Classic Apple Sauce

Oh my, do I love apples and apple sauce!  Homemade apple sauce, I should add. Making your own apple sauce for the upcoming Hanukkah holiday is to me as important as making your own cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving–it’s critical. It also does not take much time or effort. Apples in season do the hard work for you and make this simple sauce extraordinary.

What is needed, beyond fresh, juicy apples?  Not much at all. Depending on how you like your sauce, sweet or less sweet, there are numerous apples or combinations of apples to choose from.  For helpful tips on apple variations, descriptions, and availability, check out this link. I use Honeycrisp apples, my absolute favorite for my recipe. A “newish” apple varietal developed in the 1960’s, Honeycrisp apples were designed to balance sweetness and tartness. Their flavor reminds me of freshly pressed apple cider–something I have loved since I was a kid! I consider these my go-to not only for eating, but also for cooking, baking, and even cocktails. The reality is that any apple can and will work, so feel free to go with whichever apple variety you love most.  But if you’ve never done so, I do suggest giving Honeycrisps a try.

To the apples, I prefer adding a combination of regular and brown sugar, my little secret. This may be different from other recipes you’ve tried. I also like a delicate balance of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. If the apples are good, the flavoring agents enhance the fresh apple flavor even more, keeping this apple sauce clean and elegant–the perfect complement to a perfectly cooked potato latke.