A lil drop of goodness…

Guys…. GUYS…. did you know Pumpkin butter does not have any butter in it?? No, really, it doesn’t. Why it’s called “butter” instead of “spread”, I have no clue, but boy, is it a delicious lil’ treat. This weekend I held my annual pumpkin party so of course my girlfriends and I brought our A-game in terms of baking pumpkin treats and carving/painting pumpkins. I made my usual pumpkin chocolate chip cookies but also made some yummy pumpkin muffins and decided that I needed to top the pumpkin muffins off with some pumpkin butter to take them over the top. I usually just buy a jar of it at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s but my adventurous spirit told me to try to make my own. I searched through various cookbooks and online cooking sites/blogs and was shocked at how simple it seemed. I quickly came up with my own take on this delicious treat.

This is a pretty quick and simple recipe and lasts for a few weeks in your refrigerator.  I highly suggest gifting a jar of this to your host’s/hostess’ for any party or dinner you go to this fall. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Butter

Yields: 16-20 ounces

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz. can of Pumpkin Puree
• 1/2 Cup Apple Juice or Cider
• 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Freshly Grated Nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp Crushed Cloves
• 1 tsp Powdered Ginger
• Juice of 1 Lemon

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a medium sized sauce pan or pot. Stir to combine
2. Place pan/pot over low heat on your stove top and prop open the lid with a wooden spoon or spatula to allow to breathe but yet protect your stove top from the splattering goodness once it really heats up.
3. Stir occasionally but let cook for 30-40 minutes.
4. Once done let cool for a few minutes before transferring in a glass jar of your choosing. I  was unsuccessful in locating a Mason jar so I used a jar from an expired jar of Dijon mustard that I found in the refrigerator (cleaned of course).
5. Serve on toast, muffins, or on whatever your little heart desires.