It's spreading

American Spoon Foods fruit butters

by Nancy Kalajian

Sweetened with sugar and cooked for hours, these award-winning spreads contain no real butter, cholesterol, or fat, but plenty of fruity goodness. Smooth the delicate concoctions onto a piece of toast, or use them as filling for cookies, muffins, or tarts. Try the apricot butter (made with Michigan apricots, sugar, lemon juice, and pectin) for $5.50, or the mango butter (mangoes, sugar, bananas, pineapple, lime juice, and pectin) for $5.75. The nine-ounce jars are available by mail from American Spoon Foods; call (800) 222-5886.