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
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.