Apple Butter Me Up!

My main intention for apple picking a couple weekends ago was to make apple butter. Having made so much jam this summer I figured it'd be a piece of cake and I can always use another spread! Apple butter is way easier than jam. Especially crock-pot apple butter - you basically do no work. I searched through at least a dozen recipes until I found one I thought was perfect - some have too many ingredients, some use the stove top, all too much work - I picked this one. It's simple, painless and the slow cooker does pretty much everything for you (I was also swayed by the beautiful jars they have)!

Ingredients

20 small McIntosh apples - peeled, cored + chopped 

1 cup white sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place your chopped apples into the slow cooker. In a bowl combine the sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt, and pour over the apples, mixing until well coated. Set the slow cooker on low and cook for approximately 10 hours, stirring occasionally. Uncover and stir in the vanilla, cooking for another two hours uncovered, until thick. Using an immersion blender (or many stages of a regular blender), puree the mixture until completely smooth. Similar to with the jam, have the jars filled with hot water, and when ready to fill, pour out the water, fill the jar with apple butter, screw on the lid and wait for that popping seal of approval. Keep in the fridge for a couple weeks, or in the freezer for several months.

I've been spreading my apple butter on toast, stirring it into my oatmeal, and eating it with a spoon! It's the perfect combination of spicy and sweet and leaves my taste buds completely satisfied. 

Apple Oat Scones

Happy first day of fall! Even though technically it was yesterday I am celebrating today with hot cups of tea, snuggly blankets, cozy sweaters and everything pumpkin, apple and spice. School has been hectic and come October there will be even more to get done, but fall is my favourite season so I'm going to do everything I can to welcome it with open arms. These scones are perfect for just that. Our CSA shares have been filled with apples recently (and I know I didn't post Week 9, but it just came and went so quickly!) and the combination of oats and apples in Martha's scones were just perfect! Here's my version of the recipe:

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups of all purpose flour

1 1/3 cups rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 1/2 cups diced apple 

2/3 cold buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix together the flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry blender (or two knives works well too) cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the apples and buttermilk just until mixed. On a lightly floured surface shape the dough into a large rectangle, about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut the dough into 12 square scones and place onto the baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until lightly browned.

As with most baked goods, these scone are best served warm on the day of. They're moist, not too dense and have the perfect amount of apple and spice.