Friday Food - Apples, Apples!

Recently, I borrowed some recipe ideas from a friend and they all had to do with Apples!  Boy, am I glad I did.  I mentioned that I've on the search for perfect cookie recipes but I accidentally found the perfect bread recipe too :-)

Apple Butter
adapted from allrecipes.com

I have never made Apple Butter before but when I saw this link on a friends blog I decided, since apples are currently $0.49 a pound, I would try this out.  It is a huge success.  I actually want to pick up another batch of apples to make a full batch of this to actually freeze.  I actually cut this in half and it turned out perfectly (in case we didn't like it, I wanted to waste as little as possible).  This recipe is sweeter then what I've had before and, according to reviews, you can cut the sugar by as much as half but we liked this better then the traditional Apple Butter.

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 4 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and mix well.
2. Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.
4. Uncover and continue cooking on low 1 hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness.
5. Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate or freeze.

Of course, I needed to make something to go with the Apple Butter so check out this next recipe!

Apple Bread
adapted from: allrecipes.com

I've made apple bread in the past and have never been thrilled with it but when I saw this recipe it looked good.  I was not disappointed.  It cooked up very moist and the topping was to die for - unlike a lot of breads with toppings, this one kind of sunk in so it did not fall off when I flipped it out of the pan.  I did not add nuts to the bread (my husband is not a fan) but I did not miss them!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup chopped, peeled apple
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• TOPPING:
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Fold in apple and nuts. Pour into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan. For topping, combine the first four ingredients; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes or until bread tests done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack

I had hoped to try a new Apple Crisp recipe but haven't had a chance to do so yet so maybe I'll have another Apple Recipe to add soon . .. except I'm kinda moving into pumpkin recipes now :-)