Original blog post: https://spatulagoddess.com/2011/03/15/spiced-apple-pears/

Recipe source: Slow Cooker Magic In Minutes by PIL

Time required: 6 hours (70 min prep time, the rest is slow cooking time)

Yields: a lot, you will run out of ice cream before you run out of topping

Tools required:

• slow cooker
• apple peeler & apple corer

Ingredients:

• 5 tart apples
• 5 pears
• 8 TBSP butter, unsalted (one stick)
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 lemon (use half)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½TSP cloves, ground
• ½ C water
• 1 C brown sugar, packed

Instructions:

1. Peel and core apples and pears.
2. Cut each apple slice into thirds, and check the middle piece for any core remnants. Slice the pears horizontally. Place the flat part of the pear on the cutting board and core it, and then each pear slice should be cut in half. Place fruit in slow cooker.
3. Melt butter in sauce pan on Low.
4. Add all other ingredients to butter: vanilla bean (split and scraped, add seeds and pod), cinnamon stick, half of lemon, peel it and remove seeds, add pulp and juice.  Then add brown sugar, cloves, and water.
5. Bring pot to a boil, and boil for 1 min, stirring often.
6. Pour liquid over apple and pears.  Stir until mixture coats all fruit. Bury the bean pod and cinnamon stick under the fruit. Cover and cook, stirring every 45 min.
7. Cook times vary. The book recommends either up to 4 hours on Low, or up to 2 hours on High. I cook it on High up to 5 hrs.
8. Serve by itself, or atop ice cream, frozen yogurt, or pound cake.