Apple Butter #BloggerCLUE

Low slow cooking transforms apples and a little sugar into apple butter by evaporating most of the juice until it creates a smooth, luscious spread that is concentrated appleness personified. And, despite its name, is completely dairy free.

It’s Blogger C.L.U.E. time again, when I get assigned a blog to hunt through to look for recipes which fill September’s “clue” or theme: fall fruit. I’m not ready for pumpkin yet (Is pumpkin even a fruit?) and frankly I’m not a fan of pears so I was hoping that A Mama, Baby and Shar-Pei in the Kitchen would have some apple recipes. I was not disappointed.

The eponymous mama behind the blog is Alice who is a fellow expat, living first in England – before I knew her so I had some catching up to do – then back in the US for a few years, and now she is making a home in Japan. Sadly, her first child, the Shar-pei, is no longer in the kitchen but over the years one baby became two so I am sure her household is just as crazy.

I had a hard time choosing from Alice’s many apple recipes. Tipsy apple pie with rum or her Ever American apple pie? Both looked delicious. Or baked Apple-y Donut Holes? Alice lived for many years in Washington state so she is really, really fond of apples. I was so tempted by her homemade apple chips and her apple cheddar scones as well, but as you can see, I finally settled on apple butter, which Alice makes in a crockpot.

Her original recipe calls for 30-60 apples so I scaled mine back to a more manageable level, but it is so good that next time I just might go all in! Oh, and I also added some lemon just to add a little more tartness because I used only Red Delicious instead of a mix of apples and I subbed ground ginger for cloves and allspice.

Ingredients
1/4 cup or 60ml fresh lemon juice
11 apples - about 4 1/2 lbs or 2 kg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 cup or 200g sugar

Method
Pour your lemon juice into the crockpot.

Peel, core and slice your apples, putting all the sliced bits in the crockpot as you go.

Give it a stir every now and then to mix the apples through the lemon juice.

Add in your spices and sugar and mix well. Alice’s instructions said to cook on medium for 10 hours, stirring occasionally, then turn to low but my crockpot only has two settings - low and high - so I put it on low. She also said that if the apples are cooking down too fast or burning to turn it to low so I figured low was better than high if you only have two choices.

I started a little late in the morning so I turned my crockpot on about 11 a.m. stirring the apples every hour or two all day long. By 9 p.m. that evening, they had cooked down and softened but they certainly weren’t anywhere near apple butter or even applesauce. So, following Alice’s advice, I left them on low overnight.

It was glorious the next morning to wake up to a whole house still smelling of apples and cinnamon. I used my whisk to break the apples down completely into sauce; they were still quite juicy though. You can use an immersion blender, as Alice did, but I found the whisk worked beautifully since the apples were already so soft.

Leave them on low for another few hours, with one change of method. Every time you take the lid off to stir the crockpot, use a dry cloth to wipe the condensation off of the inside of the lid, rather than letting it run back into the pot, which is what I had been doing.

Could I have turned the crockpot up to high at any point in this process to speed things up? Sure, probably so, but I enjoyed the leisurely stirring and the completely relaxed, no stress method more. Because even if I was just reading a book or watching tv, I was being productive! Most importantly, I had time to take a few photos of a spectator outside my kitchen window. I've been reliably informed that he's a bee-eater but he also seems to eat other bugs and ants, bringing them all up to the windowsill and knocking them on the concrete to remove stingers and extract venom.

At the 24-hour mark, I ladled the hot, thick apple butter into sterilized jars. You should do the same to yours as soon as they reach a consistency you like. Remember that the apple butter will thicken up a little more as it cools.

Aside from peeling, coring and slicing the apples, this apple butter feels almost effortless and the full jars make that time spent well worthwhile. Thanks, Alice!

Enjoy your apple butter spread on buttered toast or stirred through some plain yogurt. It also makes a great filling for tarts!

Are you ready for fall fruit? Check out all the lovely recipes my fellow Blogger C.L.U.E. participants are sharing today.

• Apple Banana Bread by Lora from Cake Duchess
• Apple Brie Panini by Rebekah from Making Miracles
• Apple Butter by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
• Apple Oatmeal Muffins by Aly from Cooking in Stilettos
• Apple Pear Compote by Alice from A Mama, Baby and Shar-Pei in the Kitchen
• Apple Pie with Oat Streusel by Christiane from Taking on Magazines
• Applesauce Pancakes by Anna from annaDishes
• Arugula, Pear and Parmesan Salad by Kate from Kate's Kitchen
• Butternut Squash Soup with Apple by Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch
• Chaussons aux Pommes by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal by Kim from Liv Life
• Creamy Tomato Soup by Kelli from Kelli's Kitchen
• Fresh Peach Buckle by Sue from A Palatable Pastime
• Fried Apple Hand Pies by Heather from girlichef
• Greek Yogurt Apple Loaf by Lauren from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Peach Streusel Bread by Azmina from Lawyer Loves Lunch
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pumpkin Molasses Tea Bread by Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet
• Sweet Potato Apple Soup with Chipotle by Kathy from A Spoonful of Thyme
• Vegan Spiced Apple Crumb Muffins by Debra from Eliot's Eats

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Bulgur Wheat Bread #BreadBakers

A tender loaf with a welcome bit of nutty chewiness from the bulgur wheat, this yeast bread has a soft crust and slices up beautifully.

As much as my grandmothers loved cooking and even baking, I don’t remember either of them ever baking bread. The French influence in our Louisiana heritage did mean that bread was important; you just bought it at a bakery. From the time I was tiny my mom told me stories of when she was younger and she would bring a stick of butter along to the bakery to pick up a fresh hot loaf just so she could butter the bread and eat it immediately in the car. Who wants to wait? The only bread I remember in our house when I was growing up was white sandwich bread and French bread – still white inside – preferably baked by the southern Louisiana institutions of Evangeline Maid in Lafayette and LeJeune’s in Jeanerette, respectively. Even today, my mom’s freezer in Houston usually has a loaf or two of LeJeune’s delicious French bread, still made by hand, for when she needs a bread and butter fix.

When I started dating my husband and was introduced to his dad and stepmom, I finally met a woman who baked bread weekly, more often that that, in fact, if she had bread loving visitors (like us!) because her home-baked bread was the centerpiece of every lunch, surrounded by cheese and sliced meat and condiments and salad. And breakfast, more often than not, included toast. I wrote at length about Fiona’s wonderful bread for the inaugural post of Bread Bakers exactly one year ago, so I won’t go into it again here, except to say that hers was also the first time I remember eating and loving whole wheat bread instead of white. She started me on the road to baking my own bread and even buying whole grain breads. They are just so much more flavorful! (Although it's still hard to beat a pimento cheese sandwich on Evangeline Maid.)

This month our Bread Bakers challenge to bake bread with whole grains was set by our able host of Cali’s Cuisine. I decided to kick mine up a notch by adding bulgur wheat as well. It was a very good decision. This recipe, adapted from one in the New York Times online, makes two nutty deliciously healthy loaves and freezes beautifully.

N.B. You'll need three and a half hours of resting or rising time, in addition to almost one hour baking so start early in your day!

Ingredients - for two standard loaves
For the sponge:
2 packets active dry yeast (1/2 oz or 14g total)
3 cups or 710ml warm water
3 tablespoons mild honey
1 cup or 200g coarse bulgur wheat
2 cups or 250g strong white bread flour
1 cup or 120g wholemeal bread flour

For the bread dough:
1 bread sponge recipe (see above)
1/4 cup or 60ml canola oil, plus a little extra for oiling bowl and baking pans
1 scant tablespoon salt
2 cups or 240g wholemeal bread flour, plus additional as necessary for kneading

Method
In a large bowl, combine the yeast and warm water and honey, and stir until dissolved. Leave it for a couple of minutes to make sure that the yeast is reacting and making some small bubbles before proceeding.

Add in the bulgur wheat and leave to rest again for another five or so minutes.

Now whisk in the white bread flour and the wholemeal bread flour one cup at a time. Keep stirring or whisking for at least two minutes after all three cups have been added. You'll end up with quite a thick batter.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover it with cling film. Leave to rest in a warm spot for one hour. It should bubble up quite dramatically.

Fold the oil into the sponge along with the salt and then fold in one cup of the wholemeal bread flour.

Sprinkle your clean work surface with flour from the second cup of wholemeal bread flour and scrape the dough out of the bowl.

Here’s where it gets sticky. I found that using a stainless steel dough scraper really helped with this part of the process.

Sprinkle the dough with more wholemeal bread flour. Use your scraper to turn and fold and “knead” the dough, until the last of the cup has been added.

Keep folding and kneading for about 10 minutes, adding just a little more flour as needed, until the dough springs back when you press it with a finger. It will still be quite sticky.

Wash out your bowl and grease the inside with a little canola oil.

Scrape the dough into the bowl and turn it over to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl again with cling film and leave in a warm place for one hour.

Punch the dough down, cover it again and leave to rise for another hour.

Grease two bread loaf pans. Divide the dough into two equal parts and place them in the greased pans. Sprinkle with some wholemeal bread flour and put them in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C at some point in that 30 minutes. Mine takes forever to get to temperature so I start about 10 minutes in. You do what you need to do.

When your 30 minutes are up and your oven is preheated properly, cut some quick slashes in the dough with a very sharp implement.

Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 190°F or 88°C on an instant read thermometer or the top is golden and the loaves sound hollow when tapped.

Allow to cool for a few minutes and then remove the loaves from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

More whole grain goodness from my fellow Bread Bakers:

• Bublik - Russian Bagels from Sara's Tasty Buds
• Bulgur Wheat Bread from Food Lust People Love
• Cilantro and Garlic Oat Bread from Simply Veggies
• Corn Pizza on Multigrain Crust from Cook's Hideout
• Gluten Free Honey Oat Bread from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Kitchen Sink Bread from What Smells So Good?
• Multigrain Country Bread from La cocina de Aisha
• Potato Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls from Passion Kneaded
• Rosemary, Garlic, and Parsley Whole Wheat Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Tomato and Rosemary Einkorn Focaccia Rounds from A Shaggy Dough Story
• Whole Grain Maple Oat Scones from Cali's Cuisine
• Whole Grain Oatmeal Blueberry Banana Bread from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Whole Grain Zucchini Macadamia Bread from The Schizo Chef
• Whole Wheat English Muffins from Spill the Spices
• Whole Wheat Date Nut Bread from Magnolia Days
• Whole Wheat Naan from Spice Roots

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

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Creamy Coconut Popsicles

Two ingredients are all you need to make these creamy coconut popsicles: Sweetened condensed milk and coconut cream. Well, and freezing time! So easy and delicious!

 

This week my Sunday Supper group is anticipating Labor Day in the United States by sharing no-labor recipes, with plenty of make-ahead or simple-to-prepare dishes and drinks that will leave you plenty of time to relax and enjoy the holiday tomorrow! I had no idea what to share for this event until I remembered some coconut popsicles I made a couple of months back as an experiment that had turned out with gratifying success. So I made them again for real. 

I wanted to add actual fresh coconut to them but was discouraged by my younger daughter who prefers her ice cream without “bits” in it. So that coconut you see is just for show. With only two ingredients, both from cans, these creamy popsicles practically make themselves! Feel free to add fresh coconut to yours, if you can be bothered. They are absolutely coconutty, just sweet enough and perfect as is. And even the dog agrees.

Ingredients

1 can (13.5 oz or 400ml) unsweetened coconut cream – not milk!
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk  - 260g or 6 3/4 oz

Equipment needed:
Popsicle molds (or paper cups, popsicle sticks and cling film)
Deep freezer

Method
Pour or scoop the coconut cream into a large mixing bowl, preferably one with a spout. Whisk it until the cream is smooth and homogeneous.

Add in the condensed milk and whisk again.

Pour the liquid into your popsicle molds (or paper cups, then cover with cling film and insert a stick in the middle) and freeze until solid – this will take at least a couple of hours but overnight is even better.

When ready to serve, run the popsicle mold (or paper cup) under some warm water to release the popsicle.

Enjoy!

Whether you are celebrating Labor Day this weekend or just love the idea of no-labor recipes, this is the list for you!

Savory Snacks and Sides

• Acorn Squash, Black Bean and Spinach Quesadillas by Our Good Life
• Copy Cat: Momma’s Nachos by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Cream Cheese and Peach Chutney Pastry Cups by Soni’s Food
• Easy Peasy Cole Slaw by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Fruit & Cheese Platter by The Freshman Cook
• Olive Tapenade by Whole Food | Real Families
• Semi-Homemade Baked Beans by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Smoked Salmon Spread with Sourdough Baguette by A Gouda Life

Labor Free Main Dishes

• Ace of Clubs by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Easy and Tasty Filet Mignon on the Grill by Family Foodie
• Easy Baked Spaghetti for a Crowd by Lifestyle Food Artistry
• Greek Salad Endive Boats by Casa de Crews
• Grilled Butternut Squash, Zucchini and Steak with Chimichurri Sauce by Caroline’s Cooking
• Pesto Chicken with Fennel & Tomato Couscous by Books n’ Cooks
• Simple Cheese Enchiladas by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Simple Grilled Rosemary Shrimp by Nosh My Way
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Mustard Barbecue Sauce by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Slow Cooker Turkey Sloppy Joes by Food Done Light
• Spicy Thai Noodles by Momma’s Meals

Sweet Treats and Drinks

• Apple Spice Dump Cake by Palatable Pastime
• Blender Chocolate Mousse by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles by What Smells So Good?
• Coconut Martini by Desserts Required
  
• Creamy Coconut Popsicles by Food Lust People Love
• Eiskaffee by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Healthy Grab'n'Go Breakfast Muffins by Happy Baking Days
• Mango Salad with Crystallized Ginger by MealDiva
• Mini Pavlovas by Curious Cuisiniere
• One Step Vanilla Sauce by Magnolia Days
• White Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Bars by Pies and Plots
  
  
  

  Pin these Creamy Coconut Popsicles!