“Bratäpfel” are tart baked apples, filled with a sweet marzipan apricot filling, and topped with lightly roasted almonds and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
This is one of my favourite warm and comforting desserts to make for the cold and dark season of the year. When the days are short, we all love a little extra sweetness to brighten our days leading up to the holidays.
Imagine getting together with your loved ones, enjoying a cup of mulled wine or hot cider and roasted chestnuts or a beautiful charcuterie board and some “Bratäpfel” as the final culinary highlight of the evening.
Traditionally “Bratäpfel” are cored baked apples filled with a mixture of nuts, butter, sugar and raisins soaked in rum. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of raisins, so using dried apricots and marzipan is a great alternative to the usual ingredients.
Add a dollop of homemade whipped cream, ice cream, or homemade vanilla sauce to give this delicious dessert an extra creamy and rich layer!

TIPS TO MAKE THE PERFECT BRATÄPFEL

Pick a nice tart apple that will hold its shape when cooked. In Germany I use Boskoop apples which are large, tart and firm. They have a greenish-yellow skin with red blush and often with russeting.

If you can’t find Boskoop you can also use Northern Spy, Bramley, Jonathan, Russet or Honey Crisp apples.

To avoid the filling from running out, you can plug the bottom of the core opening with a small ball of marzipan before filling the apples with the marzipan apricot mixture.

Every oven works differently, and every apple will bake a little differently depending on size and variety. In case your apples are getting too dark, you can tent your dish with tinfoil during the last couple of minutes in the oven.

Not a fan of dried apricots or no marzipan at hand? Don’t worry! Make your own Marzipan by following my recipe for homemade Marzipan from scratch.

Get creative with your filling options! Try other options like rum- raisin and nuts or cranberries and pecans. Just add some butter and honey, jam or sugar to add enough sweetness to your tart apples.

INGREDIENTS

4            apples
125 g         marzipan
50 g          dried apricots
2 tbsp       Amaretto/rum or apple cider
1 tbsp        unsalted butter
150 g         whipping cream
1-2 tbsp    sugar
½ cup        slivered almonds
¼ tsp         cinnamon, ground

TOOLS YOU WILL NEED

kitchen scale
apple corer
ovenproof dish
small saucepan
stand or hand mixer

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Butter an ovenproof dish big enough to fit your apples and set aside.

Cut dried apricots into small cubes, place in a small bowl and soak in amaretto or apple cider.

Take 4 small pieces of marzipan and roll into small balls to pluck the bottom opening of the apples later.

In a small saucepan combine marzipan and 3 tbsp of whipping cream. Stir on low-medium heat until soft and well combined. Add in the diced apricots and stir together.

Wash, core and cut the opening of the apples a bit wider to fit more filling. Plug the bottom with the marzipan balls to avoid it from running out.

Fill your apples with the prepared marzipan apricot filling.

Set the apples in the prepared ovenproof dish and bake for 35- 45 minutes or until soft. Check after 25 minutes, you might want to tent the apples with a piece of tinfoil to prevent the top from getting too dark.

While the apples are in the oven, roast slivered almonds in a small pan on medium heat with a tsp of butter until they turn slightly golden. Keep a close eye on them and keep tossing the pan.

In a bowl, whip the leftover cream and 1-2 tbsp of sugar with a hand or stand mixer. For a detailed description follow my post about homemade whipped cream.

Let the apples cool down slightly, serve with a dollop of whipped cream, sprinkle with roasted slivered almonds and cinnamon and enjoy!