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Apple a day…

When I was a kid my mother was fixated on us eating apples. Maybe it was the nurse in her or maybe she just loved apples. So, now that I am a parent I always have apples around. The kids especially love apple butter on their toast in the morning. Just the smell of apple butter takes me back to the War Eagle Craft Fair. My mom, grandma, Aunt Jeanie Jean and I would walk through all of the tents only to stop at every apple butter stand for a sample. Yum!

So, when my friend Carmen posted that she was making apple butter in her slow cooker I was intrigued. So, I took her recipe (which was great…) tweaked it a bit and now I have my own. If you are starting to fret about the holidays and all of your gifts that you will be giving…why not a jar of homemade apple butter? This is easy to make and delicious!

If you love the strong aroma of spices…then grind them fresh. In the past I have used a coffee grinder but now I have the Cuisinart Spice and Nut Grinder from International Pantry! It makes all the difference in flavor! Give it a whirl…I promise you will not be disappointed!


Slow Cooker Apple Butter 

 Delicious on toast and perfect to give as a gift!

  • 5 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples
  • 5 cups apple sauce
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon mace
  1. Core and cut the apples into small pieces. Put all the ingredients into a slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook on low overnight, about 8 to 10 hours. Remove the cover, stir and taste. Add more spices or sugar, if desired. Continue cooking for a few more hours, uncovered, until some of the liquid is reduced and the apple butter has cooked down a bit. Pour into sterilized jars and refrigerate or process the jars.   Makes 10-12 pints.
Now that you have this fabulous apple butter how about making a cake out of it too! This is perfect to bring to a potluck or breakfast meeting!

Apple Butter Spice Cake

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup white granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup apple butter
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup wheat germ or whole bran cereal
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • Crumb Mixture:
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • 4 tablespoon chilled butter, cut into cubes
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup finely ground pecans
  1. Preheat oven to 35F. Prepare pan by spraying with a non-stick baking spray.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the crumb mixture together; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and white sugar together for a couple of minutes. Add eggs and beat well. Add apple butter, vanilla, and wheat germ; beat well.
  4. Add 1/3 of the reserved flour mixture, mix to incorporate. Add 1/2 of the sour cream, mix. Add 1/3 flour mixture, mix. Remaining 1/2 of the sour cream, mix. Finish with the last 1/3 of the flour mixture.
  5. Pour about 1/2 the batter into the prepared bundt pan (9×13 direction below). Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture on and top with the remaining batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes.
  6. Note: to make a 9×13, double the ingredients for the crumb mixture. Pour half the batter into the pan, add half the crumb mixture, top with the remaining cake batter, and lastly, sprinkle the other half of the crumb mixture on top. Bake for about 40 minutes.

Once you make apple butter then you will be happy in the morning. But what about dessert? This is an easy French Apple Cake from my good friend KC Quaretti Lee (also a winner of The Real Women of Philadelphia). It is heavenly and really hits the spot when you are craving the flavors of fall!

KC’s French Apple Cake

  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 4 tsp. water
  • Juice 1/2 lemon
  • 6 green apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese
  • Topping:
  • 8 ounce tub of Nuts and Honey Philadelphia Cream Cheese
  • 1 cup Whipping Cream
  • 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch spring form pan.
  2. To Prepare Caramel: heat 3/4 cup sugar with 4 teaspoons water. When the sugar becomes light brown add the juice of 1/2 lemon and remove from heat
  3. Coat the bottom and sides of a spring form pan with the caramel.
  4. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples and arrange in an attractive circular overlapping overlapping pattern on the caramel.
  5. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with 3/4 cup sugar.
  6. Add the flour, butter and Philadelphia Cream Cheese and continue beating until you have a creamy batter.
  7. Pour over apples and caramel and bake for 35 minutes
  8. Let cool slightly prior to turning over onto a decorative cake plate.
  9. Topping: While cake is baking beat Nuts and Honey Philadelphia Cream Cheese until fluffy. Beat whipping cream until fluffy and then add 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Gently fold the whipped Philadelphia Cream Cheese into the Whipped Cream and chill well using the freezer if necessary. Top the warm cake slices with a spoonful of Philadelphia Cream Cheese/whipped Cream mixture and enjoy!

Number of servings (yield): 8

 

 

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. 1

    Love, Love , Love apples and this recipe rocks! Can’t wait to make it for guests coming over the Thanksgiving Holidays!

  2. 2

    When I think Fall, I think Apples! My Grandmother used to make Apple Butter and serve it with homemade biscuits; there’s nothing better. Apples are probably one of the most versatile fruits; my husband even uses them in a stirfry of cabbage, onions, apples and chopped tomatoes topped with a little soy sauce. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!

  3. 3

    Forgot to mention one of the best things I do to try and stay healthy is to eat a diet filled with fruit and veggies. Lean protein is important but a lot of people forget to add a lot more fruits and veggies than they’re used to.They’re filling, nutricious, and lower in calories.

  4. 4

    I just watched the clip of you making the apple butter. In it you added applesauce but I don’t see it in the recipe above or on the Channel 9 website. Can you tell me how much is needed or what size that jar was that you poured it from? Thanks!

  5. 5

    Good eye Ellen! I just fixed the recipe on the site. Add 5 cups of applesauce. I use the applesauce from Sam’s! Cheaper and perfect for making lots of apple butter!