Apple Butter

• 6 medium Cosmic Crisp® , cored and chopped into 1-inch pieces
• Water, as needed

Dough

• 375 g all-purpose flour 
• 300 ml milk 
• 55 g salted butter 
• 3 tbsp cane sugar 
• 2 tsp active dry yeast

Filling

• 200 g prepared apple butter
• 200 g dark brown sugar 
• ½ tbsp ground cinnamon
• 110 g unsalted butter, room temperature

1. Make the apple butter ahead of time. Add the chopped apples to a large pot along with a couple cups of water. The apples do not need to be covered with water. Place the lid on the pot and heat over medium heat. Once the mixture is simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the apples are very tender.
2. Strain the apples from the water. Add the cooked apples to a high-speed blender with ⅓ cup water. Blend until completely smooth.
3. Pour the blended apples back into the large pot and place over medium-low heat. Cover and cook for about 2-3 hours, stirring every 10-15 minutes to prevent burning. Once the mixture has reduced, thickened up, and is brown in color, remove and let cool completely. Place in an airtight container in the fridge overnight.
4. Make the dough. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Once melted, add the milk and cook until warm but not too hot.
5. In a large mixing bowl, add the yeast and sugar. Pour the warm milk and butter mixture over the top. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes for the yeast to bloom. Add the flour and stir with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Roll onto a clean surface and knead for about 5 minutes.
6. Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover. Set in a warm place for 2 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
7. Make the filling.
   Combine all of the filling ingredients in a mixing bowl until combined. Set aside.
8. Assemble the rolls. Roll the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 12 x 14” rectangle. Spread a few heaping spoonfuls of the filling over the top evenly. Carefully fold the dough in half, then spread another spoonful or two of filling over the folded dough, and fold in half again. The dough should be a thick 6-8” square-shape at this point. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for a few hours or until the filling has set and you can roll the dough out without too much of a mess.
9. Place the dough square back onto a lightly floured surface and roll out until the dough is about 12”x6-8” rectangle. Spread another thin layer of the filling over the dough. Carefully roll the dough up into a log from the end, just like you would a cinnamon roll. Cut into 8 equal pieces.
10. Grease a 9×13” baking dish and place the rolls into the greased pan. Cover and let rise for another 1 hour or until doubled in size.
11. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.
12. After the rolls have risen a second time, bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with a little bit more of the filling, then bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until cooked through.
13. Let cool before serving and enjoy!