As with grandma
Christmas dessert: homemade baked apple with a fine vanilla sauce
While the irresistible scent of the apples spreads around the apartment, we can longingly watch the apples sizzle – and look forward to eating with even more fervor
© Angelika Heine / Getty Images
Baked apples are the epitome of winter time. When their pleasantly sweet scent spreads around the apartment, memories of childhood days are awakened. A sinfully delicious dessert that invites you to enjoy.
“Children, come and guess what’s roasting in the oven! The corner, the cone, the croissant, the cap, the crispy apple.” – well, do you still know the familiar words of the poem “the baked apple”? The poem, which was written by Fritz and Emily Kögel and first appeared in the children’s book “Die Arche Noah” in 1901, is considered an Upper German national good – however, most of us indulge in childhood memories when we hear the smell of sweet baked apples.
A classic of the winter time
What shouldn’t be missing from baked apples? Apples, of course. It is not for nothing that the season of delicious desserts is also the classic time of the apple harvest. While some apple varieties are harvested as early as July, the main apple harvest does not take place until autumn and winter. So it’s time to really let off steam with apple recipes.
There is hardly anything better than baked apples from the oven. Traditionally, baked apples are made from storable, firm and sour apple varieties. Apples with firm, slightly sour flesh are particularly suitable: Boskop, Holsteiner Cox, Elstar or Jonathan. Since they are usually larger than their conspecifics, they are easy to fill. In addition, their acidity harmonizes perfectly with the sweet filling and sauce. In principle, however, every apple has the potential to become a baked apple.
The exact origin of the baked apple recipe is unclear. Rumor has it that it was invented in Bavaria – this is where the baked apple poem mentioned at the beginning comes from. Apparently it arose out of necessity to utilize the numerous windfalls in the garden. You had enough of applesauce, apple cake or apple juice, something new and varied was needed. And the baked apple always brings variety.
A multi-faceted pleasure
The apple is traditionally filled with a number of Christmas ingredients – marzipan, raisins and nuts together with a little butter, cinnamon, sugar, cloves and a little vanilla make a delicious mixture, which is mixed well into the cut apple. Baked with a dash of apple juice, the baked apple is served with homemade vanilla sauce as the crowning glory. However, creative minds can really let off steam with the filling – chocolate, nougat, caramel or even peanut butter harmonize wonderfully with the acidity of the apple, crumbled speculoos biscuits, gingerbread or sprinkles made from oat flakes ensure that certain crunch. Raisins or dates are also suitable as sweet highlights in dessert.
But baked apples are also suitable for a hearty filling. A filling made of cream cheese and honey or cheese with ham or minced meat sounds unusual at first, but forms a wonderful symbiosis of flavors with the apple. Feta, olives and tomatoes add a Mediterranean touch – as you can see: there are no limits to your imagination.
Last but not least, the baked apple is a real feast for the eyes. Skilfully staged, it impresses spontaneous guests and invites them to enjoy. Bon Appetit.
Recipe for four Christmas baked apples with vanilla sauce
ingredients
- 4 tart apples (e.g. Boskop)
- 100 grams of sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 pack of vanilla sugar
- 60 milliliters of whole milk
- 1 tablespoon butter, liquefied
- Brown sugar
For the vanilla sauce
- 500 ml whole milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 40 grams of sugar
- 1 vanilla pod
preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees circulating air.
- Wash the apples, dry them well and cut off a one to two centimeter thick lid.
- Cut out the core of the apples with a ball cutter. Alternatively, cut out circularly with a knife. Make sure that the apple base is not pierced so that the filling cannot run out.
- Cut the pulp into small pieces.
- Roast the almond kernels in a non-stick pan, remove them and mix immediately with the sugar, vanilla sugar, the pulp and the milk. Pour the mixture into the apples.
- Brush the apples with the melted butter and sprinkle some sugar over them. Place in an ovenproof dish and bake for about 25 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the vanilla sauce. To do this, halve a vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the pulp. Bring both to the boil together with the milk.
- Separate the eggs and beat the yolks with the sugar until frothy. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk and slowly stir the hot milk into the egg mixture.
- Place in a saucepan and heat over a low flame, stirring constantly, until the sauce begins to thicken. Pour through a fine sieve and let cool.
- After the baking time, distribute the apples hot on deep plates, pour the gravy over them and pour the vanilla sauce over them.
- Serve immediately.