Fall Recipes: Apples

This is not a food blog.
I am not a chef.
I have some recipes I like, Mr. Free likes, and I use often.

However....
I don't really measure anything.

If you're Type A....just back away. Sorry.
If you can handle that there are no exact measurements, proceed reading.


Slow Cooker Apple Pear Butter
Ingredients:
8 apples
3 pears
A bit of water
Some cinnamon
Some ground cloves
Capful of vanilla
3/4 c. brown sugar

Directions
Core and chop up apples and pears

(I keep the skins on because I'm lazy, feel free to peel them)
Dump into slow cooker
Add a splash of water to slow cooker to start them cookin'
Pour a capful of vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon
Cook on High for 4 hours
Mash apples/pears with a potato masher

(I like mine chunky...if you want your butter more velvety smooth, you can place it in a blender and blend or use an immersion blender)
Add in 3/4 c. brown sugar

(Some recipes call for as much as 3 cups of sugar. Adjust the sugar content to your liking. And feel free to mix brown and white sugar too)
Add in splash more vanilla, sprinkle some ground cloves and generously sprinkle more cinnamon.
Cover and cook for 1 more hour on low.

Yields 3 jars.

*** You can of course, use all apples instead of the apple/pear combo. Our all pears even. Go wild. ***

Apple Dumplings I
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 apples, cored and halved
1 box refrigerated pie crust (ready to roll out, 2 crusts)
Butter, 1/2 stick at room temperature
Cinnamon
Brown sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 400*
Mix the butter in a bowl with some cinnamon and brown sugar
Cut the 2 pie crusts in half
Scoop butter/sugar mixture into apple half where core was
Lay apple on the half pie crust
Fold pie crust over apple half til completely covered
Use moist fingers to seal seams
Lay 4 dumplings on cookie sheet
Sprinkle tops with cinnamon and white sugar
Bake 20-30 minutes at 400 until golden brown.
Serve with some homemade vanilla ice cream sprinkled with cinnamon.


Apple Dumplings II
Taken from The Pioneer Woman
Serves 8.....or fewer with plenty of yummy leftovers

Ingredients
2 apples, cored and sliced (each apple 8 slices)
1 cans of crescent dough
2 sticks butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/2 c. Sugar
Cinnamon
12 oz. Mountain Dew

Directions
Preheat oven to 350
Butter a 9 by 13 casserole dish
Roll an apple into a crescent roll, place in buttered dish
On stove top melt 2 sticks of butter
Add sugar and barely stir
Add vanilla
Pour mixture over apples
Pour Mountain Dew around edges of casserole dish
Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake for 40 minutes
Serve with homemade vanilla ice cream and spoon some sauce from pan over dumplings.

Apples wrapped in crescent dough.

Butter sauce.

Ready for the oven.

MMMmmmmmm.

Enjoy!

This is my most favorite time of the year!

Please let me know if you try any of these recipes and pass along any great apple/fall recipes you have too!!!