Apple Butter

I’ve made actual butter from cream, but I’ve never made any other sort of butter—fruit, nut, or otherwise. Until now. Today’s activity was based mainly on the fact that I had too many apples and needed a way to use them up. Apple butter it is, then!

A little cursory research revealed that apple butter hails from continental Europe in the Middle Ages, most likely Belgium and Germany. Monasteries that had fruit orchards made jams and butters with the excess, just as we do today.

Not to be confused with applesauce, the term butter refers to its butter-like consistency rather than any dairy involved. Apple butter is also typically a darker, more caramelized color than applesauce, which tends to be a light, golden color. There is more moisture content in applesauce than in apple butter, which reduces the liquid through the cooking process.

Pears are another fruit that easily lends itself to the butter technique. It’s also done with apricots, cherries, and prunes. Really, it’s just boiling down the fruit to a softness that can be blended smooth. Once it’s cooled, it makes a lovely spread for a cheese platter or baguette.

Here’s the recipe:

2 lbs. apples (peeled, cored, and diced)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

2 c. water

Add all ingredients to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer, about 45 minutes to an hour. Let cool. Place in food processor and blend until smooth. Keep in jars or a container for 4-5 days.

Madeleines

Soft, little sponge cakes with their telltale toasty scalloped top. These are madeleines, a French bakery treat from the Lorraine region bordering Germany. The first references to the cake (but what we consider a cookie) appear in the 18th century. It came into popularity in the finest Parisian homes by the mid to late 19th century. By the early 20th century, Marcel Proust made use of these little darlings in his Á La Recherche du Temps Perdu, or In Search of Lost Time, in which he refers to involuntary memories that instantly emerge from a taste or smell. His experience remembering his aunt arrived from the sweet bite of a madeleine.

Right out of the oven...

Or, so the story goes. A recent article in The Guardian suggests that in earlier drafts, Proust exemplified his memory through toast with honey and a biscotto, madeleines being his third choice.

But no matter. These delicate little things are show stoppers. They are often sweet with a slight dusting of powdered sugar. They are also frequently dipped in chocolate. But you can often find recipes that are savory as well. Add rosemary and Parmesan or yogurt and chives. You can get creative with the basic batter and incorporate just about anything. How about bacon? Because everything’s better with bacon.

For this kind of a frou-frou recipe, I turned to Martha Stewart and Ina Garten and chose the parts of their basic recipes I liked best. Ina added cornstarch while Martha didn’t. Martha had lemon zest while Ina added coconut. One asked for three eggs, the other four.

madeleine pan

The big issue is to have the proper molded pan on hand. You can’t make true madeleines without it. And, make sure when you spoon the batter into each crevice that you don’t overfill it. You want the mixture to puff up and pop out (with the help of a little brushed on melted butter so the cake won’t stick). Otherwise, you get this brown-edged oaf instead of a delicate puff.

Here’s the recipe:

1/2 c. melted butter (1 stick), plus more for pan

1 c. sifted flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 lemon, juice and grated zest

4 large eggs

2/3 c. sugar

Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt a little bit of butter to coat your madeleine pan. Then, melt the rest of the butter and let cool.

Sift flour into a mixing bowl with baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla with lemon juice and zest until pale yellow and fluffy. Fold in the butter and then add the flour mixture a little at a time. Once incorporated, let it sit covered in the refrigerator for a half hour.

When ready, spoon mixture into pan. Bake until golden, about 8 minutes. Cool on racks and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.