One Minute Apple pie

You guys, I am eating the most delicious treat right now.  It's warm and cold, soft and buttery, and tastes of spice and sweetness.  

It's apple pie and vanilla ice cream.  And it only took me 1 minute to make.  

Ok so it's not exactly apple pie.  But it tastes JUST like it.  On a Monday night, when I do not feel like making a crust thankyouverymuch...that'll do.  

So how did I achieve this Monday night amazingness?  Well, a few weeks ago, I bought some apples.  And this: 

Eric and I cored, peeled, and sliced 14 apples in about 7 minutes!  Yes, seriously seven minutes

So, I took my 14 sliced apples and threw them in the crockpot, with a splash of vanilla extract.  

I smashed them with a potato masher for awhile, and then let them cook on low for 10 hours.  I then added 3/4c of brown sugar and 3/4c white sugar (too much, I'll use less next time,) and some spices (cinnamon & cloves.)

I did all that in 10 minutes the first night and three minutes the next morning before work.  I let it cook all day like that (10 hours on low) and when I came home, I had apple butter! Just like that! 

I put it in the fridge, and then a few days later I reheated and canned it.  

So what is apple butter? (I really had no idea, I just knew it sounded awesome & easy.)

It's basically apple sauce cooked down to the point that it's spreadable.  It looks like a can of preserves. 

And it is delicious!  I tasted it during the cooking process & loved it, but I was left with one question: 

So how do you eat apple butter?

I have tried it three ways:

- On toast

- On a banana nut muffin

- On ice cream

Toast:  I don't want to hate on toast, which is one of my favorite foods (yes I'm boring,) but it was weird to eat something so sweet on toast.  If I were a jelly toast kind of girl, I might feel differently.  

Banana Nut Muffin:  Definitely an improvement over the toast.  Really good.  The apple butter added some great flavor & moisture to my somewhat dry (I made them so I can say it) muffin. 

Ice Cream:  Well, this was just sublime.  It really did taste like apple pie with vanilla ice cream.  

There are a ton of ways people eat apple butter, but that's how I ate my first jar! :)  

How about you? Ever had it? Ever heard of it?  

Believe me,  I will be making more & soon...we haven't even gone apple picking yet!