recipes for the insomniac

it is now almost 2 in the morning, and as it is so very normal for me, i am wide awake.....though these dark and very quite hours are often boring, and probably going to kill me one day, i can normally find something constructive, yet not to noisy to occupy my time......sometimes i catch up on reading a book that has no pictures....sometimes i will watch a sappy lifetime movie....sometimes i work on a project or just spend time with God.....and many times, more than not, i will bake....so as i sit here tonight with nothing to bake, watch, read, or do, i thought that i might share my last night owl "baking party" recipe with you....

i grew up all over the world cause my daddy was in the army, but when it was time for him to retire, he took us right back home to his roots so to say.....we moved to opelika, alabama.....where i first remember having apple butter.....this is a recipe that i got from my mama a long time ago.....i recently made it and it tastes just as good as if she had made it herself......the recipe doesnt tell you how much it makes, but normally it will fill a medium size canning jar(somewhere between 3-5 cups)


Mama’s Oven Apple Butter


What you will need:
-8 granny smith apples. Peeled and diced
-1 cup apple juice
-1 cup sugar
-2 tablespoons cinnamon

What you will do:
-Cook diced apples and juice in a dutch oven over medium heat for 30 minutes, or until tender. Once tender, stir until the apples are mashed.
-Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Pour into a lightly greased 11x7 inch baking dish.
-Bake at 275 degrees for 4 to 41/2 hours, stir every hour.
-Cover and chill, or can.

Tips:
-If it does not turn out to be the spreading consistency you like, run a mixer through it for a few minutes.
-If you prefer to use a sugar substitute, add just a squeeze or two of lemon juice.



apples courtesy of http://www.bearhaus.com/main.html