Crockpot apple butter

I know apple butter is usually a fall thing but I promised I would post this recipe sooner rather than later.

I love apple butter, but like most things its not that great unless its homemade. The apple butter sold around Shipshewana is yummy but I dont always get up there and I figured I could make it cheaper.

I found a basic recipe online but wasnt a fan of standing over the stove. Not to mention I lost the lid to my biggest pot. So I did a little research and came up with a crock pot recipe.

Some things I did different-

-The addition of brown sugar gives the butter an extra oomph from the molasses. Not many recipes I found online use it but I love the depth it adds to the flavor.

- A lot of recipes called for various spices like ginger, nutmeg, allspice or clove. But I have come to prefer it with just cinnamon. Apples and cinnamon is a classic pairing so the simplicity works.


Crock pot apple butter

3lbs apples (my fave for this is fiji)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar


Core, peel and chop apples. Combine all ingredients in crockpot coating apples with sugars and cinnamon. Add 1 cup water. Cook until apples are very golden brown - about 8 to 10 hours on low. stirring every few hours.
Blend until smooth in a blender or food processor. Place in containers and cool.

Some recipes go a step further and recommend running it through a cheese cloth to make it even smoother. But unless your blender stinks at doing its job or you are REALLY picky about how smooth it is you can do with out this step.


Sorry for the lack of pics!

Coming up next: A pinterest fail.... stay tuned quirklings its gonna be an entertaining one!

Amish Peanut butter

Years ago my family took a family trip out to Shipshewana. We enjoyed the awesome food and all the great little shops. I don't remember how old I was but I do remember seeing the faceless dolls, marveling at the beautiful quilts and quilting kits, the Menno-Hof, and Jo-Jo's Pretzels in the Davis Mercantile which years later would become a personal favorite.
But the thing I remember most vividly was trying Amish Peanut Butter for the first time. I believe we were having dinner at the Essenhaus, and I tried it on a roll. I loved it and I convinced mom to ask the server what it was. Mom said we could try to makes some at home and I was excited.

Little did I know that the boy who would eventually be my husband lived just a few minutes from where we vacationed, or that close to a decade later I would live less than 2 hours away and go there on a regular basis.

 But I just realized that I wrote half a page about something you may not even know about.

So what is Amish Peanut Peanut Butter you ask? APB is a glorious, sweet, pale brown spread made very simply from creamy peanut butter and marshmallow creme with corn syrup to thin it out to a fluffy and creamy but spreadable consistency. In my experience it has been served on rolls or bread but I also love it with fruit. APB is also known as church spread because it was commonly served at the after service lunch.

APB is a staple at family get togethers for Mr. Creative's side of the family. And this past Easter was the first time I was asked to bring it. The recipe I used is below and was a hit with everyone. I was also asked to bring apple butter. And I promise you that recipe will be in the next post.


Amish Peanut Butter

1 cup Creamy peanut butter
1 cup Marshmallow fluff
1 - 2 cups light corn syrup

Thoroughly mix peanut butter, fluff, and 1 cup of syrup in a bowl (rubber spatula works best). Add additional syrup til it reaches desired consistency.


:)