom, press it with the help of a spoon to flatten the surface and then add on top the cooked apples. Sprinkle with toasted almond slices and honey and there you go!

If you are feeling a little more adventurous you can add a few tablespoons of bourbon to your apples while cooking them to add even more aroma.

If you are serving this dessert into individual small serving bowls you can decorate each of them with a cinnamon stick to add a gourmet look to your sweet couscous.

Couscous is such a versatile ingredient. Sweet, sour or salty, you can incorporate it in any recipe that you wish. If you wish to fill your home with the aromas, tastes and colors of autumn, then bring on those ripe apples, the cinnamon, and the couscous and enjoy this delicious dessert. But, don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter to receive all the delicious Martino’s recipes directly in your inbox!

Whether you are serving the warm couscous with coffee or tea, make sure you share it with your beloved ones. Let your senses awaken by the aromas and savor those sweet little round couscous balls, mixed with the softness of the apples. After all, happiness is found in the little things, isn’t it? Leave us a comment to tell us all about your favorite happy memories full of aromas, and sweet tastes.