Baked Apples with Vanilla Sauce

In my home country it is usual that in Adventtime we make Adventcalendars, mainly for our childrens.. each day a little gift, a chocolate.. to shorten the time until christmas evening.  This year I received one from my daughter! Every day a little surprise" Look at the cute little bags!! Thank you so much my Dear!!!!

Together with my sister we made a big Brunch today to celebrate together - ok a little bit anticipated, but who cares :) - the Nikolo (=Santa Claus)-Day (also a traditional Day in my country during Advent) and to light up the second candle of our Advent wreath.

To get the real spirit we made baked apples... also because their odour is waving through the whole flat during baking and is a treat that we only do during wintertime. I made two different version: 1 without filling and 1 with a filling of almondpaste with nutpieces. Also to serve them we made two variations: one served in a plate with the Vanilla Sauce around and one in a glass with the Sauce on the base and topped with the apple that we decorated with a almondpaste - christmastree. But look yourself and make your favourite choice..

You need:
- 1 small apple / person

- 200g almond paste (if you intend to fill 6 apples)

- 2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped walnuts

- 250 ml of a strong fruit tea (I used a very good smelling Advent Tea)

- 300 ml milk

- 50 g sugar

- 4 eggyolks

- 1 dash vanilla paste (or half of a scraped vanilla pod)

- Pistacchios for decoration and / or some almond paste decoration like christmastrees, snowmans or whatever

To prepare:

1. With a sharp knife cut out the apple core

2. Knead together the almond paste with the walnuts and fill this paste in the apples instead of the core

3. With a sharp knife cut the skin of the apples around the apple

4. Place the apples (filled ones as well as the non filled) in a oven proved pan and fill up with the fruit tea

5. Bake for about 20 min. in the to 180 C preheated oven (the time might be longer, depends on the size of your apples. To see if the apples are ready, pick them with a needle, they should be soft). For the filled apples that I intended to serve in a plate I decorated them with a Pistacchio on top. If you have the feeling that the top of your apples turns to brown, cover with some kitchen foil.

6. Meanwhile you can prepare the Vanilla sauce (you can of course also buy a ready done one and heat it up..): Mix together in bowl Milk, eggyolks and sugar with a electric mixer over a pan with boiling water (the bowl should not touch the water) until it gets slightly creamy.

7. Place one apple in a deep dish and pour the sauce around. For the Verrine-Version: Wrap around a band to hold the teaspoon and fill first the Vanilla Sauce in the glass, than the apple and place on top a almond paste decoration at your choice