Thick and Smooth Fall Apple Butter is a delight to eat and a cinch to make. And the best part? Thick and Smooth Fall Apple Butter makes fall last all year long if you decide to preserve it. The apples, plus apple cider give it a very concentrated flavor. The cinnamon and cardamom make the thick spread full of spice and flavor. And the dark brown sugar, which is my personal preference, makes this spread rich and deep in flavor. I love spreading it on warm breads of all sorts but warm croissants are one of my personal favorite uses. I also love it in place of mustard or mayo on a sandwich like my Ladies Lunching Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwich. My sister put it on a slice of my Double Almond Pumpkin Bread over Thanksgiving and remarked, this tasted like fall! No matter how you choose to use this Thick and Smooth Fall Apple Butter, you’re going to love it.
- 4 pounds Granny Smith or Macintosh apples, peeled, cored and quartered
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 cups brown sugar or less, to taste
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- grated rind of 2 lemons
- juice of 3 lemons
- Add the apples, water, and cider to a medium pot. Cover and cook on medium high heat until soft.
- Puree with an immersion blender or process in a blender or food processor. Measure the volume.
- Add up to ½ cup brown sugar (I prefer dark brown) for each cup of puree to taste. I use a little less typically.
- Add spices, rind, and lemon juice and cook over very low heat until thick and dark brown. This may take 3 to 4 hours.
- If you don't think you'll use it within a week or two, make sure to can or freeze.
- This spread is great on sandwiches, warm breads, and as a topping for pancakes and French Toast.
