Easy Apple Butter

Easy Apple Butter

It’s fall and since I love to go apple picking at our local orchard, I’m always looking for recipes that involve apples. My main issue with apple recipes – I don’t like cinnamon! With this simple apple butter recipe, one could use or leave out the cinnamon – brilliant!

This recipe yields about 4 8-ounce canning jars and they can be kept refrigerated for a month. They make great hostess gifts!!  

I replace regular butter with this fab concoction on my toasts in the morning – it’s incredible.

Ingredients:

  • 12 apples, peeled, cored and cut into bite-size chunks (I always use my old favs – McIntosh)
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch of cinnamon, optional
  • ½ cup softened butter

Directions:

  1. Add the apple chunks and the brown sugar to a heavy pan over medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes partially covered, stirring occasionally. If the apple mixture gets dry, add ¼ cup water. Some apples are juicier than others are. After the 15 minutes have elapsed, add the vanilla and the cinnamon (if using).
  2. Add the cooked apples to the bowl of an electric mixer and mix until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and continue to mix until fully incorporated and creamy, another minute.
  3. Add the apple butter to 8-ounce canning jars and keep refrigerated up to a month.
Easy Apple Crumble

Easy Apple Crumble

Last week, I visited family in Quebec where it’s apple season. While I love a crisp apple picked right off the tree in our orchard, I’m not typically a fan of apple desserts. It’s really not the apple part I don’t like in those desserts, it’s the cinnamon that seems to always be prominent. I do NOT like cinnamon! I know, I’m weird. Come to find out my sister is also weird and doesn’t like cinnamon either, so when she made an apple crumble for dessert one night, she just left out the cinnamon – delish dessert!!

This easy dessert is best served with vanilla ice cream and warm.

Ingredients:

  • 8 medium apples, peeled and thinly-sliced (used Cortlands)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp. water
  • ¼ cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup quick cooking oats

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Butter (or coat with cooking spray) a 3-cup baking dish or an 8” pie plate.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the apples, sugar, lemon juice and the water. Place in the baking dish.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter for a minute. Add the brown sugar and beat for another minute. Add the flour and oats and beat until just combined. Cover the apples with the flour/oats mixture. Bake for 45 minutes, until top of the crumble is browned and slightly caramelized around the edge.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Yields 6 servings.