It's Progressive Eats time! You might have noticed that we're not actually doing a dinner like we did the first year (time; it does fly). We're simply having each member choose a theme food in the month of their choosing and it's all about the recipes each of us devise for that food. This month Liz who is the magic behind the blog 'That Skinny Chick Can Bake' gave us this simple but absolutely delicious theme. It's all about the apple and and I love them! Growing up I doubt we ever saw anything but Red Delicious Apples at our house so the changing times have been good. Those poor apples have been destroyed in my book and are only pretty to look at; it's the newer versions that I love. The ones that are not as tart as Granny Smith but still hold together in a pie or other apple treat. Fuji, Jonagold, Honey Crisp and more; I love them all and I especially loved mixing together an assortment for this heavenly concoction. I wanted to make something I look forward to every year but this year I added something new? One guess only and you're right...surprise, surprise it's bourbon!
This Maple Roasted Apple Butter with Bourbon absolutely lived up to expectations. The pan roasting with maple syrup and bourbon softened and sweetened the apples in an amazing way. The addition of a bit of bourbon does what I expected and is so hard to describe. It definitely elevates the flavor but it's not like this apple butter tastes like a cocktail for even I would probably turn my nose up at that. There is just something about bourbon that is just divine in baked goods so just fair warning...I've no intention of stopping! Maybe it's time for a cookbook. Boozing It Up - A Guide to Bourbon EVERYTHING!
My original intent had been to buy some English Muffins for a photo since that seems to be a likely companion for apple butter but time got the best of me and I decided instead to make a simple quick bread. Oh my. I mean really OH. MY. The slightly spicy Apple Butter sweetened with Maple Syrup and Bourbon was good enough to eat off a spoon but slathered on this bread filled with apple chunks and toasted walnuts was another form of nirvana. I did a comparison and tried one slice with butter and one with the apple butter. Can you imagine butter ever being boring? I know...seem impossible but it was true. The Apple Bread and Apple Butter were such a fantastic combination that I'm thinking of making them my holiday gift to friends. And them maybe just keeping it all for myself! (Not really but it would be nice!).
I'll share the bread recipe with you next week; for now just get this made first OK? I did process and can my apple butter in jars but it's not necessary, you just have to keep it refrigerated. How long before it goes bad? I don't know, mine has never lasted beyond a couple of weeks! Also, do make sure you visit my friend's websites after the recipe; they are so talented and have offered up an amazing array of wonderful apple dishes!
Apple Recipes
Savory Dishes:
Sweet Dishes:
Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. This month's theme is all about Apples and is hosted by Liz Berg who blogs at That Skinny Chick Can Bake. With Autumn's arrival, it's the perfect time to start using fall's harvest in our menus. We have some great ideas this month to use apples in all sorts of dishes, from Appetizers to Dessert.
If you're unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.
We have a core group of 12 bloggers, but we will always need substitutes and if there is enough interest would consider additional groups. To see our upcoming themes and how you can participate, please check out the schedule at Creative Culinary or contact Barb for more information.
