The Perfect Cheese Plate with Caramel Apple Butter

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A cheese plate is without a doubt the easiest appetizer going. It’s assembling – not cooking, and that right there is why it always shows up when I have people over for dinner. I buy some great cheese, and then 9 times out of 10, I shop my pantry to fill it out. I rarely make the same one twice. I like my cheese plates to have variety. Sharp cheese, mellow, spicy, soft, hard. And then I like to add a few kinds of crackers, nuts, olives, meats, fruits, and a jam or chutney to round it out. Sweet, salty, bitter, crunchy, and soft. They are always interesting and everyone is happy.

Ingredients //

• Assorted crackers and breadsticks
• apples
• grapes
• olives
• Peppadew peppers
• Caramel Apple Butter (recipe below)
• nuts
• salami
• Medium Asiago
• Aged Wisconsin Cheddar
• Aged Vermont White Cheddar
• Fiesta Pepper Jack
• Parmentino

I always have a few cheeses in the fridge, and made this cheese plate one evening when I didn’t feel like making dinner. A glass of wine, and I was perfectly content calling this a meal.

I like to keep a few jams, jellies, and butters around to go with my cheese. I love the sweet/savory combination more than anything. I made this caramel apple butter that I found in Better Homes and Gardens. It is very simple, and while it takes awhile to cook, it is zero effort. I think that this goes so well with the cheddars, a lot like apple pie. So good. I made a half recipe, I wasn’t going to can it, and I only needed a jar or two. We ate one, and I gave the other away. It also makes a great gift.

Caramel Apple Butter Ingredients //

• 4 1/2 pounds tart apples (I used Golden Delicious, not tart, but what I like)
• 3 cups apple juice
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Steps // Instructions

Step 1: Peel and chop apples. Add to a large Dutch oven or 8 quart pot with apple juice.

Step 2: Add the vanilla seeds and pod to the pot. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat.

Step 3: Simmer, covered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until very tender.

Step 4: Take the vanilla bean out, but save it. Run the apples through a food mill, blender, or food processor.

Step 5: Measure 7 1/2 cups and put it back into the pot. (You may have some leftover.)

Step 6: Add the vanilla bean back to the pot and add brown sugar, sugar. lemon juice and cinnamon.

Step 7: Bring to a boil, and reduce heat.

Step 8: Cook, uncovered for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, or until the mixture is very thick and the liquid has been cooked out.

Step 9: Take the vanilla pod out. Transfer into 6 half pint jars. You can can this recipe but adding the butter to hot sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in boiling water canner for 5 minutes.