Apple Infused Simple Syrup

Summary : “I wanted to use the leftover peels and cores from my Butter Apple Crumble recipe. Here it is! An autumnal syrup that’s great for pancakes, French toast, ice cream and cocktails!”

Ingredients

• 3 cups light brown sugar
• 3 cups water
• Cores and peels of 6 Granny Smith apples (leftover from some other recipe)
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1 vanilla bean

Instructions

1. Combine sugar, water, apple cores and peels and cinnamon sticks in a large pot. Split vanilla bean, scrape out seeds and add seeds and pod to pot.
2. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Once mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook so apple cores soften, about 30 minutes. As they soften, mash up cores occasionally with a whisk or wooden spoon. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
3. Strain cooled syrup into a clean storage jar, squeezing syrup from cooked apple cores to extract more flavor (if you want you can add cinnamon sticks and vanilla bean back into syrup…this will only intensify the flavor). Store in refrigerator up to 3 or 4 weeks.

Number of servings (yield): 3

Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Summary : “So easy to make. Tangy with a little kicker and great on all meats!”

Serves: about 2 cups of “Q” sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 cup ketchup
• ½ Cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 4 Tbsps of molasses
• 4 Tbsps of soy sauce
• 2 Tbsps Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic diced
• 1-3 chipoltle pepper(s) finely chopped (1=mild, 2=medium, 3 =hot)

Instructions

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a saucepan and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat so that sauce is reduced.
2. Let cool.
3. Keeps for 2 weeks in a tight-lidded jar.

Quick notes

Brush BBQ sauce on meat the last 5 minutes of cooking. This will prevent burning and the flavor will hold better. Use Goya brand Chipoltes in Adodbo Sauce…mmmmmmm! If you want more kick add more chipotles.