Easy Apple Butter

Ingredients:
10 crisp apples (such as Granny Smith, Macintosh, or Spartan)
1 cup of vegan brown sugar (raw sugars work great here)
1/2 cup of apple juice (or water)
1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg

Directions:
1. Core and cut apples into quarters. If you have a food
processor or blender, leave the peels on.
If you are working by hand, peel the apples.

2. Place all ingredients in a large pot and cook on medium-high
heat until apples break down and become very soft.

3. Continue to reduce until the apples are thick and dark brown and
the liquid has reduced about 80%.

4. Cool mixture slightly and puree in a food processor, blender, or with
an immersion blender. If you are working by hand,
blend with a potato masher until the apples are the consistency of
a thick apple sauce.

This apple butter is great spread on toast, rice cakes, on top of "ice cream",
as a dip, mixed with yogurt, or anything else you
can think of!

Keeps two weeks in the refrigerator. Freezes well.

Serves: 3 medium containers or jars of apple butter.

Preparation time: 10 minutes prep time; 45 minutes cooking time.