Easy Apple Butter

Folks-

It's apple season again, and after posting my version of the Apple Fritter recipe, I figured I should post this Apple Butter recipe I found from Life as a Strawberry. What makes this recipe different is that it's fairly quick, easy, and uses maple syrup as a sweetener instead of brown sugar, meaning that if you're like me and always have real maple syrup in the fridge, you're probably ready to make this with what you already have once you have the apples.

In case you're wondering, I often post these modified recipes here both to record my changes, as well as avoid just how bad and slow the originating websites are. Both this site and Preppy Kitchen from my last recipe have that issue, so I'm sorry to both of those sites if they're not getting as much advertising revenue, but they keep crashing my tablet as I'm cooking. Blogger doesn't.

So here is my variation of Easy Apple Butter!

Ingredients:

About 3lbs apples, cored, peeled, and diced (about 5 medium apples)

1/4 tsp kosher salt

2 tbsp lemon juice 

3 tbsp apple juice or cider

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground allspice 

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Stir all ingredients together in a medium pot, cover, and simmer over a low heat for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally until apples have softened and reduced. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes, then blend using an immersion blender or stand blender until smooth. If too thin afterwards, return to a low heat and allow to reduce further, stirring often.

Apple Fritters

 Folks-

It's Fall. (Or Autumn. You do you.) That means it's apple season, which means it's time for our annual trek to Gizdich Ranch to pick too many apples, enjoy apple cider slushies, have a slice of Gizdich pie (they come in so many flavors!) bring home some unfiltered apple cider, then stop at the Freedom Meat Locker for lunch and some delicious meat for the barbecue. (It's located in Freedom, CA. It's name is not a political statement.)

We make this trek maybe a couple of times a year, once for berries, once for apples. But every time we do, we come home with way too much fresh fruit. I have to do something with it, so I usually end up making jams and desserts. So far this week I've made apple dumplings, cranberry apple sauce, apple butter, dried apples, and apple fritters.

For the fritters I made for breakfast I needed a simple recipe. I found one at Preppy Kitchen and then modified it (surprise!) using the experience I got from making the Apple Butter and Apple Dumplings. I'll try to post those recipes later today, if I have the time.

In the meantime, here's my version of Apple Fritters!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon allspice (can add nutmeg and/or cardamom here as well)

3/4 cup milk

2 whole eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or 3 tablespoons sugar added to dry ingredients)

2 large apples, finely diced or shredded 

Fresh lemon juice (to keep diced apples from browning).

Vegetable oil for frying

Bring about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a frying pan to 350 degrees F. Whisk together dry ingredients. Fold in wet ingredients. Adrian, then fold in apples. Use a large spoon or scoop to portion the batter out (about 1/4 cup) into the hot oil, and deep fry about 2 minutes on the first side, flip, then another minute on the back. Use a spider or slotted spoon to remove hot fritters from the oil, and let them cool on a wire rack over parchment paper or paper towels for a few minutes. Glaze or coat in cinnamon sugar.