Make Your Own Apple Butter

Do you know what one of my absolute favorite ways to enjoy pancakes, biscuits, and waffles is? With a smear of thick, sweet, flavorful apple butter. Apple butter is the ultimate way to make any bland baked good taste autumnally fantastic. Bursting with warm spices and sweet apple, you will fall in love with this apple butter recipe.

This recipe is delightfully easy and crazy delicious. Warmed slightly, apple butter is great on a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or toss it in your baking recipes for an extra kick of flavor. Or just eat it simply on a piece of toast. Apple butter also makes a great gift, so double the batch, divide into jars and tie with a ribbon. But be sure to save a jar for yourself.

Ingredients:

• 10 apples, peeled and cored (I prefer honeycrisp, but any sweet variety works)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup apple cider
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground clove
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Cut the apples into eighths. Place the apples, cider, salt, clove, nutmeg, brown sugar and cinnamon into a large pot and cook over medium-low heat for about one hour. The apples should be soft after one hour.
2. Remove from heat and use an immersion hand blender to puree until smooth. If you do not have access to an immersion blender, you can puree in a regular blender in batches.
3. Return to heat and cook for an additional hour. You’ll know when your apple butter is done cooking when it is velvety, flavorful, and a rich deep brown.
4. Stir in the lemon juice and transfer to jars. Serve immediately and refrigerate the excess.