Some days it feels like life could not get any better, then it does. Today is one of those days as I discovered a new and very easy way to make pumpkin butter.
It couldn’t be more simple.
Ingredients
- 1 small sugar pumpkin (about 2 – 3 pounds)
- 2 medium size apples
- 1 tablespoon Spice Mama’s Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend
- 1 cup of water.
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
While the image shows me making this in my pumpkin shaped Le Cruset – which is fun, and a very in the season thing to do, I did an experiment and made a batch in the Pumpkin Le Cruset (cooked covered at 350 F for one hour) and another in the microwave (cooked covered on high power for 30 minutes). The microwave batch was thicker and had a better consistency. The oven batch was good, and I am now using it in lieu of pumpkin puree in my pumpkin baked good recipes.
For either cooking approach, the prep is the same:
- Cut the pumpkin in half and remove all the seeds and the stringy stuff in the pumpkin cavity.
- Core the apples.
- Put the pumpkin and the apples in a pot or bowl big enough that has a cover that can fit snug on the top.
- Sprinkle a tablespoon of pumpkin spice over all.
- Add the one cup of water to the pot or bowl.
- Cover and put in the microwave for 30 min or the oven for 1 hour.
Once the pumpkin is very soft, remove from the oven or microwave and let cool completely (about an hour).
Once cooled – remove the pumpkin skin and apple skin (and discard).
Using an immersion blender, puree it until it’s smooth and looks like a spreadable butter.
Mix in the vanilla flavoring.
It’s ready to serve as a dip with apples or a spread on bread, crackers, pumpkin bread, pumpkin bagels, toast, etc. Both the sugar pumpkin and the apples provide ample sweetening. Most recipes call for additional brown sugar, honey, maple syrup. I did not find it needed anything.