Recipes for Shabbat

Apple Sauce

By Eileen Goltz

With the holidays just around the corner I find myself pulling out all of my apple and apple sauce recipes. The home made stuff is SO much better than the store bought stuff and it's a great to use in all kinds of recipes.
Making apple sauce is easy and the recipes usually call for sugar. The sugar is used to sweetness and flavor of the fruit. Most recipes are usually very specific about when to add the sugar. In a true applesauce recipe the sugar should be added only after the apples have cooked for a while. When you cook the slices of apple in plain water, the sugar inside the cells acts like a magnet, pulling water in through the cell membranes. It dilutes the sugar-water inside the cells. But all the water coming in raises the pressure inside the cells so that eventually, the cell walls burst. That helps break down the apple into an even, golden sauce, which you can sweeten after cooking.
Add sugar to the water before cooking, though, and the apple slices will keep their shape, instead of turning to mush. They'll soften somewhat as they cook, but they won't yield a really smooth sauce. That's because the sugar-water outside the cells is similar in concentration to what's inside. Put the sugar in before the apples are cooked and you'll get poached apple slices that you'll have to puree to create an applesauce.
The following apple sauce recipes are fun and easy and just different enough to make any holiday meal even more delicious.

PINK APPLESAUCE (pareve)
This quick and easy recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

In a large heavy saucepan combine the apples, 1/2 cup water, red hots, the lemon juice, and the sugar, bring the liquid to a boil, and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes, or until the apples are very tender. Force the mixture through a food mill fitted with the fine disk into a bowl. Serve the applesauce warm or chilled. Makes about 4 cups.

PINK APPLESAUCE WITH HORSERADISH (pareve)

Cut apples into 1/2 inch chunks (do not peel) and in a heavy saucepan cook with garlic, sugar, and water, covered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes, or until apples are translucent and tender. Remove lid and cook mixture, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes more, or until almost all liquid is evaporated. Force apple mixture through a course sieve or food mill fitted with fine disk into a bowl, discarding solids, and stir in horseradish. Applesauce may be made 4 days ahead and chilled, covered. Serve applesauce chilled or at room temperature. Makes about 2 cups.

CRANBERRY APPLESAUCE (pareve or dairy)

n a heavy saucepan cook the apples, the cranberries, the sugar, the apple juice or water, the cinnamon stick, and the zest over moderate heat, stirring, for 15 minutes, or until the apples are very soft. Discard the cinnamon stick and the zest, force the apple mixture through the medium disk of a food mill into a bowl, and stir in the butter. Serve the applesauce warm or chilled. The applesauce keeps, covered and chilled, for 1 week. Makes about 3 cups.

CHUNKY STRAWBERRY APPLESAUCE (pareve)

Cook the apples, water and strawberries covered in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until apples are falling-apart tender, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Mix in gelatin and stir until dissolved. Adjust tartness with lemon juice, if desired. Cover and let cool. Refrigerate until cold and thickened, at least 2 hours. (Can be prepared up to 3 days ahead.)Serves 4 to 6.

HOLIDAY FRUIT PARFAIT (dairy or pareve)
Looks pretty and tastes great. If you can find fresh raspberries at this time of year, layer them with the other fruits.

Combine cranberries, 1/3 cup water and sugar in heavy small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil until berries are soft, about 3 minutes; transfer to medium bowl and cool. Transfer 2 tablespoons cranberry mixture to small bowl and reserve for topping. Mix applesauce into remaining cranberry mixture. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.

Arrange enough kiwi rounds in single layer on bottom of 8x41/2-inch trifle bowl or glass soufflé dish to cover. Stand remaining kiwis around bottom edge of bowl, pressing to adhere to sides. Spoon cranberry mixture over kiwis on bottom. Top with layer of tangerine segments, then pineapple cubes. Stir yogurt in medium bowl until smooth; mix in cinnamon. Spread yogurt evenly over fruit. Spoon reserved 2 tablespoons cranberry mixture atop center of yogurt; garnish with tangerine strips, if desired. Cover; chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Makes 6 servings.

From Bon Appetite

APPLESAUCE RAISIN CAKE (pareve)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9- by 3-inch tube pan, knocking out excess flour. In a small saucepan heat rum and raisins over moderate heat just until hot. Remove pan from heat and cool mixture. Strain mixture through a sieve and reserve raisins. Into a bowl sift together flour, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat butter with granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in applesauce and add flour mixture, beating just until batter is combined. Stir in reserved raisins and nuts and spread batter in pan. Bake cake 40 to 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean, and cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack and cool completely. Dust cake with powdered sugar

LOW FAT DUTCH APPLE CAKE (dairy or pareve)

Preheat oven 375. Grease and flour a 9 in. tart or pie pan. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and baking powder. With a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in 1 1/2 tablespoons margarine. Add egg whites, milk and vanilla; beat until smooth. Batter will be stiff. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread batter to fit pan. Arrange apple slices, overlapping, in 2 concentric circles to cover batter. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over apple slices. Dot with 1/2 tablespoon margarine. Bake 30 min. Cool 10 min before serving. Serves 6 to 8

APPLE SMOOTHIE DRINK (pareve)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve. Makes 2 servings

APPLE SPICED TEA (pareve)

Slice the apples into thin slices and remove the cores and seeds place the slices in the steeping pot. Mix the cinnamon and the sugar until it is uniform in color. then sprinkle it over the apple slices in the steeping pot Follow the directions to make Iced tea that came with the machine. Add the teabags to the steeping pot on top of the apples. Add the remaining apple slices to the pitcher on top of the ice. assemble the machine and the pitcher and turn it on. Add the apple slices from the steeping pot to the pitcher when the tea is done along with more ice to fill the pitcher. Stir vigorously and serve. Makes 2 quarts

APPLESAUCE RAISIN BREAD (pareve)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together the eggs, sugar, oil, applesauce and vanilla. And then set the mixture aside aside. Mix together the dry ingredients in another bowl and pour thin batter into it. Grease 2 bread tins, bake in oven for about 60 minutes, check with toothpick.

APPLESAUCE BROWNIES

Preheat oven to 375. Grease and floured (or wax paper lined & sprayed) 9 inch square pan. In a bowl combine the applesauce and cocoa. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Add the eggs and vanilla. In another bowl mix the dry ingredients together and stir into the egg mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the nuts on top. Bake about 20 to 30 minutes or until top is set but edges are not dried out. Toothpick will come out clean. Serves 6 to 8.

Eileen Goltz, a professional chef and caterer, is the author of the new cookbook, Perfectly Pareve.