Apple Butter Doughnut Muffins

I'm gearing up for a bit of fall preserving over here, but before I start putting up apples and pears I thought I should take care of the stragglers left over in the "pantry" from last year. I had one lonely jar of apple butter left on the shelf and I wanted to make a recipe that would use the whole thing in one go, so I turned to a fall favorite muffin recipe and made a few simple swaps. The results are these gently spiced, sugar coated beauties and some open space to fill with some new jars. Not to shabby, for leftovers.

Apple Butter Doughnut Muffins
yield 12 muffins
adapted from Everyday Food
The results of this recipe rest heavily on the apple butter you choose to use in this recipe. The apple butter I make at home is lightly sweetened and spiced so the amounts of additional sugar and spice in this recipe reflect that. If your apple butter is heavily spiced you may want to hold off on adding additional spices, but do make sure there is a bit of nutmeg in there. The nutmeg is the key to the donutty flavor. I imagine they would also bake up quite nicely in a doughnut pan.

12 3/4 ounces all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice
5 ounces softened butter
3 3/4 ounces brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces buttermilk
8 ounces prepared apple butter
1 small apple, peeled and diced into 1/4'' cubes

For the Topping/Coating

3.5 ounces granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 ounces melted butter
1 ounce confectioner's sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º and butter and flour a 12 cup muffin tin

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. In another small bowl whisk together the buttermilk and apple butter.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, then add the vanilla extract.
3. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the apple butter mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the diced apple by hand. The mixture will be very thick.
4. Scoop 1/3 cup batter into each muffin cup and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
5. While the muffins are baking prepare the topping by mixing the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, working with one at a time, brush the muffins with butter and toss to coat in the cinnamon sugar mixture. When completely cool, dust with confectioner's sugar (optional). These muffins taste best the day that they are made.

Easy Apple Butter

I'm not going to lie, apple butter is not pretty. After a summer of berries and peaches and plums, apple butter looks well, Brown with a capital B. Despite it's less than photogenic appearance, I make a batch every year using this recipe as my guide. Sometimes I add more spices and sometimes less depending on what I can find in my terribly unorganized spice cabinet. You could even try adding some vanilla or bourbon as both taste great with apples. Heck, make a few batches with different flavorings. Apples are CHEAP right now and I'm sure you have a friend or two who would love to help you peel and chop in return for a jar or two of fall spiced goodness.

Apple Butter
yield: about 5, 1/2pints of finished butter
adapted from 101cookbooks

4lbs good eatin' apples, peeled, cored and cut into bite sized pieces (I used gala and ginger gold, because they were the cheapest)
3-4 cups apple cider
1 1/2-2 cups sugar (I went with the smaller amount)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
Juice of one lemon
5 sterilized half pint jars and lids

1. In your biggest, heaviest pot combine the apples and enough cider to cover them. Bring to a simmer and cook the apples until tender. A bit of foam will form on the surface that should be skimmed off, it's okay if you can't get it all.
2. When the apples are tender, remove the pot from the heat and puree the mixture until it is smooth (an immersion blender is the best tool for this). Stir in sugar, spices and lemon juice.
3. Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, until it darkens in color and begins to pop and bubble, about 1-1 1/2 hours. Make sure to watch the pot carefully and stir often in the last 1/2 hour to prevent scorching. I would usually tell you here to cook the butter until it reaches 220º, but I couldn't get mine above 210º and the set turned out perfect. Ladle the hot apple butter into your prepared jars, wipe the rims with a clean towel and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Brown Butter Apple Pie Bars

I'm a big fan of the portable dessert: brownies, cookies, hand pies, things that can be eaten with your hands and are easy to transport and share. I made these bars from a mishmash of recipes for a friend's work shop opening/birthday shindig/end of summer extravaganza where there was a whole roast lamb, grilled corn on the cob, coolers full of frosty cold ones, and lots of revelers. When I unwrapped the dishtowel protecting these babies, the call of brown butter must have been irresistible because they were gone before I could even get a photo of them in the pan. I'm sure I don't have to tell you guys this, but sometimes food tastes best when scooped up with a plastic fork and washed down with an icy cold beer, napkins optional of course.


Brown Butter Apple Pie Bars
yield: one 13''x9'' pan, 24-30 bars
Note (9.10.2012): I have made these bars quite a few times since originally publishing this recipe and have found that you can reduce the butter in the crust to 12T, omit the butter in the filling, and substitute up to 3/4 whole wheat flour in both the crust and the crumb topping with no adverse results. In fact, I think the addition of whole wheat flour makes these bars taste better!

For the Brown Butter, Brown Sugar Shortbread Crust
adapted from Alice Medrich

14T butter, cut into cubes
1/2c brown sugar
2t vanilla extract
1/2t salt
2c flour

Preheat your oven to 350º and line a 13''x9'' baking dish with greased foil or parchment paper.

1. Brown the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan, stirring frequently until the milk solids turn light brown and the butter has a nutty fragrance. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. When the butter has cooled a bit add it to a medium bowl and add in the brown sugar, salt, and vanilla and stir. Add the flour and mix until completely combined, don't worry if the mixture seems a little greasy. Press it into the prepared pan and bake it until it is golden, about 20 minutes. Set the baked crust aside to cool.

While the crust is baking and cooling prepare the filling

Apple Filling
adapted from CakeSpy

2T butter
1/4c brown sugar
6 large apples, peeled and cut into thin slices (I used ginger golds and macintosh, but any pie apples would work)
1T cinnamon
1/4t freshly grated nutmeg
pinch salt

1. Melt the butter and the sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the apples stirring occasionally until they have softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the spices and salt, then stir well to combine.

Crumb Topping
adapted from CakeSpy

1 1/2c oats
1c flour
3/4c light brown sugar
1t cinnamon
1/4t baking soda
3/8t salt
12T butter, softened

1. In a large bowl combine the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt, then add in the butter and mix with your hands until it holds together in clumps.

To Assemble

Spread the apple mixture evenly over the prepared crust, then top with the crumble mixture and press down lightly.
Bake the bars at 375º for 30-40 minutes until the crumb topping is golden. Cool completely before cutting into 24-30 squares.

Rugelach with Cranberries, Pecans, and Apple Butter

It's time for another recipe don't you think? Thank you for all of your kind words about my shop. Keep checking back because I have some exciting announcements just around the bend, but for now let's talk cookies.

Rugelach are awesome for a lot of reasons, but my #1 favorite thing about them is that they taste like little bites of pie, and if you read the Dining Section of the NYTimes you know that pie is so hot right now. These cookies are made from a flaky cream cheese dough and can be filled with everything from apricot preserves and almonds to raspberry jam and chocolate chips, or any combo of dried fruit, nuts, and jam you have lying around. I'm a big fan of raspberry preserves with chopped walnuts and a bit of orange zest.

For this batch, I used some of my apple butter and upped the autumn ante and added dried cranberries and chopped pecans.

Dough
1 stick butter, cut into cubes
4 oz cream cheese, cut into cubish pieces
1 cup flour

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a ball forms. Alternately, mix 'em all together with your hands, just move quickly so the butter doesn't get melty.
Divide the dough in half, form 2 disks, wrap them in plastic and chill for 30 min.

Filling
1/4 cup apple butter (or any other jam)
1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans (or any other nuts)
2T chopped, dried cranberries (or any other dried fruit or chocolate)

Topping
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup sugar+1T cinnamon, mixed together

To Assemble the cookies
Preheat oven to 350
Remove the dough from the fridge and roll one disk into a skinny rectangle, about 4''x12''
Spread 1/2 of the apple butter onto the dough in a thin layer, then sprinkle half of the pecans and cranberries onto the surface. Roll the whole mess into a long, skinny log
Brush the log with the beaten egg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar
Cut the log into 1-1 1/2'' pieces and place seam side down onto a parchment lined baking sheet
Repeat with other dough disk
Bake the cookies for about 20min, or until golden brown, don't worry if they slump and ooze a bit. The caramelized jammy parts are my favorite.

This recipe makes 20-24 pieces and they'll last a few days at room temp in a sealed container.