I like making Christmas presents... there I said it, you can make fun of me now... or get very excited since you do it to. There seem to be two groups of thought; those who laugh at you when you say you're "making" your gifts, and those who want to know all about what you are making so they can make it to :) Well I can't give all my secrets away since my extended family does read this blog but here's a spoiler... extended Snow family stop reading if you don't want to spoil a surprise... oh wait I made the title of this blog the spoiler didn't I... hahaha


I'm giving people pumpkin butter as part of their gifts this year!! YUM!!! The recipe was super easy to make, and a quick trip in the canning jars and a quick boil seals them all up and are ready to go! You can also make this in a smaller batch whenever you are craving some and keep it in the freezer or refrigerator. The original recipe called for 2 tsp ginger... I did that and it was WAY to strong for my taste, so added a bunch more cinnamon to balance it out. Next time I'll only do 1 tsp ginger like I wrote up here. I also didn't cook this so it was super thick, I wanted a slightly fluffier consistency which I think tastes great on toast or a nice bagel. YUM

Pumpkin Butter
adapted from Polka dot Moon

1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree
3/4 cup apple cider
1 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups white sugar (i bet using maple syrup instead of white sugar would taste amazing too! not sure how much you'd need though, you'll have to experiment and let me know!)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
swig of Amaretto

DIRECTIONS
Combine pumpkin, apple cider, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently.
Place in jars and boil process and cool to seal them. Or just stick it in some plastic containers in your refrigerator or freezer.

Chow!