One winter evening some time ago, our younger son said he had an idea for a dessert, and ordered us all out of the kitchen. He made the caramel sauce from scratch, but it was rather involved and made a bit of a mess (though it tasted incredible). Since this is a book dedicated to ease, I’ve used prepared caramel syrup in this recipe. When I was finally allowed to peek into the kitchen, I saw that Evan had combined apples with chocolate, a combination I thought wouldn’t work well. Pears and chocolate, strawberries and chocolate, yes, but apples? It turns out I was wrong. We loved this dessert, and since then have had it regularly. With prepared caramel sauce, it’s a snap to make and strikes a wonderful balance of raw and cooked, healthy and decadent. It looks pretty, too. Lucky me to have such a great young dessert chef in the family!

　　

Ingredients

4 to 6 servings

　　4 medium crisp, sweet apples, diced (don’t peel)

　　1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

　　1/4 cup vegan caramel syrup

　　Cinnamon

　　

Step 1

Line two plates with waxed paper and divide the diced apple evenly between them.

　　

Step 2

Melt the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl in the microwave or in the top of a double boiler. Drizzle over the apples.

　　

Step 3

Drizzle the caramel syrup over the apples, followed by a sprinkling of cinnamon. Put the plates in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes until the chocolate has hardened.

　　

nutrition information

Step 4

Calories: 186

　　

Step 5

Total Fat: 4.5g

　　

Step 6

Protein: 5g

　　

Step 7

Carbohydrates: 39g

　　

Step 8

Fiber: 5g

　　

Step 9

Sodium: 5mg

　　Reprinted with permission from Vegan Express: Featuring 160 Recipes for Quick, Delicious, and Healthy Meals by Nava Atlas. Copyright © 2008 by Nava Atlas. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Nava Atlas is the author of nine cookbooks, including The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet, and Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons. She lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York with her husband and two teenage sons (all vegans).