Delectable Apple Butter

First of all, Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays!!! I can't it's already the 13th! Time flies so quickly this time of year.  Since Stephen and I will be spending Christmas in North Carolina (expect some fun posts in the near future!) I decided to make a few gifts for my mother and sister's in law.  As I was looking over some food blogs I follow...I decided that homemade Apple Butter would be a fun gift to make and give! The recipe is quite easy, although it does require some time.  This is my slightly altered version of a completely vegan Oh She Glows Apple Butter recipe (aka I added some sugar ;).

Photo credit: ohsheglows.com

Ingredients:

5-6 apples (I used a mix between Honey Crisp and Granny Smith)

2 tsp. Cinnamon

2 ts. Nutmeg (optional)

1-2 Cups of White Sugar (you can add more or less depending on your sweet preference)

Directions:

Using a crockpot set on high, cut up all of the apples (leaving the skins on) and place them into the crock pot for about 3-4 hrs or until "mashable".  I also like to add a little bit of liquid which helps to increase the final yield from the recipe.  I would recommend about 1 tbs. of Apple Cider.  After you have let the apples sit gently mash them with a wooden spoon (or in my case a potato masher) and then scoop the mixture into a food processor.  Once added to the food processor blend until completely smooth, then pour the "apple sauce" back into the crock pot for 45 minutes (this helps it to thicken) and add the sugar and spices.  After the 45 minutes are up, let the mixture cool before canning and then you are good to go! So far the feedback has been positive (and as an added bonus, it is "healthier" than regular jams due to the minimal sugar!).  

Yield: 

This recipe yields about 2 cups (depending on how thick you want the butter).  I actually repeated this twice to get the amount I needed.  But since the hardest part is waiting I actually really enjoyed this recipe! I hope you all do too!