Apple Pie Caramel Apples

One of my FAVORITE things to do when I go to Disneyland is to grab a delicious apple pie apple and then I enjoy it on a bench while people watching. Heavenly. 

Apple Pie Caramel Apples

1 bag Kraft caramels
4-5 large, tart apples (You can use red apples too but I like the contrast of the tart apple with the caramel)

1 bag white chocolate chips or white chocolate candy melts

cinnamon sugar

1. Wash, scrub, and dry apples. This is important or your caramel won't stick because of the coating stores put on apples.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt caramel according to package directions.

3. Put popsicle stick in the apple. Dip in melted caramel making sure to fully coat it.

4. Place on parchment or wax paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

5. Cool in the fridge until caramel is set up. If you want a thick caramel layer, add another layer of caramel here and let it set up again.

6. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals. You can add a little shortening if the mixture is too thick.

7. Coat the apple with the chocolate.

8. Let it set up a little bit before sprinkling it with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

9. Cool completely in the fridge.

10. Cut into slices and serve.

Hot Caramel Apples in Crock Pot

Ingredients

• 4 large tart apples, cored
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 12 red-hot candies
• 1/4 cup butter
• 8 caramels
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Whipped cream, optional

Directions

• Peel about 3/4 in. off the top of each apple; place in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Pour juice over apples. Fill the center of each apple with 2 tablespoons of sugar, three red-hots, 1 tablespoon butter and two caramels. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
• Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until the apples are tender. Serve immediately with whipped cream if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallow Hearts with Vanilla Bean

This is a great, versatile marshmallow recipe that has been successful for me many times. The only majorly important thing here is to not try to make it with a hand blender. It WILL burn up the motor. btdt.

You can cut these marshmallows into squares, or use cookie cutters. I used a 2" heart to make these valentine treats. The only change I make to the recipe is that I use vanilla bean instead of vanilla.



Nonstick cooking spray
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
1 inch vanilla bean, scraped
1 cup cornstarch

Lightly spray a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray for 2" high pan of marshmallows. For 1" or thinner, you can try a larger pan. Sprinkle gelatin over a small bowl filled with 1/2 cup cold water; let stand to soften.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together sugar, corn syrup, hot water, and salt. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture reaches the soft-ball stage, about 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and add gelatin mixture; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. With the mixer running, slowly add sugar mixture. Add vanilla bean and continue beating for 10 minutes or until the mixture looks like marshmallow.

Transfer marshmallow mixture to prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Spray a piece of parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray and cover marshmallow. Let stand overnight.
Remove parchment paper and invert marshmallow onto work surface. Trim 1/4-inch from edges of marshmallow. Cut marshmallows using a knife or cookie cutters dipped in water. Pour cornstarch in a bowl; working in batches, gently add marshmallows and toss to coat.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Shake off all excess cornstarch before dipping. I use Wilton candy melts because I like the taste and they are very easy to use as opposed to tempering chocolate. Use a skewer or your fingers to dip the marshmallows, shake off the excess chocolate, and swirl the chocolate on the top before it sets. Place on parchment covered baking sheet.

The source for this recipe is Mama Reiner's Marshmallows via Martha Stewart. There is a somewhat labor intensive (you make your own marshmallow cream in addition to the marshmallows) fudge recipe to dip them in if you want to go 100% homemade but I like the way the candy melts turn out.

Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these last night for the first time and I'm in love. That's really saying something because I have tried literally dozens and dozens and dozens of chocolate chip cookie recipes. A little known fact about me: I eat at least one chocolate chip cookie EVERY DAY. This personal tradition has been going strong for at least five years. So when I say this is a good chocolate chip cookie recipe, you should probably trust me.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

From The New Best Recipe (America’s Test Kitchen from Cooks Illustrated)

Makes about 18-24 large cookies.

These oversized cookies are chewy and thick, like many of the chocolate chip cookies sold in gourmet shops and cookie stores. They rely on melted butter and an extra egg yolk to keep their texture soft. These cookies are best served warm from the oven but will retain their texture even when cooled. To ensure the proper texture, cool the cookies on the baking sheet. Oversized baking sheets allow you to get all the dough into the oven at one time. If you’re using smaller baking sheets, put fewer cookies on each sheet and bake them in batches.

Ingredients

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10 5/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks, or 6 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm

1 cup packed (7 ounces) light- or dark-brown sugar

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 – 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray or use a non-stick silicon mat, e.g., Silpat.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.

4. Roll a golf-ball size of the dough into a ball (or use a two-tablespoon ice cream scoop), for standard-sized cookies, or use a scant 1/4 cup amount of dough for larger cookies. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.

5. Bake until the cookies are light golden grown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy (and look a little bit wet in the middle), 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a spatula.

Aebleskivers

Recipe from here

Aebleskivers

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. In a clean glass or metal bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they can hold a stiff peak. Set aside.
2. Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, sugar, egg yolks, melted butter and buttermilk at one time and beat until smooth. Gently fold in the egg whites last.
3. Put about 1tablespoon of vegetable oil in the bottom of each aebleskiver pan cup and heat until hot. Pour in about 2 tablespoons of the batter into each cup. As soon as they get bubbly around the edge, turn them quickly (Danish cooks use a long knitting needle, but a fork will work). Continue cooking, turning the ball to keep it from burning.

Amount Per Serving Calories: 63 | Total Fat: 2.8g | Cholesterol: 18mg

From the pan.

Filled with peach preserves and topped with powdered sugar.

Layered Peppermint Crunch Bark

This recipe is all over the place right now (I found it on Soulemama via Orangette via Epicurious via it's original source: Bon Appetite) so it must be good. Or I must be hungry. Or maybe both. I'll let you know after I make it.

As recommended, in little jars with festive fabric lids this would make the perfect gift for neighbors, teachers, people you want to impress, people who you've offended, people who think you're a bad cook, the list goes on and on.

(Check out Soulemama or Orangette to see pics of this deliciousness.)

Layered Peppermint Crunch Bark

yield: Makes 36 pieces

Packed in jars that are decorated with red ribbon and candy canes, this sweet makes a festive gift. To crush the peppermints coarsely, tap the wrapped candies firmly with the bottom edge of any unopened 15- to 16-ounce can.

• 17 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), finely chopped
• 30 red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies, coarsely crushed (about 6 ounces)
• 7 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 6 tablespoons whipping cream
• 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Turn large baking sheet bottom side up. Cover securely with foil. Mark 12 x 9-inch rectangle on foil. Stir white chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) until chocolate is melted and smooth and candy thermometer registers 110°F. (chocolate will feel warm to touch). Remove from over water. Pour 2/3 cup melted white chocolate onto rectangle on foil. Using icing spatula, spread chocolate to fill rectangle. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup crushed peppermints. Chill until set, about 15 minutes.

Stir bittersweet chocolate, cream and peppermint extract in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until just melted and smooth. Cool to barely lukewarm, about 5 minutes. Pour bittersweet chocolate mixture in long lines over white chocolate rectangle. Using icing spatula, spread bittersweet chocolate in even layer. Refrigerate until very cold and firm, about 25 minutes.

Rewarm remaining white chocolate in bowl set over barely simmering water to 110°F. Working quickly, pour white chocolate over firm bittersweet chocolate layer; spread to cover. Immediately sprinkle with remaining crushed peppermints. Chill just until firm, about 20 minutes.

Lift foil with bark onto work surface; trim edges. Cut bark crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips. Using metal spatula, slide bark off foil and onto work surface. Cut each strip crosswise into 3 sections and each section diagonally into 2 triangles. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Chill in airtight container.) Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Read more here.

the BEST chocolate cake you will EVER eat!

This is by far my most favorite chocolate cake.

I'm not a huge cake eater, but this is pure delight.

If you like dense, chocolate cake. you HAVE to try this.

It's so easy!

Chocolate Bundt Cake

1 pkg chocolate cake mix

1 (5 oz) pkg of instant pudding mix

1 C sour cream

1/2 C oil

1/2 C warm water

4 eggs

1 (6oz) pkg chocolate chips

powdered sugar or hot fudge

Preheat oven to 350. Mix first 6 ingredients together until blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter in greased bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle hot fudge over the top.

(also great for cupcakes and frost with whip cream)

Flourless Chocolate Cake

The first time I made Flourless Chocolate Cake I used a recipe from Molly Wisenberg's book A Homemade Life (a fun read and great resource) but felt that hers was too rich so the next time I used the recipe below from Epicurious and it wasn't rich enough so I made it again for my husband's birthday but added closer to 6 or 7 ounces of chocolate. I think it is supremely perfect and it was quite a hit at the party. I can't say enough about this cake. Berries and ice cream were a nice addition too.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Gourmet | November 1997

yield: Makes one 8-inch cake (I used a 9 inch out of necessity)

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

ingredients

• 4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus additional for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375°F and butter an 8-inch round baking pan. Line bottom with a round of wax paper and butter paper.

Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well. Sift 1/2 cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate.

Dust cake with additional cocoa powder and serve with sorbet if desired. (Cake keeps, after being cooled completely, in an airtight container, 1 week.)

Taken from epicurious.com http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Flourless-Chocolate-Cake-14478

Cool Whip Candy

My child has made this post difficult but I will try to see if I can eek it out before he turns the computer off beneath my feet. This recipe is a very easy and yummy mint truffle (or omit the mint if you don't like it). I have had this recipe for a long time and I love it. I made them again for a shower the other day...

• 8 oz Cool Whip, thawed
  
• 3 Large Hershey's Milk Chocolate bars, around 12-13 oz.
• 3/4 tsp mint extract
  
• 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs

Break up the chocolate bars into squares, put in a microwave safe dish and melt on half power for 30 second intervals, stirring after each time, until you have a smooth and creamy bowl of melted chocolate, but don't overdo it.

Stir into cool whip in a larger bowl. Stir in mint extract to taste. Again, don't overdo it. :) Refrigerate of freezer shortly until the mixture is pretty firm and can be scooped into small balls. Drop about a tablespoonful at a time into graham crumbs and shape into balls. Place of waxed paper and chill until ready to serve.

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

4 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
4 cups sugar
4 ½ cups flour
2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 cups cranberries, fresh (chop in food processor)

Preheat oven to 350
In a bowl combine eggs, pumpkin puree and oil. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add cranberries and mix well. Divide dough into 2 big loaf pans, and 1 small one . Bake for 50 minutes

World's Best Zucchini Bread

I always have thought it is quite audacious when people try to say a recipe is the "world's best" because who really has the authority to make such a claim? So I will not try to pretend to have such authority, but I was seriously this close (imagine my thumb and pointer finger coming almost totally together) to doing so in respect to this recipe. It really is that delicious.

Not only is it the perfect snack or dessert, it fills your home with cinnamon, nutmeg and bread baking in the oven aromas that cannot be duplicated. In the Fall (like right now) it also makes a perfect housewarming or "just thinking about you" gift for those you love or maybe just like.

Without further adieu, here you are, compliments of the Lion House:

Zucchini Bread

3 C flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t cinnamon
3 eggs
1 C oil
2 C sugar
1 T vanilla
2 C zucchini, grated
1 C walnuts (optional)
(*I add a sprinkling of nutmeg as well)

Grease well large 8x4 inch loaf pan or 2 small 7x3 inch loaf pans. Set aside. In large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, & cinnamon (& nutmeg). Set aside. In separate mixing bowl, beat eggs until light & foamy. Add oil, sugar, vanilla, & zucchini; mix well. Add flour mixture and mix just until moist. (Overmixing causes tunnels & coarse texture.) Fold in nuts Pour into prepared pan or pans. (Pans should be about two-thirds full.) Bake at 325 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes for large loaf or 35 minutes for small loaves, or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not overbake. Serves 10 to 12.

Chocoate Zucchini Cake

One more yummy thing to do with zucchini!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups regular all-purpose flour, unsifted
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup soft butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• Glaze (directions follow)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

1 Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.

2 With a mixer, beat together the butter and the sugar until they are smoothly blended. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a spoon, stir in the vanilla, orange peel, and zucchini.

3 Alternately stir the dry ingredients and the milk into the zucchini mixture, including the nuts with the last addition.

4 Pour the batter into a greased and flour-dusted 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan. Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes (test at 45 minutes!) or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes; turn out on wire rack to cool thoroughly.

5 Drizzle glaze over cake.

Glaze: Mix together 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 Tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Banana Oat Shake

I found this on a blog and I love it, it fills me up until well into the afternoon. Sometimes I add strawberries or other fruit to mix it up, but I like it straight up with banana too.

1/2 c. plain vanilla yogurt
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. oats
1 banana, cut in fourths
2 t. honey
2 t. ground flax seed (i add this for my omega-3)

Enjoy!

Fresh Strawberry Bars and Hello

Hi everyone, I'm Robyn. I'm Ellen's cousin (by marriage) and I was excited to see this blog. I'm a stay at home mama, I love to blog, I love cooking and am excited to share recipes with you girls. I've already seen some yummy ones on here that I want to try.

Here is another way to use up strawberries... or an excuse to buy the flat! I made these bars for book club when I hosted at my house the other night, and they were a huge hit. Girls even asked to take some home for their husbands. Perfect for me, since I didn't feel compelled to devour the rest of them the next day! It's like a peanut butter blondie with a big dose of summertime on top. They're great because I usually have all the ingredients on hand...

The only notes I have for the recipe is to be sure and use freezer jam, and also, I used crunchy peanut better because that was all I had, but I think it gave the crust more texture, so I used it again the next time, too. I think you could bake a little longer than the time required, depending on how things are looking. I also served it with some fresh whipped cream on top.

Fresh Strawberry Bars (via BHG magazine)

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup strawberry jam
  
• 4 cups small whole strawberries, halved or quartered

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil beyond the edges. Set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Beat in sugars, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining flour.

3. Spread dough in prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

4. Cool completely on rack. Remove from pan by lifting foil. Spread jam and top with berries. Cut into bars. Serve at once or refrigerate up to 6 hours. Makes 24 bars

Nutrition Facts

Calories 225, Total Fat (g) 10, Saturated Fat (g) 5, Monounsaturated Fat (g) 4, Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 33, Sodium (mg) 143, Carbohydrate (g) 30, Total Sugar (g) 18, Fiber(g) 1, Protein (g) 4.

Melt-in-your-mouth Strawberry Muffins

So because Heather has already shared two awesome recipes, I started to feel like a slacker so I'm sharing a recipe I tried out over the weekend. Jared's dear mother and sister stayed with us over the weekend so I was excited to try out this healthy muffin recipe I found very unexpectedly on the foil of our organic, Stonyfield yogurt tupperware. 

I am not a huge muffin fan, but this recipe looked fruity and moist enough for my liking. Not to mention, I always buy a few more strawberries than I ever end up eating so I figured this would be a good way to make use of them. These muffins really did melt in my mouth, just for the record. 

Enough talk, here is the recipe: 

Ingredients: 

1 c all-purpose flour

1 c whole wheat flour

1/2 c sugar

1-1/2 t baking soda

2 eggs

1 cup Stonyfield Farm yogurt (or any vanilla or plain yogurt, I'm sure)

1/4 c butter, melted

1 t vanilla

1 cup chopped strawberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and baking soda. In another bowl, mix eggs, yogurt, butter and vanilla. Toss strawberries into the flour mixture. Then pour yogurt mixture into flour mixture and stir. Spoon batter into greased muffin tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. Yields: 12 muffins

Nutrition facts: 

Calories 150

Calories from fat 45

Total fat 5g

Carbs 24g

Protein 4g

Fiber 2g