Apples, pumpkin pie spice and wine - the absolute perfect combination as far as I’m concerned. I’ve been thinking a lot about the booze-forward sangria I had in Indianapolis several weeks ago and decided it was absolutely time for a sangria creation, so pumpkin pie spiced some apples, roasted them, tossed in some Chardonnay and a good dose of brandy and came up with Roasted Spiced Apple Sangria.
Roasted Spiced Apple Sangria is a great drink for the fall days we’ve been experiencing here in the PNW. Last weekend, we were thoroughly prepared for a massive storm, though what we got instead were some heavy winds and quite a bit of rain. It was a good weekend to curl up with the dog, a book, and sangria, with either Madeleine Peyroux or Pink Martini playing on the I-Pod. I was a little productive - I sorted through all of my summer clothes to decide what still looks good enough to be around next season and then finally un-boxed the box that was labeled winter clothes. I moved all my sandals to another closet to resist the temptation to try to pretend sandal season is still here and end up, instead, with soggy feet.
I can only imagine how tasty these roasted and spiced apples would be with a little freshly whipped cream, so I encourage you to double or triple the recipe and have a few of the apples on hand for other purposes. So pull out the blankets, listen to some jazzy music, and watch the rain fall with a glass of Roasted Spiced Apple Sangria in hand.
Roasted Spiced Apple Sangria
Serves 4
1 bottle chardonnay
1/2 cup brandy or apple brandy
2 apples, cored and sliced
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons brown sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lay out the apple slices on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Sprinkle the pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar over the apples. Roast for 50-60 minutes, turning the apples once or twice. The apples are done when they are soft and caramelized on both sides. Let the apples cool.
When the apples are cool, put them in a jar or carafe and cover with the brandy and chardonnay. Stir or shake. Let the sangria sit for at least two hours, but preferably overnight. Serve with a few more apple slices and some of the roasted apples. Enjoy!
