Honey Apple Butter Food

HIBISCUS LAVENDER HONEY APPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Scrub your apples well. Quarter them and put them in a large, heavy pot. No need to peel or core.
• Add the cider vinegar, apple cider, hibiscus flowers and first amount of syrup (2 Tablespoons), honey, lemon (just plop that whole guy in, seeds and all) and salt.
• Cover the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook the apples until completely soft, about 30 minutes. You may have to stir the pot a few times to make sure all the apples get some "bath time" in the vinegar/cider mixture so they soften up.
• Once all the fruit is nice and soft and falling apart, run everything (including all the liquid) through a food mill using the medium die. Put this puree in a heavy bottomed pot that is wider than it is tall. You want a large surface area to encourage evaporation.
• Bring the puree to a slow boil and then reduce the heat to low or medium low. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and scorching (this becomes more likely the more concentrated the mixture becomes, so keep an eye on it, especially during the last couple of hours)
• Keep the mixture at a very slow "burble," for 5 hours. The mixture will reduce by quite a lot and become a gorgeous dark reddish mahogany color.
• Stir in the last 2 Tablespoons of hibiscus syrup.
• Blend the apple butter in the blender for an extremely smooth texture. You certainly don't have to, but I went ahead and went for it. The texture is silky smooth and lovely. Since the blending will blend a bit of air in and make your butter look cloudy. Cook it over low heat for another couple of minutes until it clears up. Then cool and chill.
• Enjoy over the next two or three weeks.

APPLE BUTTER ROLLS WITH HONEY MARZIPAN FROSTING

Steps:

• For the rolls: Combine the milk, yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in a bowl and swirl together. Let sit until foamy on top, about 5 minutes.
• Combine the cinnamon, salt, cardamom and 3 1/2 cups flour in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Whisk together the eggs, oil, honey and vanilla in a medium bowl. Stir the yeast mixture and oil mixture into the dry mixture and then knead, either on a work surface or with the dough hook, adding up to 1 cup more flour as needed, until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky, 15 minutes by hand and 7 to 10 minutes by mixer. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• For the filling: Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and roll it out, dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking, into an 18-by-12-inch rectangle. Spread it with the apple butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon and almond paste. Roll up tightly starting from a long end (so that it results in an 18-inch-long roll), and pinch the edges to seal. Cut into 12 rolls and place in the prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (Or cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour, then go right to preheating the oven.)
• When ready to bake, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and loosen the plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature until puffy, 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Beat the egg with a splash of water in a cup. Remove the plastic wrap from the baking dish and brush the rolls with the egg wash. Bake until the rolls are lightly browned and have an internal temperature of 190 degrees F, 35 to 40 minutes.
• For the frosting: Meanwhile, blend the blanched almonds in a food processor, scraping the sides occasionally, until creamy and spreadable, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the honey, almond extract, salt and lemon zest and continue to blend (it may clump together at this point, and that's okay) as you drizzle in the milk. Blend until creamy. (This can be made the day before and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.)
• When the rolls come out of the oven, spread them with the frosting, sprinkle with the sliced almonds and serve.

HONEY APPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients in your crock pot. Cook on high for 1 hour and then on low for 11-12 hours till thick. Stir occasionally. Transfer to 4 pint jars and invert to seal. Apple butter should be hot enough to not have to can in a water bath.
• You may also cook the mixture on low on your stovetop for approximately 3-4 hours.

SLOW COOKER APPLE BUTTER WITH HONEY

Steps:

• Stir apples, white sugar, brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, and allspice together in a slow cooker.
• Cook on High for 1 hour. Change heat to Low and continue cooking until apples are easily mashed with a fork, 9 to 11 hours.

HONEY BUTTER

Steps:

• Cut the butter into chunks using the dough scraper.
• Place butter into the mixer?s work bowl and beat at low speed, using the whisk attachment to loosen the butter. Increase the speed to medium and add the honey, cinnamon, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove butter from bowl and spoon onto parchment paper or plastic wrap. Roll into a log and refrigerate for 2 hours.