Flying Biscuit Cranberry Apple Butter and Biscuits

Flying Biscuit Cranberry Apple Butter and Biscuits

I decided to make some Cranberry Apple Butter for Christmas presents this year. My mom always brings me a bushel of Northern Spy apples from Home, Pennsylvania, and this is a great way to use them all up.

I couldn't remember the yield of this recipe but it makes a lot more than the 4 1/2 cups that the original recipe says. I used large apples and 1 recipe made 8 1/2 cups. A double recipe did not fit in one pot, so I started out with my dutch oven and another large pot and consolidated after the apples cooked down a bit.


boiling cranberries for cranberry apple butter, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Flying Biscuit Cranberry Apple Butter,

Flying Biscuit Cranberry Apple Butter,

Flying Biscuit Cranberry Apple Butter,

Flying Biscuit Cranberry Apple Butter and Biscuit,

Flying Biscuit Cranberry Apple Butter

* 2 cups of dark brown sugar
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
* 2 cups cranberries
* 10 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

Place sugar, spices, and orange juice in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a simmer and add the cranberries. Cook over medium heat until cranberries begin to pop.

Add the apples and cook over low heat, stirring frequently. Cook until apples are tender and falling apart. Puree contents of saucepan in a food processor or mash with a potato masher until smooth and thick. I used a potato masher because I like larger chunks. Also, because I was going to can the butter, I didn't want to worry about bringing it back up to temperature after pureeing it. Cool and serve with hot biscuits.

Yields: 4 ½ Cups (I used northern spy apples and the yield was about 8 1/2 cups)

Cranberry Apple Butter will keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

Follow these instructions for preserving: nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_02/apple_butter.html

Flying Biscuits

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour (*Note: a soft winter wheat flour, such as White Lily, works best)
1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (it should be consistency of shortening)
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup half an half

1 tablespoon half and half for brushing on top of biscuits
1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling on biscuits
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1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into 1/2 tablespoon-sized bits and add to the flour. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.

3. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in all the heavy cream and half and half. Stir the dry ingredients into the cream and mix with a wooden spoon until dough just begins to come together into ball.

4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 2 or 3 times to form a cohesive mass. Do not overwork the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to a 1-inch thickness. The correct thickness is the key to obtaining a stately biscuit. Dip a 2-1/2 inch biscuit cutter in flour, then cut the dough. Repeat until all the dough has been cut. Scraps can be gathered together and rerolled one more time.

5. Place the biscuits on the prepared sheet pan, leaving about 1/4 inch between them. Brush the tops of the biscuits with 1 tablespoon half and half and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake for 20 minutes. Biscuits will be lightly browned on top and flaky in the center when done.

Makes 8 to 12 biscuits, depending on the size of the cutter.

Apple butter recipe from: www.pba.org/programming/programs/atlanta_cooking/flyingbi...
note that if you want to make the biscuits use this recipe: www.easygourmetrecipes.com/html/recipe_database/recipes.c... (there's a typo on the pba website leaving out 2/3 of half and half; I've done this and it gives you scones!)

I downloaded the label borders from here: www.marthastewart.com/275308/christmas-templates/@center/...
I used art paper for decorating the tops of the jars