Each fall my mom made this apple kiffle recipe as a special treat for us! Using freshly picked and peeled apples, this recipe uses homemade applesauce as the filling.
I have wonderful autumn memories of coming home from school when I was young, and the kitchen smelling like apples. My mom peeled bushels of them to freeze and use all year round.
But you don’t have to wait for autumn to enjoy this treat. Apples from the store anytime of the year can give you the same results!
Ingredients for the Apple Kiffle Recipe
Like I’ve already said, this recipe uses fresh apples cooked into homemade applesauce. I like to use honeycrisp apples, but any good pie apple will do.
Pie apple, you say? What’s a pie apple? Well…there are several apple varieties that cook up nicely in pies, or cook down well into applesauce. Gala, McIntosh, Granny Smith, and Pink Lady are a few other yummy types of pie apples.
Our family loves homemade applesauce anytime of the year. It makes such a nice side to a meal of pork chops or kielbasa. This applesauce is also a great snack to enjoy with a slice of cheddar. Yum!!
The crust for these kiffles uses cottage cheese and butter to make them oh-so-flaky and yummy!! By cutting in the flour, it’s a snap to whip this crust together!
A powdered sugar glaze adds another layer of sweetness to this delicious treat!
Making the Applesauce…
Peel, core, and thinly slice 4-5 Honeycrisp or similar apples. Add them to a heavy kettle along with about 1/2 cup water. Over medium-low heat, let them cook down. Stir frequently and don’t let them scorch.
When all cooked down remove from heat. Stir in the cinnamon and sugar. While the applesauce cools, mix the pastry dough.
Mixing the Pastry…
I know it sounds weird, but the cottage cheese in this crust gives it such a wonderful, buttery flavor.
Mix the cottage cheese and butter with an electric mixter until it’s all creamy and dreamy.
Cut in the flour and salt. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface. Then cut several 5″ squares and place them on ungreased cookie sheets.
Forming, Baking and Finishing the Apple Kiffles…
Fill the middle of each square with about 2 teaspoons applesauce, making sure it stays in the middle and doesn’t spread to the edges.
Fold the square in half diagonally to form triangles, or in half vertically to form rectangles. Being careful the applesauce is still inside!!
With a fork, seal the edges. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. The crust will start to get all lovely golden when they’re finished.
Cool somewhat on a wire rack. Then mix glaze and drizzle it all over the lovely apple kiffles.
Enjoy!!!
Mom’s Apple Kiffles
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Ingredients
Applesauce
- 4 Honeycrisp apples, or similar pie apple peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pastry
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 Tablespoons milt
Instructions
- Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. Put in a saucepan. Add water and cook on medium to low until apples cook down. Stir frequently, and be careful not to scorch. You want to applesauce to be somewhat thick, not runny. It usually takes about 15 minutes or so to cook up the applesauce. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and cinnamon. Set it aside to cool as you make the pastry crust.
- Beat the cottage cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the flour and salt.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll to 1/4" – 1/3" thick. Cut approximately 5" size squares. Keep re-rolling and cutting until all the dough is used.
- Place pastry dough on ungreased cookie sheet. Put spoonful of applesauce in the center of each square (about 2 teaspoons applesauce). Fold over to form a triangle or rectangle (both are fun to make!). Seal edges with a fork, being sure the applesauce stays inside the middle.
- Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Crust will start to turn a lovely golden brown.
- Remove from pan and cool slightly on wire rack.
- Mix glaze and drizzle over mostly or fully cooled apple kiffles.
- Enjoy!!!
