Apple butter is simple to make yet so versatile. The hardest part of this recipe is coring the apples and summoning the patience to wait until they cook down to caramelized perfection. Spread the silky end result on buttered toast for breakfast, fold it with apple chunks for an easy pie filling, or mix it with mustard and herbs to slather on a pork loin before roasting in the oven. It’s also terrific on a cheeseboard with crusty bread and a wedge of dry, sharp cheddar. Any way you serve it, you will love how the bourbon in this recipe amplifies the flavor of the apples while adding its characteristic notes of vanilla, smoke, and spice.
Leave the skin on the apples. Most of the pectin is in the skin, and it’s what helps the apple butter thicken as it cooks. While a blender or food processor makes a quick puree of the cooked apples, using a food mill creates a more uniform butter and separates any lingering fibrous bits from the fruit. The sweetness of the apples will be concentrated considerably as they cook down. Start with a half cup of brown sugar, and taste during the last hour of cooking and add more if desired.
