My mother could bake a very good apple pie...one of her best desserts actually, right up there with creamy rice pudding and puffed-wheat cake. In looking for ways to reduce calorie content in desserts, I realized that it was actually the pie filling that I enjoyed more than the crust. This recipe could actually be called apple-pie filling—but it makes a wonderful brunch dish, sans crust (that would add a lot of calories).

Ingredients

• 8 cooking apples (wash, cut into 8 slices each, and core)
• 1/2 cup sweetener (sugar, xylitol, maple syrup, honey)
• 3 tbsp non-wheat flour (garbanzo, nut, oat, etc.)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans)
• 1/2 to 1 cup non-dairy milk (almond, rice, coconut) to taste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation

Place sugar, flour, nuts, fruits, and seasonings in a large bowl. Mix together.

Add apple slices and mix gently until pieces are coated.

Pour into a large casserole that has been sprayed with olive oil.

Mix rice milk and lemon juice together and pour over mixture in casserole.

Cover casserole with tin foil or lid.

Bake in oven that has been pre-heated to 350 degrees F for 60 minutes until soft and bubbly.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

Serve with Taylor's "Brain" Muffins — enjoy!