Applebutter.

Week 3's recipe in my cooking club was apple butter. I love love love apple butter! If this recipe hadn't been posted as part of my cooking club, I likely would have skipped it simple because my Mom & Aunt's make a ton of apple butter each year from the apples in our orchard. The smell of this cooking is heavenly and it fills the house with wonderful scents of apple and cinnamon! That alone was worth making it for me! I used jarred applesauce since I happened to have some on hand already. I used one jar of cinnamon & one jar of natural applesauce. I only added half the amount of sugar called for.

I took the apple butter to a friends house for the football rib smoking feast. There isn't anything better than apple butter and cornbread (recipe follows), especially to go along with ribs!

The following information is from the poster: This can be scaled down pretty easily to make just a small batch for yourself or make a large batch to share with friends and family! There are essentially 2 ways to make this recipe: from apples or from apple sauce. If you are starting with whole apples all you do is peel and core the apples cook down in a non-reactive pot and mash to make apple sauce.

Full Size Recipe

6 cups unsweetened apple sauce (either homemade or store bought)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups sugar (depending on how sweet the apple sauce is & how sweet you want your apple butter)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg


1. Add the apple sauce, 1/2 the sugar, vinegar and spices to a crock pot and stir well. The applesauce mixture won't look very spice but as it cooks the spice flavors concentrate.

2. Cook covered on high 8hours. Give it a taste test, if it needs more sugar add the rest of the sugar. If the apple butter is watery cook uncovered for a couple more hours.

This is a very forgiving recipe, it can be scaled down to the size of a "little dipper" crock pot to make just enough for one family as long as you watch your cooking time closer, or even scaled up if you want to make a lot. If you are gone for a day over 8 hours, say 10 or even 12 your apple butter will be just fine. If you don't particularly like one of the spices you can leave it out (except for the cinnamon)

A few serving suggestions: on your toast in the morning, as a sauce for a pork roast, apple butter cake.


Corn Bread

1 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. cornmeal
2-3 Tbs. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. butter
2 beaten eggs
1 c. milk
1/4 c. cooking oil or melted butter

1. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. Add the 1 tablespoon butter to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a 9x1 1/2" round baking pan. Place in a 400 degree oven about 3 minutes or until butter melts. Remove pan from oven; swirl butter in pan to coat bottom and sides of pan.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine eggs, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Pour batter into hot skillet or pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Serve warm.

For different sized pans (corn sticks, muffins, small loaves, etc.): prepare as above, except omit the 1 tablespoon butter. Generously grease pans and heat in the preheated oven for 3 minutes. Carefully fill preheated pans two-thirds full. Bake in a 400 oven about 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.


Yield: 8-10 based on original recipe

Recipe obtained from: Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook

Nutritional Information: 219 cal., 10 g. total fat (3g. sat. fat), 60 mg chol,. 390 mg sodium, 26 g. carbo, 1 g. fiber, 5 g. pro.

NOTE: Do not use the spray stuff to grease your muffin pan. The spray will burn and cause your muffins to have black swirls of grease through them! Use butter or shortening.