Argument is an essential part of Judaism: the famous axiom of "two Jews, three opinions" did not grow legs for no reason. Even God famously laughs in approval at rabbis who claim to know better than the Almighty in the Talmud.
And so, for latke toppings, the schools of applesauce versus sour cream stand at eternal opposition, forever dividing families and giving single Jews a good opening question on JDate come December.
The problem with this dichotomy, to my eyes, is that applesauce is not the best representative of the "mashed apple" division of topping. The extra juice that the applesauce lives in within the jar inevitably makes what otherwise might be crispy latkes soggy and sad when heaped upon them.
What's worse still is that the obvious answer to this issue is right there, staring us in the face: apple butter. Apple butter is apples stewed in apple cider until soft, blended together and strained through fine mesh, and cooked again until the liquid is gone and the mixture has attained a dreamy smooth consistency and mild caramelization.
So I set out to make a perfect apple butter accompaniment for latkes. In thinking about ideal toppings for latkes, we mourn ketchup, which would theoretically be a good fit, but the inclusion on the Hanukkah plate inadvertently might allow a simpleton to confuse holy latkes with mundane hash brown patties.
But ketchup is a good starting place; like applesauce, ketchup leans into the sweetness in tomatoes. The other element that ketchup adds is acidity, which we achieve here with a few splashes of apple cider vinegar. Feeling as though my recipe was still lacking, I borrowed an element from Texas staple fast food chain Whataburger's spicy ketchup - while that is achieved through cayenne, we achieve our low spice by stewing candied and fresh ginger in with our apples. Feel free to adjust the ginger to your preferred level of spiciness - the called-for two inches will certainly add a noticeable zip.
Spicy Apple Ginger Butter
Ingredients
3 lb Gala apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons crystallized ginger
2" fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups apple cider, or enough to cover the apples in your pot
1/4 teaspoon salt
Recipe
Add all ingredients to a pot that seems too large for the combination (unless you are okay with cleaning burned apple caramel off of your stove.)
Bring to boil, then lower heat to just above simmer. Cook for 1 hour, or until apples are soft and a dark brown.
Uncover; cook on medium heat 1 to 2 hours longer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened. Turn off heat; let cool 15 minutes.
In blender or food processor, puree mixture (in batches, if needed) until smooth. For extra smooth butter, push apple butter through a mesh sieve.
If there is still water in your apple butter, return to stove and cook on medium-high heat, stirring regularly, until remaining water has dissipated.
Cool completely. Transfer apple butter to jars; seal tightly. Store in refrigerator.e butter to jars; seal tightly. Store in refrigerator.