Something bright and sweet just for you and I. And a thank you for yesterdays tremendous response in the Lounge of Comments. When we were little and living by the beach, and before our Mum became ill, we used to have what Mum called a family hug. There were eight of us and we would all join in and become a big ball of hug. The smallest was always in the middle. Stretching our arms out trying to hold our whole family in one go. Yesterday felt like a family hug. All supporting each other. And I felt like the smallest, right in the middle. Though as a child I was always the big sister. So Thank you.
Apple Butter is easy to make. This is John’s mother’s recipe. I have not encountered Apple Butter in New Zealand. This feels to me like a very American spread. Fill the crock pot with peeled and chopped apples. This old fashioned recipe calls for three cups of sugar, I did not put that much in though, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cloves. Cook on low stirring at intervals, until dark brown and thick. Make sure it is quite a low heat, as it will scorch and that would be bad. Cook for about 8 hours.
After giving away some to The Matriarch and the Old Codger I decided to make ice cream with the last jar.
This is when the Apple Butter really came into its own. It is very sweet anyway so I did not need to add any extra sugar to the ice cream. It has a lovely full flavour in the ice cream. 
Easy Apple Butter Ice Cream
2 cups of cold milk
2 cups cold heavy delicious full cream
1 tiny teaspoon vanilla
1 full big cup of cold apple butter.
Chill until completely cold.
Churn into ice cream and freeze. Now I know that this could have been a more complicated recipe but I like easy and simple. And the apple flavour was perfect.
Good morning. Have a lovely day. I am not sure what today holds for me. We will have to see and I will tell you about it tomorrow at dawn. Take care.
celi
What I wrote on this day a year ago – Part Two of the Day I Melted my Mother’s Silver Tea Pot. Living by the sea as a kid was wonderful. The freedom of the ocean gets into your bones.
The Kitchen's Garden 
81 responses to “Easy Apple Butter Ice-cream”
You sound a wee bit chirpier today, good! I love the teapot story, it had me laughing out loud and cheered a wild, wet day here on Skye I can tell you!
Christine
Morning Christine, I sealed all the leaks in the boxes. So no ambushes.. wild and wet sounds great as long as you are home and dry!! c
Group Hug! There’s nothing like it!
Wonder if I can get the tomatoes out of the crock pot in time to put the apples in? We go to the orchard to pick on the last Friday of September….
Soon then, If i see another crock pot somewhere I am going to grab it. i think this year i could have had two going at the same time! Now I had better get picking.. another red chilli sauce today.. c
I’ve neither a recipe for apple butter nor apple ice cream. Here, in one post, you’ve given me both. Thank you. Do you preserve your apple butter? If not, how long will it remain “good” in the fridge? I’m be visiting Zia again and between the ravioli & sausage making, there may be time to load the crock pot one day and make apple butter ice cream the next.
Have a great day, Celi. I’ll be making Italian mozzarella today/tomorrow. (I hope!)
Looking forward to the cheese. Evidently apple butter keeps in the fridge for a few weeks, though my sister in law just pops it, jar and all, into the freezer.. I have to get into the sausage making very soon too, dying to try out your family recipe for that!! c
The teapot story is too funny! Thanks for giving us a glimpse of your childhood…me thinks you may have been an onery …emm… adventurous child! lol
adventurous connie!! as soon as I get a car again I shall be over to rummage through your pile of boxes, we need to send some more honey! c
ok..you know me..I don’t throw away anything..they all just get tossed into that black hole behind the counter! 🙂
Ahhh.. I’ve just made ice cream for the first time and this one is so pretty!! I love your cups and your colorful background!! Stunning, c! I haven’t made apple butter, but I do think of the U.S. and Johnny Appleseed and all that! I will be filing this one on recipes to try on Pinterest!! xx Smidge
It is so easy, both steps, and thank you for popping it onto pinterest..c
Ooh that ice cream sounds nice, and I loved your photo. There’s something about freedom as a child that leaves you searching for it later on life, I think. I realized that’s what I was looking for when we came out here. Oh and we do family hugs here, although it’s just four of us. It’s fun to just be a tangle of arms and kisses.
it is fun.. and then it is dangerous when they are all over 6 foot!!! c
the recipes sound very easy, and it even sounds even yummier to eat!!! thanks for sharing this
you are very welcome terry! c
My goodness! It really doesn’t get any easier than that! How delightful to have an ice cream that transitions into fall so easily. I love apple butter, although I can’t say I’ve ever made it. Judging by the recipe, that’s also easy enough for me to make routinely. You’re such a wealth of inspirational, creative and resourceful ideas, Celi, and I love the group hug! We all need them. 🙂 Debra
It is very easy to make and I think if you keep it in the fridge you can cut down on that sugar a bit, esp with sweeter apples.. have a lovely day.. c
Dear dear Celi. I can’t decide … what is more beautiful – yours words – your photographs – or your recipe. This is such a lovely post to start my day. Virginia
The photographs i think, nice and bright and wide awake! morning virginia.. c
Since the summer apples are over here I am at a lull. But the fall apples will begin soon…and there I will be…honeycrisp apples, red delicious apples, golden delicious apples…and for my husband and I…and all the grandchildren….ice cream is for every day of the year!
Thanks you for the recipes! I only like easy, so these are perfect!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
I agree completely, with good milk and freshly cooked apples from a friend’s tree the flavours do not need to be meddled with at all!
Morning, c! I love the thought of a ‘cyber family hug’!! And the ice cream sounds delicious. 🙂
it is ted, i am popping over to see you now, if i can find you, my inbox seems to have thrown off all its filters! .. c
Just loving those photos Celi! A great backdrop, funky and fun.
Aahhh a group hug, loving that too !
That is the hand-painted fabric in my cupboard.. isnlt it wild! c
Oh sweetie dahling, hand painted, how gorgeous and retro !
with tennis balls soaked in paint! c
Looks yummy!
My oh my that looks delicious!
This looks so delicious, it definitely deserves four different looks!
i thought so too!