Red Hot Apple Butter & FREE Valentines Printables!
Yep, putting red hot candies in a bowl full of fresh, delicious applesauce is something that will always remind me of my grandma. When I visited my in-laws this past Christmas, my mother-in-law had a jar of homemade apple butter that one of her friends had made. I love a nice big glob of apple butter the same as anyone, but this apple butter was special.
Why? I could tell this apple butter had red hots in it. There was a hint of a little something extra that the average person might miss, but my red-hot trained taste buds picked up the trail like a red-hot loving blood-hound.
So with Valentines Day approaching, I decided to start experimenting in the kitchen and see if I couldn't come up with a delicious red-hot inspired apple butter. I love how this turned out. I used a combination of apples to boost the flavor, and a little cider vinegar to give it a great kick. The red hots really do make it just a tad more drool-worthy. This apple butter is great slathered on a piece of toast and even better whipped up in a batch of this Apple Butter Bread with Cinnamon Glaze. Mmmm.
I poured some into mini mason jars and packaged them up all purdy for V-day. Who wouldn't want a jar of this red-hot deliciousness for Valentines Day? I plan to give some away as gifts - that's the plan anyway - and if a few jars happen to find their way hidden in the back of my pantry, you won't tell...will you?
Red Hot Apple Butter
5 lbs sweet red cooking apples (peeled and cored)
2 1/2 cups water or apple juice
2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
pinch of salt
1/2 cup red hot candies
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 (1/2 pint) canning jars
Peel and core your apples. Place the apples, water, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and red hots in your slow cooker or a large heavy bottom pot.
Cook on high for 2 hours, until
apples soften. Puree the apples until smooth. I like to use my immersion blender for easy, mess free blending. Add the 2 tbsp of cider vinegar and cook on low for another 8-10 hours, stirring occasionally until mixture becomes thick and turns dark brown.
Depending on how sweet your apples are, you may need to use more or less sugar. The general rule is 1/2 cup sugar for every 1 cup of apple sauce. If your apple butter becomes thicker than you'd like, add a little water or apple juice to thin it out as desired.
Now how about a freebie! Who doesn't love FREE stuff? I decided to share the Valentine love, and put the labels into a handy dandy PDF printable for ya.
Happy Valentines Day!
Red Hot Apple Butter Printable labels. PDF download here.
Red Hot Valentines Day printable labels. PDF download here.
If you enjoyed this recipe you may also like Apple Butter Bread with Cinnamon Glaze!
Apple Butter Bread with Cinnamon Glaze
This post is for all my fellow mothers of boys. I'm pretty sure that mothers of boys - let's call us M.O.B's for short - should have our own special national holiday. Seriously...complete with marching band and waving banners applauding us M.O.B's for the craaaaazy crap we deal with on a daily hourly basis.
EDIT: This post was originally accompanied by photographic evidence of the particular brand of chaos that came with raising my then-six-year-old son. He's an adult now, and apparently adulthood comes with certain privileges—like your mother no longer publishing the finer details of your childhood on the internet. Just know that by the time I got to the Apple Butter Bread, I'd earned it.
Like this Apple Butter Bread with Cinnamon Glaze. It's moist, spicy, and a great way to recover from whatever particular brand of chaos your children have cooked up that day. If you're feeling extra motivated, you can even make your very own apple butter with my recipe for Red Hot Apple Butter. Enjoy!
Apple Butter Bread with Cinnamon Glaze
Yield: 1 loaf Printable Recipe
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground allspice
1 cup apple butter
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Cinnamon Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1-2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the egg and beat well. In glass measuring cup combine the buttermilk and baking soda. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
Stir in the apple butter and chopped pecans. Pour into a greased 9-in x 5-in x 3-in loaf pan. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Depending on your oven, you may need to cook for more or less time. Do not over bake or your bread will turn out dry. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Glaze: Mix together the powdered sugar, butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and enough milk to reach your desired consistency. I usually use 1-2 tbsp. Drizzle over the bread and allow to cool completely.
Source: bread adapted from Southern Living Annual Recipes
If you liked this recipe you may also enjoy my Red Hot Apple Butter!
Linked up to What's Cookin Wednesday at Buns In My Oven
Secret Cake: A Tasty Kitchen Recipe
It's called Secret Cake.
I have no idea why it's called that, but I do know I can't keep it a secret from you guys, because it's too good a recipe not to share the chocolate love. I found this cake recipe on Tasty Kitchen, and was immediately intrigued by the title, plus it had no picture with it. How can you not be curious about a mysterious dish called Secret Cake, made all the more mysterious with no picture to put with the name.
The cake is really moist and fluffy, but the kicker for me was the icing. It was so satiny and smooth, and ultra rich...and was made even better with chopped walnuts folded in. It set up with a slight crackled glaze but stayed gooey and rich underneath. Chocolate heaven!
Have I peaked YOUR interest now? For the recipe and my full step-by-step post, head on over to Tasty Kitchen where you can grab the printable recipe too!
Open Faced Enchilada Veggie Quesadillas
Are ya still a bit bloated from all the game day face stuffing? How about a tasty recipe full of veggies to even it out a bit?
Oh, okay...this recipe does have it's fair share of melted cheese, so it's technically not HEALTHY per se....but let's just say the veggies cancel out the cheese.
Good. I'm glad we agree.
I opened my fridge today and came face to face with a sad little jar of my leftover Slow Cooker Chipotle Enchilada Sauce. It was staring at me...all lonely...saying, "eat me."
What? Like you don't ever talk to the inhabitants of your fridge?
There wasn't enough left for a meal, and just enough that I couldn't throw it away, so this girl got to experimenting. A few butchered veggies later and I'm chomping away on what I like to call the Open Faced Enchilada Veggie Quesadilla. A layer of smoky chipotle enchilada sauce topped with caramelized onions, sauteed veggies and melty cheese, this is another great way to use my Slow Cooker Enchilada Sauce. Cut these up into individual slices and you've got yourself a great appetizer too.
Hmmm...I think I know what I'm adding to next year's Superbowl menu.
Open Faced Veggie Quesadillas
Yield: 4 Printable Recipe
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
4 flour tortillas
1/2 cup finely diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup diced olives (green or black)
1/4 cup Chipotle Enchilada Sauce
1 cup shredded monteray jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
sour cream, for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Place tortillas on a baking sheet, lightly spray with cooking spray and prick all over with a fork. Bake for 5-6 minutes, until they are puffed and begin to turn golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions to the skillet, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions turn translucent and begin to caramelize (about 8-10 minutes). When the onions are almost done, add the diced peppers and cook just until they begin to soften. Remove from heat.
Spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of enchilada sauce over the baked tortillas. Top with the onions, veggies, diced olives and cheese. Place back in the oven and cook for 5-6 more minutes, until the cheese has melted. Remove from oven and garnish with fresh cilantro and sour cream. Enjoy!
Amber
Linked up to What's Cookin Wednesday from Buns In My Oven.
Superbowl Recipe Roundup
Hello. My name is Amber...and I'm a procrastinator. If you're afflicted with this disease too, then pull up a chair and stay awhile...you're in good company.
If you're a fellow procrastinator then chaaaances are you've put off deciding what to make for your superbowl party until now. Don't worry, I've got you covered.
Here's a few superbowl food ideas from the archives to get the ball rolling...and several more drool-worthy ideas from my foodie friends.
Need some appetizers to kickstart your shindig? (pun intended). Then these Ham and Cheese Potato Skins should do the trick.
Now onto the good stuff. Dessert baby. These Chewy Gooey Chocolate Bars are everything they sound like they should be.
Layered Baked Buffalo Chicken Nachos courtesy of Jessica from How Sweet It Is.
Buffalo Chicken Flatbread Pizzas courtesy of Laurie from Simply Scratch.
And last but certainly not least, Buffalo Chicken Meatball Sandwiches courtesy of Karly from Buns In My Oven.
Amber
Browned Butter Pecan Shortbead: Before & After
I love makeovers don't you? I bet you never thought a photograph could get a makeover, but that's exactly what I'm going to show you today. Back when I first started this blog, it was purely as a way to chronicle recipes that I wanted to try, and to have something that showed my progress along the way.
I never imagined it would re-spark a love for photography that I'd always had but never did anything about. As I look back on my first few recipes, I cringe at those photos but I know that every journey had to start somewhere.
I just wish at the beginning of that journey I knew what the heck white balance was. Seriously, food is not supposed to be blue my friends...unless you happen to be eating a blueberry, or these Blue Velvet Cupcakes, or blue cotton candy...you get the idea.
I purposely kept those ugly images up because I wanted a reminder of where I started at. I've decided to go ahead and update my old photos with new ones, but instead of the old picture being dumped (rightly so) into the recycle bin, I'm going to turn it into a Before & After post. If you're just starting out in the food blogging world, and get discouraged looking at other bloggers food photos, maybe these posts will help you see that everyone started somewhere.
Even if somewhere was ugly blue food. :)
Here's the before shot of my Browned Butter Pecan Shortbread.
O.K. here's where I'm going to completely trash my own photo. Don't worry - I'm a pro - I've gotten enough rejection emails from Foodgawker over the years that I can handle it.
1. THIS COOKIE IS BLUE
Obviously. Food is not supposed to be blue. Unless it's the aforementioned blueberries...or cotton candy. If you don't already know about white balance, find your camera's user manual and learn how to set a proper white balance in camera. This does not mean Auto White Balance. To get the most accurate white balance, you should set a custom white balance using a grey card, or if your camera has the option you can set the Kelvin number to somewhere between 5500K and 6500K. This range should cover most daylight lighting situations. Here's a great Kelvin Chart to help you out. If you don't want to mess with setting your white balance in camera, you can also adjust it in your editing program. Most editing software has the option to adjust the WB to a more natural color.
Obviously. Food is not supposed to be blue. Unless it's the aforementioned blueberries...or cotton candy. If you don't already know about white balance, find your camera's user manual and learn how to set a proper white balance in camera. This does not mean Auto White Balance. To get the most accurate white balance, you should set a custom white balance using a grey card, or if your camera has the option you can set the Kelvin number to somewhere between 5500K and 6500K. This range should cover most daylight lighting situations. Here's a great Kelvin Chart to help you out. If you don't want to mess with setting your white balance in camera, you can also adjust it in your editing program. Most editing software has the option to adjust the WB to a more natural color.
2. CAN YOU SAY "BACK UP?"
Seriously, getting in close for a detail shot is alright but when you start to loose the ability to tell what's in the picture, you're too close. The same goes for cropping your pictures, leave a little room to breahe...trust me...your food will thank you. :)
Seriously, getting in close for a detail shot is alright but when you start to loose the ability to tell what's in the picture, you're too close. The same goes for cropping your pictures, leave a little room to breahe...trust me...your food will thank you. :)
3. TOO DARK
This image is underexposed AND overexposed, making the left side of the image too dark and the right side too bright. This easily happens when shooting a side lit image (when you're light source is coming from the side of your subject.) To fix this, you need use something to reflect some light back onto the shadowed side of the image. I like to use a white foam board or reflector to open up shadows. To prevent overexposed areas, you can either move the plate further away from the light - so it's less harsh, or use something to diffuse the light (make the light softer and not so harsh). I have sheer white curtains hanging from my kitchen patio door. These work great for diffusing the light when it's too harsh.
This image is underexposed AND overexposed, making the left side of the image too dark and the right side too bright. This easily happens when shooting a side lit image (when you're light source is coming from the side of your subject.) To fix this, you need use something to reflect some light back onto the shadowed side of the image. I like to use a white foam board or reflector to open up shadows. To prevent overexposed areas, you can either move the plate further away from the light - so it's less harsh, or use something to diffuse the light (make the light softer and not so harsh). I have sheer white curtains hanging from my kitchen patio door. These work great for diffusing the light when it's too harsh.
4. BAD COMPOSITION
The crop is part of the bad composition, but a little planning and food styling/arrangement does wonders. This subject is too broad to cover now, but when you're looking through your viewfinder really look at the image before you snap the shutter. Is your picture crooked? Is there enough room to crop if needed? I'm still guilty of not paying close enough attention to the composition before I snap the shot.
The crop is part of the bad composition, but a little planning and food styling/arrangement does wonders. This subject is too broad to cover now, but when you're looking through your viewfinder really look at the image before you snap the shutter. Is your picture crooked? Is there enough room to crop if needed? I'm still guilty of not paying close enough attention to the composition before I snap the shot.
Now for the AFTER shots:
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There you have it. How I went from glowing blue cookies to something a little more edible looking. If you'd like a more in depth explanation of anything I mentioned, let me know! If there is enough interest I'll do more food photography posts, diving into more detail on photography tips and tricks I've learned, and showing you how I like to get the shots for my posts. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. :)
Note: I don't claim to be an expert, but I have learned a thing or two over the years and will gladly share those things with people. I'm also a family photographer in the St. Louis area, so if you're interested in seeing my work outside of food photography, visit Amber Potter Photography. Update: If you're just starting out in the photography world and need some help understanding all that photo jibber-jabber, my pal Karly at Buns In My Oven has started a great series called So You Want To Be A Better Photographer? Her tutorials are sure to help you "see the light". Hehe...bad pun? Anyway, her tips combined with my before and after critiques are a good way to see the photography principals put into practice, and learn to recognize what's wrong with an image. When you can tell what's wrong with a photo and why it doesn't work, then you can better improve your own skill!
You can find the recipe for these cookies in my original post for Browned Butter Pecan Shortbread.
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Have a great day!
Amber
Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas
Remember that Slow Cooker Enchilada Sauce I posted about last week? Well, as promised here are the enchiladas I whipped up using it. They're so easy and yummy, and you can make the chicken filling in the slow cooker too. Just throw everything together in the morning, then by dinner time all you have to do is assemble your enchiladas, pop them in the oven for 25-30 minuets, and BOOM...delicious Cheesy Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas.
This recipe uses my homemade Slow Cooker Enchilada Sauce but you can use your own, or...I hate to say it...STORE BOUGHT sauce. :) The next time you need an easy week night meal, try these out!
Cheesy Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas
Yield: 10 Printable Recipe
4 oz of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups Chipotle Enchilada Sauce
2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (about2-3 large breasts)
1 cup corn, undrained
4 oz rotel
1 onion, diced (omit if cooking chicken stovetop)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
10 tortillas
Directions:
In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. Add 1 cup of shredded cheese. Set aside.
In another bowl mix shredded chicken, corn, rotel, cumin and garlic powder. Add the cheese mixture to the chicken mixture.
Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Place 1/3 cup of chicken filling on each tortilla, roll and place seam side down in baking dish.
Pour remaining 1/2 cup enchilada sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheddar-jack cheese over the top. Bake uncovered at 3735 F for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
CROCKPOT DIRECTIONS: Place chicken breasts, corn, rotel, onion, cumin, and garlic powder in your crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. If desired, you can add a little bit of chicken broth to the mixture. When chicken is done, use a fork to shred it and then directions above for assembling and baking the enchiladas.
FREEZER DIRECTIONS: (uncooked enchiladas): Cook your filling, then assemble enchiladas, cover and freeze. Allow to thaw completely then bake at 375 F for 30 minutes or until hot. You can also freeze the chicken filling uncooked. Just place your chicken, corn, rotel, garlic powder and cumin in a freezer bag and freeze. When ready to cook, remove from freezer and allow to thaw completely. Place the thawed meat mixture in your crockpot and cook according to directions above.
Now I need a good white enchilada recipe, do you have one you'd like to recommend? If you do let me know in the comments, I'd love to try it out!
Amber
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