Apple Butter

For the apple cinnamon cupcake recipe below I used apple butter which is very difficult to get in the UK. I got mine off eBay.

Here's a recipe which you could use if you too find it difficult to find in the shops.

Apple Butter is common throughout Eastern Europe. With only three ingredients in the recipe -- apples, water and sugar -- it was an easy project for an overabundance of fruit. And busy farmwives could enlist the aid of their children in the almost-constant stirring.

Today, we have microwaves and slow cookers that take the drudgery out of keeping a watchful eye on the pot. This recipe easily can be increased. It's low in sugar, as all fruit butters are, and makes a great topping for breads, rolls, ice cream and cakes.

Makes 1 pint of Apple Butter

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound any variety apples, washed, quartered and cored

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 to 1 cup sugar

• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, combine apples and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low and simmer until apples look like applesauce, stirring occasionally.

Pass the puree through a sieve. Mix the strained puree with the sugar and spices and choose one of the following cooking methods.

• Slow Cooker: Place sweetened pulp in a slow cooker with lid partially off to let steam escape. Set at low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-12 hours or overnight, or until thick enough so the butter doesn't run off a spoon when turned upside down.

• Microwave: Place sweetened pulp in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 20 minutes at a time, stirring frequently until thick enough so the butter doesn't run off a spoon when turned upside down.

• Stovetop: Place sweetened pulp in a medium saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 1-2 hours or until thick enough so the butter doesn't run off a spoon when turned upside down.

• Oven: Heat oven to 250 degrees. Place sweetened pulp in a heatproof casserole dish or roaster. Bake, stirring only occasionally, for 1-3 hours or until thick enough so the butter doesn't run off a spoon when turned upside down.
Place hot butter in hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Cover with hot sterilized lids and rings. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes. Remove to counter and allow to cool before storing in a cool, dry, dark place.
If you don't process in a water bath, the butter can be kept refrigerated for up to three weeks or frozen for up to one year.

Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes

These are the YUMMIEST cupcakes I have ever made.

Moist, cinnamon-y, light and fluffy. And they stayed fresh for days! Hands down the nicest batter recipe I have.

These cupcakes are made with a light vanilla sponge, injected with as much apple butter as I could squeeze in, frosted with a mildly flavoured cinnamon buttercream and finished with a generous cinnamon dusting.

For anyone who has not yet tried apple butter, it doesn't actually contain any butter. Its simply a smooth sweet apple puree flavoured with cinnamon, clove, ginger and nutmeg. Cinnamon and clove being the predominant flavours. It can be used in cupcakes and desserts or just simply spread on toast like the Americans do, hence it's name, apple butter, as it takes the place of butter on hot toast. mmmmm......

Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls

This has got to be the yummiest recipe I have ever made. Went down a treat with the in laws!
If you have a big soft spot in your heart for ooey gooey breakfast pastries, then you will no doubt fall in love with these at first bite. And if you don’t have that big soft spot, take one bite of these and I guarantee you will be a convert. The soft and flaky pastry dough combined with the incredible filling, makes for the most flavourful cinnamon rolls that I have ever tasted.
I warn you now though, they do take a ridiculously long time to prepare but at no point are they difficult to make. If you have a day set aside for baking and generally staying around the house then that would be the day to make these buns. Trust me, you won't regret it.
But where does the cream cheese come into the equasion? I hear you ask. Rolling the cream cheese into the dough is much like laminating pastry dough with butter, except that all of the refrigerating and re-rolling steps aren’t needed here. The result, however, is much the same – a light and flaky pastry dough that melts in your mouth.

Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls

For the Dough:
1 package (2¼ teaspoons) instant yeast
½ teaspoon, plus ¼ cup granulated sugar, divided
250ml or ½ cup whole milk, at room temperature
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
415g or 2¾ cups plain flour, plus more for kneading
¾ teaspoon salt
4oz unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the Filling:
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ dark brown sugar, packed
½ cup finely chopped pecans
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Other Ingredients:
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
4oz unsalted butter, divided in half, melted

For the Icing:
125g or 1½ cups icing sugar
3 tablespoons full fat milk

1. To Make the Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer combine yeast, 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water heated to 45°C. Stir to combine and let sit until frothy and foamy, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the remaining granulated sugar, milk, light brown sugar, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk. Beat with a balloon whisk until well combined. Fit the bowl onto the mixer, fitting with the dough hook attachment. Add the flour and salt and mix on medium speed until the dough just begins to come together. Turn the machine on medium-high and knead the dough for 4 minutes.

3. Add the butter and continue to knead for about 6 minutes. The dough will be wet and sticky. Place the dough on a well floured work surface, and knead about 1/3 cup plain flour into the dough. The dough still might be a little sticky, which is ok. Set the dough to rest in a large greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

4. While the dough rises, make the filling. Combine the sugar, dark brown sugar, pecans, walnuts, cinnamon, salt and cloves in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Stir in the maple syrup. Set aside.

5. When the dough has doubled in size, dump it from the bowl onto a heavily floured work surface. Gently knead the dough until it is no longer sticky, adding more flour as needed. Work the dough for about 1 or 2 minutes. Once it’s no longer sticky, place a kitchen towel over the dough and let rest for 5 minutes before you roll it out.

6. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10 x 10-inch square.

7. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese with a knife until it’s smooth and spreadable.

8. Spread the cream cheese evenly over the dough square. Fold the square into thirds like you would fold a letter to fit into an envelope. Take the open ends of the rectangle and fold into thirds again, to make a smaller dough square.

9. Invert the dough so that the seam is face down and, using the rolling pin, gently roll it into a 10 x 20-inch rectangle. You may find that some cream cheese sneaks through. Be as gentle as possible with the dough, but continue to work it until you reach the size you need.

10. Turn the dough so that the short sides are parallel to you.

11. Brush the top of the dough with half of the melted butter. We’ll use the rest of the butter after the rolls are baked.

12. Pour all of the filling onto the dough. Spread evenly, leaving a 1-inch boarder at one of the short edges of the dough so the roll can be properly sealed. Lightly press the filling into the dough.

13. Using your hands, lift up the bottom edge of the dough and roll it forward into a tight cylinder. Place dough cylinder seam side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp, thin knife, trim off the uneven edges.

14. Cut the cylinder into 8 equal slices. Nestle the slices, cut side up and evenly spaced in a buttered 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to let rise for 2 hours. You may also refrigerate rolls overnight.

15. Heat the oven to 190°C. Uncover the rolls. If you refrigerated the rolls, let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking. Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes.

16. Transfer the pan of cinnamon rolls to a cooling rack. Brush with remaining melted butter. Let cool for 5 minutes.

17. Make the icing: Whisk together the sugar and milk in a small bowl until smooth, adding more sugar or milk to reach your desired consistency.

18. Dip a fork into the icing and drizzle over the rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Trust me, it will aaaallllll be worth it :)


Enjoy... xx