BRATÄPFEL BAKED APPLES

I still remember shaking off the excess snow from our clothes after spending hours outside sledding, building snowmen, and having snowball fights (back then we had winters with plenty of snow in the Black Forest). We would enter the warm house and take off gloves, hats, coats, and snowpants, running around in stockings and wool sweaters that Grandma had knitted. We would sit on the wooden bench surrounding the tile stove that roared with a fire to heat the house. Cold and exhausted, we would press our fingers, feet, and backs to the warm tiles of the stove to warm them up.

Another fond memory of those cold winter nights were baked apples with nuts, cinnamon, and honey covered in vanilla sauce. I loved them so much that I always hoped to get a second one. From when I was little, I would help make them because I would get to taste a little bit of the vanilla sauce or nibble some nuts and dried fruit while cutting them.
Back then, we used an apple corer to cut out the core of the apple from top to bottom. I still have one of those tools but I must admit that I don’t use it anymore. Instead, I use a sharp paring knife to cut out an upside-down cone shape with the tip slightly below the center of the apple. This way, the bottom of the apple is still sealed so that the honey cannot escape. Also, it makes plenty of space to add all the goodies such as dried fruit, nuts, honey, or marzipan.

When it comes to the apples, I think it’s vital to find a good baking apple. I listed a few excellent options below. Boscop and Winsap are my absolute favorite apples for baking and I really love when they turn super soft, like apple sauce in a peel.

The next best part, or arguably even better, was the vanilla sauce that was poured over the apples. Today, I can’t believe that opening a package, mixing it with milk and sugar, boiling and serving was the ‘normal’ way to make a vanilla sauce back then. It’s been almost 10 years since I switched to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet which means that now, most of what I eat has to be made from simple ingredients. No more pre-mixed food packages in our house! When I want vanilla sauce, I make it from scratch. I use coconut or almond milk, honey, and vanilla, and then I heat it and thicken it with egg yolks. You do have to pay a little attention to not overheat the egg yolks and end up with scrambled eggs, but it is very much worth the effort. It guarantees that the sauce is free of lactose, refined sugar, food dyes, preservatives, starch, and other harmful chemicals. The result is not only very delicious, but also super healthy! And it’s honestly almost as easy to make!

You can also make the sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until the apples are baked.

Pour the Crème Anglaise over the hot and steaming apples and serve immediately.
Bon Appetit!

SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
4 large apples (I used Winesap but you might as well use any ‘baking apple’ like Boscop, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Pink Lady)
1/4 cup nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecan nuts, cut into pieces
1/4 cup dried fruit like black mission figs (quartered), currants, or raisins
4 tbsp honey (or maple syrup for paleo/vegan option)
pinch of cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven at 350° F / 180° C.

Using a sharp knife, cut out a cone shape in the top part of the apple. Remove the stem and most of the core while leaving the bottom intact so the honey won’t escape as soon as it gets hot but is still absorbed into the apples to sweeten them.
Place the apples on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Fill the cut-outs with nuts, dried fruit, and honey. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes until the peel breaks apart and the apple is cooked through.

Serve hot with Crème Anglaise or Vanilla Ice Cream.

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