Apple Barley Bake

Ingredients

• 6 fresh medium apples, peeled
• 2 oz orange juice, chilled
• 4 oz apple cider
• 4 oz cranberry juice
• 8 oz water
• 2 Tbsp good quality cocoa powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp honey
• ½ cup pearl barley, rinsed
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar

Preparation

1. Peel, seed, and slice apples into ¼ slices; set in 2 oz orange juice to keep them white.
2. In a sauce pan, heat up the apple cider, cranberry juice, 8 oz water, and the 2 Tbsp cocoa powder.
3. When this liquid simmers, add salt, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, honey, and barley.
4. Simmer slowly for 25 minutes covered.
5. Place apples and juice into a lightly oiled baking pan. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp brown sugar over the apples.
6. Cover the apples with the cooked barley mixture and sprinkle 2 Tbsp brown sugar over the barley.
7. Bake at 300o for 25 minutes

Yield: 8 servings
Serving Size: 1/8th of pan