Foods for the Soul- Spiced Ginger Loaf w/ Ginger Apple Butter

Ok, these are more foods for the fall but really, there is never a bad time for apple butter and a nice spiced loaf. Especially when the rain just keeps on coming down and the air hangs onto its winter chill. Also, you can't resist making apple butter when you bought the 10 apples for 2 dollars. Thank heaven for Root Cellar! 

This inspiration came from a jar of ginger pear butter in the renal dialysis unit that I volunteer in. It was the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. Since then, I wanted to make my own. Unfortunately, cheap pears were not available but apples were. So ginger apple butter it was. The loaf came from an inspiration when I was looking up a good ginger apple butter. It sounded too good to not try.

GINGER APPLE BUTTER

Thick, and sweet and warm to the heart.

Total time: 5.5 hours (not much tending to though)

Makes: approximately 4 cups of apple ginger butter

10 apples

3/4 cup apple juice

1/4 cup maple syrup

2-3 tbsp of grated ginger

3 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1. Peel and core the apples. Chop into pieces.

2. Put everything in the slow cooker, cook on high for 3 hours.

3. Puree everything

4. Cook puree in slow cooker on high for 1.5 hours, uncovered. Stir once in a while.

You can definitely can it if you want or not and just use it up before it goes bad. I tried to can. I did can. But I don't trust my canning skills. This was my first time canning.

Made a lot more than what I can consume on my own, time for sharing!

SPICED GINGER LOAF

Inspired by http://www.roostblog.com/roost/a-harvest-gift-spiced-ginger-cakes-rosemary-apple-butter.html

Oven temp: 350F

2 1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp nutmeg

3 eggs

1/2 cup melted butter or oil

1/2 cup honey

1. Mix together all dry ingredients

2. Mix together all wet ingredients

3. Incorporate wet into dry until just mixed together

4. Bake in loaf pan for 45 min at 350F

5. Let cool for an hour before taking it out of the pan

This was quite a perfect combination. The apple butter was amazing on the loaf. The cumin in the loaf adds a little extra something to it. I took some to my massage therapist while the loaf was still warm. It was perfect timing as she is currently having a ton of ginger for her nausea from her pregnancy. Big congrats to Chantal and Perry, and Davis (the dog) in being parents/ big brother.

My whiteboard of craziness.