Amelia Saltsman celebrates Hannukah with the simplest applesauce recipe ever. Cut apples in half from top to bottom. Core out the seeds and core. No need to peel. Place face down on baking sheet or Pyrex dish. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Scrape out apple flesh from skins. Discard skins. Mush the apple with a fork. That's it! You can add some water, lemon juice of Calvados if you want but it's not necessary. Amelia uses tart apples mixed with Golden Delicious. Fuji apples are okay but don't breakdown easily in baking.
Applesauc e
3 lbs (8 or 9) tart apples such as Winesap or Pink Lady
A few sprigs thyme (optional)
2 to 3 Tablespoons water, fresh lemon juice, Calvados, hard cider, or dessert wine
Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut apples in half vertically and core them. Place the halves, cut side down, in 1 or more large shallow baking pans, spacing them 1 to 2 inches apart. Scatter thyme among apples. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake apples until tender, about 30 minutes. When cool enough to handle, slip fruits from their skins back into pan, scraping any pulp from peels. Discard skins and thyme. Mash apples with a fork, stirring in a bit of water, lemon juice, or Calvados to help scrape up any brown bits in the pan and to lighten the texture of the applesauce. Season to taste with cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold.
Adapted from The Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook: Seasonal Foods, Simple Recipes, and Stories from the Market and Farm by Amelia Saltsman (Blenheim Press, 2007).