Better Apple Butter Quest

Starts HERE 

Tis The Season...well, no, not THAT season yet. But, I am preparing for it now with jars of Apple Butter to give to my friends. Nothing says "Sweet Dreams" like a jar of homemade apple butter...right? 

Bring the Haul Home

I have made several adjustments to a recipe that I found using the crock pot.  Finally, I just decided to give up on the recipe.  It was coming out either too sweet or WAY too sweet, calling for 6 cups of sugar to 12 Cups of apples. Today, I made a crock pot full of apples, adding just one cup of sugar  and it tastes awesome. I'll be processing it later today. Here's what I've discovered: Pack your crock pot full of apples, and add about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of liquid (use apple juice or water. I used water). Set it on High, and let the apples bake down. As they bake down, stir and add more apples. When those bake down, add about 6 tablespoons of cinnamon and 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cloves. Stir, and add more apples to fill it to the top.

Pack your crock pot with cored/sliced apples

It gets a little tricky at this point. The main question is: "To sugar or not to sugar?" The sweeter the apple, the less sugar (I feel) is required. I sure wish I knew what variety of apples I'm picking, but the trees in my area don't have signs on them, and no one seems to know either. So, it's hit and miss...luckily I've had a hit. I made my last batch with just one cup of sugar and it came out fabulous! Rich and thick, just the right amount of sweet.

Finished jars of Apple Butter

After it all cooks down, I prepare the jars accordingly. I then take my emulsion blender and start mixing like crazy until it's nice and smooth. The color is a rich brown and the texture is well, like butter. I feel that a little apple jack Brandy in it is good, too, just for some added flavor. Pour into the jars and process in a hot bubble bath for about 10 minutes. Remove, and wipe the jars. Let them set out overnight. This is a wonderful gift to friends, great to keep around in your pantry, and a super use for a lot of apples! Enjoy!

Heavenly Dessert! Apples, Pears & Praline oh my!

Apple Pear 

Praline Pie

Arizona isn't all about deserts! I live in the Rim Country, approx 5600 ft. and about an hour and a half Northeast of Phoenix. Ponderosa Pines stand tall, and fruit trees of all varieties,  are generously scattered everywhere! Thanks to the weather we had last winter, this summer brought an abundance of apples, pears and plums!  So many apples, and so many wonderful ways to prepare them!

I stumbled on this Apple Pear Praline Pie recipe while searching for a nice apple/pear combination. My friend has an Asian pear tree, and I was able to pick a few of the ones the birds had kindly left alone.  I found this recipe on the Pillsbury.com site, and of course altered it just a little bit. My additions are italicized in blue to distinguish them from the original recipe.  If you do make this pie, I promise you,  it is a huge hit, and gone before you can think how to store it! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

6

cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apples **(I used a nice variety of apples ranging from Red Delicious to Macintosh)

3

cups thinly sliced peeled pears ** (I used 3 Asian Pears and one Red Pear)

3/4

cup granulated sugar

1/4

cup all-purpose flour

2

to 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4

teaspoon salt

1

box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box **(Pillsbury pie crust is absolutely wonderful if you're pressed for time!  When I bake, I love to do everything myself!)

1

tablespoon all-purpose flour

2

tablespoons butter or margarine

1 

cups (1 bag - 8 oz) almond brickle or toffee bits **(I had to substitute crushed Heath bars)

1/2

cup butter or margarine

1

cup packed brown sugar

1/4    cup half-and-half (Fat-free Half & Half )

1

cup chopped pecans

• about 8 caramels 

• 1-2 Teaspoons of Apple Jack Brandy - or more...

DIRECTIONS

1Heat oven to 350°F.2In large bowl, gently toss apples, pears, granulated sugar, 1/4 cup flour, the cinnamon and salt. Let stand 15 minutes. Place 1 pie crust in ungreased 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate; sprinkle lightly with 1 tablespoon flour. Spoon apple mixture into pastry-lined pie plate; dot with 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the almond brickle. Top with second pie crust. Flute edges as desired. Cut slits in several places in top crust to allow steam to escape.3Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until golden brown; remove pie from oven. Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter over low heat. Stir in brown sugar and half-and-half. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. **(stir in the caramels, and the Apple Jack Brandy) Remove from heat; stir in pecans. Spread sauce over top of hot pie; sprinkle with remaining almond brickle. Cool 2 hours before serving.