Recipe: Home Made Applesauce For Hanukkah

Recipe by Leslie Huffman. Photo by Mark the Doctor.

Cary, NC – This time of year many folks love the lights, the songs, the gift giving. It’s all nice, but, I am all about the food. A beautiful roast, roasted vegetables, potato latkes, anything chocolate and family.

Last year, I wrote about The Story of Hanukkah and the traditional potato latke recipe. It is traditional during Hanukkah to eat your potato latkes with either sour cream or applesauce. But it is a shame if you spend all that time preparing the wonderful potato pancakes and then serve them with applesauce out of a jar!

Make this delicious home made applesauce and it will be the hit of the Hanukkah meal! Good for Christmas and New Year’s too.

Ingredients

  • 12 apples (I like Fuji or McIntosh)
  • 3 or 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1  cinnamon stick

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Core the apples and cut into 1 inch pieces, and toss with lemon juice in a bowl.
  2. Heat the butter in a metal-handled dutch oven over medium-high heat until the butter begins to brown.
  3. Add the apples, brown sugar and salt. Cook until apples begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the honey and cinnamon.
  4. Transfer to oven and roast until soft, about 20 – 30 minutes.
  5. Remove cinnamon stick and mash for chunky sauceor puree in a food processor.