Apple Butter - Regular and Cinnamon Red Hots

This is an easy and delicious way to use up a bounty of fall apples from the orchard or your local fruit stand.  I am making some with the cinnamon candies and some without.  Enjoy!

Wash and quarter apples. Discard any that are infested.

In a large stock pot add the prepared apples along with enough water or apple cider or apple juice to keep from scorching and cook the apples until they are soft.  Stir frequently.

If you may get distracted or need to leave the house for the day, you can also cook the apples down using a crock pot or slow cooker.  I have personally never tried this method but I do know a few people that make applesauce this way.

Cool apples completely! 

Push cooled apples through a colander to make applesauce. Return to large stock pot.

To make apple butter:

For every 16 cups of applesauce add
8 cups sugar
3 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. allspice (if you have it - good but not necessary)
1/2 c. Red Hots™   candy - The Red Hots are optional, but they do give the apple butter a pretty colour and enhance the flavour.
If if the apples are very sweet add about 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar  

SLOWLY Cook this mixture down, uncovered until thick enough to spread.
This could take 1 1/2-2 1/2 hours, depending on how much you are making. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.

Prepare pint,  half-pint or jelly sized canning jars according to manufactures instructions.  I usually wash them in hot, soapy water, rinse well and then heat, upside-down, in a large flat-bottomed pan.  I put the clean self-sealing lids in a pan of water and allow to simmer.  Watch that these don't boil dry. 
                             
Pour into 1/2 pint or pint jars, leaving 1/4" headspace, and seal. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Beverly's Famous Apple Pie - For Zack

Ingredients:

Pastry
2       cups all-purpose flour
1       teaspoon salt
2/3    cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (like Crisco)
4       to 6 tablespoons (60-90ml) cold water

Filling

1/4     cup cornstarch or all-purpose flour
1/2     teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2     teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8     teaspoon salt
8        cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (8 medium)  Granny Smith or Jonathan are perfect.
1/3     cup (75ml) honey
1/2     lemon, freshly squeezed
2        tablespoons margarine

Method

For pastry:

In medium bowl, mix 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or two forks) until particles are size of small peas.  Do not overwork these ingredients or your pastry will not be flaky.  Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing gently with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).  Divide in half, wrap in plastic and chill while making filling.

For filling:

In large bowl, 1/4 cup (60ml) cornstarch or flour, the cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir in apples until well mixed.  Drizzle honey over apple/spice mixture and give it a good stir.  Taste an apple slice.     Squeeze half a lemon over the mixture. Taste and if not sweet enough (depending upon the apples chosen) add a bit more honey.  Set filling mixture aside.

Assembly:

Heat oven to 425°F/220°C. With floured rolling pin, roll one pastry round into round 2 inches (5cm) larger than upside-down 9-inch (23cm) glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths - It will look a bit like a triangle; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and up the side.

Pile filling mixture into pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with butter or margarine.  It will look rather full but the apples will cook down.

Roll other round of pastry into 10-inch (25cm) round. Fold into fourths as with the first piece of pastry above. Unfold top pastry over filling; trim overhanging edge 1 inch (2.5cm) from rim of plate. Fold and roll top edge under lower edge, pressing on rim to seal; flute as desired - I pinch it together using my thumb and forefinger.   Cut slashes in top of crust as this will allow steam to escape.  Make this part pretty!

Cut 2- to 3-inch (5-7cm) wide strips of foil to prevent excessive browning - you may need this halfway through baking.

Bake @425°F/220°C for 40 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.  Check the pie halfway through and cover edges with foil if it is browning too quickly.

K (P)

Apple Crisp - Quick, Delicious, Easy!

This is a quick and easy dessert - Sure to become a family favourite.  This recipe can be doubled and baked in a rectangular baking pan (13x9x2")

Dairy if you use butter/Pareve if you use margarine.

Pre-heat oven to 190C or 375F

Apple Mixture:

6-8 medium, tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and thickly sliced
1/4 cup sugar (at most) or honey
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Combine above ingredients and place in a large pie pan.

Topping:

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened (or slightly melted)

Combine all dry topping ingredients in a bowl.  Mix well with a fork.  Add butter or margarine and stir well to combine. (I usually double this part as I like it best!)

Press well onto apple slices, covering them.

Bake in pre-heated oven 190C or 375F for about 30 minutes or until you see apple juices coming through the topping and the apples seem fairly tender when poked with a sharp knife.

Cool and eat!