Apple Butter using apples

Just for you, Bish...I don't know why I didn't think about posting a recipe using actual apples...grin...

Apple Butter (using apples)

4 quarts apples, peeled, thin-sliced or chopped (McIntosh/Jonathan)

4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

Spray the crock pot with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients in the crock pot. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour. Stir to mix again and then turn crock pot down to LOW and 7 to 8 hours (you might need to cook longer depending on your how hot your crock pot cooks...you want your apple butter to be thick and brown in color. You will want to stir the apple butter throughout the day...just remember, every time you lift the lid, you need to add 15 to 20 minutes to your cook time.

Once you have apple butter, you will want to spoon it (while hot) into pint size jars or jelly jars and let the apple butter sit so they can seal. If they seal, you should be able to keep the apple butter for up to a year...

Happy Slow Cooking! Enjoy and Hugs...

More Gift Ideas from Hazel's Crock Pot Kitchen...

Caramel and Peanut Butter Sauce

Okay, I know what you are saying...How is this a gift? Well, first, it can be a wonderful dipping sauce for apples or use as a sauce over pound cake slices if you need a holiday party recipe. And second, it can be a gift by just putting some in small jelly jars and giving it with a little card that tells the giftee to microwave to warm and then they can use it to dip apples or to pour over pound cake...or pancakes...

Caramel and Peanut Butter Sauce

1 (14 oz) package caramels, unwrapped
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup peanut butter, smooth
1/c cup Pecans, chopped into small pieces, optional

Mix all ingredients into a crock pot sprayed with cooking spray. Cover and cook on LOW for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Stir after about the first 30 to 45 minutes to make sure the caramels don't burn and get mixed up. You might want to keep a check on the caramels to make sure they are melting evenly. When the caramels are melted and the sauce is smooth, it is ready.

When melted, spoon into small jars and place a note with the sauce that says to microwave on low for 30 seconds (10 seconds longer if not melted)...

Happy Slow Cooking! Enjoy and Hugs!


For more Gift Ideas from Hazel's Crock Pot Kitchen

Apple Butter

Okay, I know I said the next few weeks would be holiday party ideas, BUT...it is the holidays, so what better to post than holiday gift ideas...You heard me...let your "Hazel" create some wonderful holiday gifts...

The first is a favorite around my house...Apple Butter...

Crock Pot Apple Butter

7 cups unsweetened applesauce
2 cups apple cider
1 1/2 cups honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot sprayed with cooking spray. Mix well. Cook on LOW for 12 to 14 hours...

I know this seems like a very long cooking time, but it is so easy to mix up, that you can do it before you leave for work and not worry about it until after dinner...Have some jelly jars and fill them to give as gifts...Simple and yummy...what better gift is there?

Happy Slow Cooking! Hugs and Enjoy!

Get more Party Recipes or Gift Ideas from Hazel's Crock Pot Kitchen...

Party Nuts

Dips are important, but why not surprise your guest with some tasty nuts?

Curried Almonds

2 Tablespoons melted butter
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound blanched almonds

Mix first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Spray crock pot with cooking spray and put almonds in crock pot. Pour mixture over almonds. Stir to coat almonds well. Cover and cook on LOW 2-3 hours. Turn to HIGH and cook uncovered for 1 hour. Serve hot or cold...


Chili Nuts

1/4 cup melted butter
2 (12 oz) cans cocktail peanuts
1 envelope chili seasoning mix

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Put peanuts in the crock pot. Mix butter and seasoning together and then pour over peanuts. Stir to mix well. Cover and cook on LOW 2 hours. Turn to HIGH and remove lid. Cook for 15 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

These can make great gift ideas for the Holidays! Just spoon a cup or two into gift bags and add to a basket...

Happy Slow Cooking! Enjoy and Hugs...

Check out more Party Recipes from Hazel's Crock Pot Kitchen...

Pumpkin Cakes

Two for one today...if you like the thought of apples and pumpkins together, then I have an Apple Pumpkin Cake recipe and if you don't, then I have a plan Pumpkin Cake recipe...

Apple Pumpkin Cake

1 can (21 oz. size) apple pie filling
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
3/4 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed
1/3 cup oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Spray crockpot with cooking spray and spoon pie filling into crockpot. Spread evenly over bottom. Combine remaining ingredients in large bowl and beat with electric mixer to combine.

Pour this batter over pie filling in crockpot. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1-1/2 to 2 hours (LOW 3 1/2 to 4 hours) until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Spoon cake out of crock pot warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Serves 10 to 12 people

Pumpkin Cake Recipe

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup cooked pumpkin
1 1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup raisins

Cream together first 3 ingredients. Add eggs and pumpkin; mix well. Sift dry ingredients together and add to pumpkin mixture. Add nuts and raisins. Stir to mix.

Pour batter into well-greased and floured 2 pound coffee can. Place can in crockpot and put 6-8 paper towels over can. Cover; cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serves 8.

If you want to use this as a gift idea, you can use the smaller cans as in previous recipes. I like to cook my cakes slow and on LOW, but this recipe calls for High...If you want to cook it on LOW, cook for 4 to 6 hours...until toothpick comes out clean.

Happy Slow Cooking! Enjoy and Hugs...

Enjoy more Holiday Recipes from Hazel's Crock Pot Kitchen

Crock Pot Apple Butter with a Pumpkin Twist

Here's another great little idea for gifts this year...

Apple Butter with a Pumpkin Twist...

What you need:

• 8 C applesauce
• 1 15 oz. can pumpkin
• 2 C apple cider or apple juice
• 1 1/2 C honey
• 2 T ground cinnamon
• 1/2 T ground cloves

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients in crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW for 10 to 12 hours (some recipes call for 12 to 14 hours, so depending on your crock pot, you might want to watch this closely after the 10 hours.) Spoon into cleaned and sterilized pint jars or jelly jars, seal. Makes about 5 pints. You can also freeze this.

Happy Slow Cooking! Enjoy and Hugs...


Enjoy more Holiday Recipes from Hazel's Crock Pot Kitchen

Crock Pot Pumpkin Nut Bread

This is another little recipe that would make a wonderful gift idea. Use regular soup cans or canned vegetable cans and give each as a gift...Enjoy....

Crock Pot Pumpkin Nut Bread

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

In mixing bowl, combine oil with granulated and brown sugars; blend well. Stir in beaten eggs and pumpkin puree. Sift dry ingredients together; stir into pumpkin mixture then fold in chopped nuts. Pour batter into greased and floured 14/15 ounce cans (figure out a head of time how many will fit side by side in your crock pot and have that many ready) or use metal loaf pan which holds batter and fits in your crockpot. Place cans in crockpot. Cover top of cans with 8 paper towels, to keep the condensation away from bread; place lid on crockpot. Bake on HIGH for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. Do not lift lid until the cake has cooked at least 1 1/2 hours. Remove paper towels and insert knife in middle of cans to see if they are done. Cook longer if necessary. For loaf pan, you will want to check it after 2 hours. You can use bigger cans if you want, you will just want to check on them around 2 hours to see if they need to cook longer.

You can wrap colored Saran wrap around each can and tie with a ribbon to give as a gift (don't forget the recipe card) or you can slide a butter knife around the inside of each can and release the bread from the can and slice before putting in airtight container. Bread will be good for about 1 week.

Happy Slow Cooking! Enjoy and Hugs...

Enjoy the Holidays with Hazel's Crock Pot Holiday Recipes

Pumpkin Butter

This recipe was given to me by a friend and again, although I have not tasted it, I have heard many people talk about how wonderful this recipe is, so I thought I would share it...plus it makes a great gift...

Pumpkin Butter

8 cups Pumpkin Puree (can use canned puree)
4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (can use 2 teaspoons if you like more cinnamon flavor)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
juice of 4 lemons (can use ReaLemon lemon juice - 6 Tablespoons)

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients in your crockpot and cook on HIGH until it becomes thick and smooth (about 2 hours)...depending on how hot your crock pot gets, you might want to check this after an hour.

Pour pumpkin butter into clean and sterilized pint jars or jelly jars and seal. These make great little gifts. They will keep in the refrigerator for about a week and it freezes well.

Happy Slow Cooking! Enjoy and Hugs...

Enjoy more Holiday Recipes from Hazel's Crock Pot Kitchen