Apple Pumpkin Pie Butter
10-12 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 pumpkin pie pumpkin or 29 oz can of pumpkin purée
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
1. Place apples in slow cooker. In a medium bowl, stir brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Sprinkle over the apples and stir gently to combine. Cook on low for 10 hours.
2. If using a pumpkin pie pumpkin cut pumpkin in half and clean out seeds. place pumpkin on cookie sheet bake in oven for one hour at 350. Once done remove from oven and let cool. Once cooled remove the husk and slice pumpkin into pieces. Then place pumpkin pieces into the crockpot along with the apples and allow it to continue cooking. If using canned pumpkin purée you can add the pumpkin to crockpot and continue.
3. Remove cover, stir in vanilla extract and use an immersion blender to puree the apple butter until completely smooth. (Alternately, you could puree in batches in a food processor or regular blender.) If you want the apple butter thicker, you can continue to cook it on low with the lid of the slow cooker slightly ajar so that steam can escape.
4. Allow the mixture to cool, then spoon into jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 2 months.
