As I watch our tall weeping birch dripping yellow leaves I know fall has arrived. I love this time of year with the scent of cherry wood smoke in the air, heavy gray clouds lumbering by and the warmth of a favorite cozy sweater.
And I have apples everywhere! Red, green and yellow beauties, crisp and sweet. This year was the first year my little apple trees produced a bumper crop.
And it has me pondering Mary Horton, the heroine in my novel, A Place in His Heart. She loved her English apples, brought seeds and saplings with her when she crossed the pond, and treasured the little pippin tree her papa sent her from England. But I wonder if Mary shared my dilemma as her
trees matured and became fruitful – what to do with all of the apples? I shared a recipe for Grandmother Horton’s Pippin Pie here at Deborah Vogt’s Country at Heart Recipes, And this fall I made a thick, sweet apple butter in my crock pot.
But now I’m looking for more recipes! And I think it would be so fun and yummy if you sent your favorite apple recipe to share! Do you have a favorite for Thanksgiving? Christmas? Fourth of July? A treasured family apple recipe? Or one you just discovered or concocted? I’m putting a shout out for apple breads, pies, puddings, preserves, salads, drinks, main dishes or desserts – all things apple! Have I missed a category? Let me know!
If you have an apple recipe you’d like to share, please send it to me at rebecca@rebeccademarino.com with “Apples to Apples, Got Recipes?” in the subject line. I will post one recipe every Saturday, over the next year, and I will (with your permission) include your name and why you and your family love the recipe, or an amusing anecdote. And, if you send in your recipe by November 30, 214, your name will be put into a drawing for a chance to win a $25.00 Starbucks gift card and a copy of A Place in His Heart. And if you share this with a friend you can have an extra entry! Please be sure to see the Raffle 
Copter Entry Widget at the bottom of the blog! And leave a comment for one more chance to win!
I’m excited to see your recipes, so send them in! To get us started here is my recipe for Apple Butter. This is the perfect fall recipe! You can make apple butter on the stove, but using this over-night slow cooker method is guaranteed to wake you from dreams of toasted English muffins or pan-seared pork chops as the tantalizing aroma fills your home. Enjoy!
Rebecca’s Apple Butter
Apples – enough to fill your slow cooker to the brim. You can use any type, but remember the sweeter the apple the less sugar you need – and maybe none at all. I like to use a blend of apples, and I think that gives the butter a richer flavor. Two of my little apple trees are grafts, with three varieties of apples on each. I also have a Gravenstein that is pure delight.
Brown sugar – 1 cup, more or less
Honey – a big dollop – 1/4 to 1/2 cup, depending on how you like your dollops
Apple cider or apple vinegar – either works, depending on your taste – 3 Tbl
Spices – 1 Tbl cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, a dash of mace. You can substitute a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice for these, but in my opinion you should still add a teaspoon or two more cinnamon.
Peel, core and slice the apples. (I used my mother’s peeler/corer/slicer and this step went incredible fast!) Place in the pot – fill it to the top because the apples will cook down. Mix the spices and cider with the honey and drizzle over the apples. Cover and cook on high one hour, then adjust the heat to low and cook 10 hours or more. In the morning give the apples a good stir. The longer the apples cook, the thicker and richer the color, texture and taste will become. If the mixture seems too thin, leave the lid ajar the last couple of hours, stirring occasionally. My secret weapon is a hand emulsion blender that my daughter gave me. When my apples have completely cooked down, the spicy scent is thick in the air and everyone is asking is it done yet, I dip the blender right into the pot and give it a good whisk. If you are canning your apple butter (I did!) let it simmer another hour before ladling into sterile, 1/2 or 1 pint jars. Slather on fresh homemade bread or toasted English muffins, serve with roast pork or chicken, or stir into your oatmeal for a delicious treat!
Apple Butter Jewels
Comments 2
How much apple butter does a crock-pot full make?
This is a wonderful time of year to share apple recipes…brings back warm memories especially of family times. Can’t wait for the next book in your series to be out Rebecca…and this is a fun way to get the word out!