The apples listed in this recipe are those recommended by Mel in her original recipe. When I made this, however, I only made a half batch, and I used 3 Gala apples, 3 Jonagold apples, and 1 Honey Crisp apple, and it turned out great. I cut the lemon juice and spices in half as well.
I left the peels on all my apples. You can peel your apples if you prefer.
I used my Ninja smoothie maker to puree the apples once they were done cooking and it worked like a dream. Just be sure not to fill your container too full, as the sauce will expand from heat while blending.