Chocolate Caramel Apples

We all loved these apples.  These are like what they sell in those expensive candy stores and at Disney for at least $5 a pop.  You can make lots of them for that price.   This is also a great way to use up some of the Halloween candy.

I loved the snickers, my mom loved the butterfinger, and my husband loved them all and said he wanted to eat all of them.  Coming from the least sweet-tooth in the family, this is big.  I am not a huge fan of granny smith apples, but the tartness really balances the sweet really well.  These will become our new fall caramel apple tradition.  DELISH!



CHOCOLATE CARAMEL APPLES

INGREDIENTS:

• 5-6 medium granny smith apples
• bag of caramels
• 2 TBSP water
• 1 1/2 cups choc chips, semi sweet or milk chocolate
• 1 tsp vegetable shortening
• 6-10 snack size candy bars
• OTHER TOPPING IDEAS: chopped nuts, crushed pretzels, sprinkles, marshmallows

DIRECTIONS: 

Total mess when you use wax paper!  JUST SAY NO!

Chop candy bars in tiny pieces if they don't mash well.

Wash and dry apples.  Melt caramels in saucepan over med. low heat with 2 TBSP water.  Line cookie sheet with parchment and spray with cooking spray.  DO NOT USE GREASED WAX PAPER!!!  Dip apples in caramel to coat, let them drip off, and wipe caramel off bottoms and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.  Chill for an hour.  Melt chocolate and vegetable shortening in double boiler.  Drizzle chocolate over caramel apples.  I spread it over the caramel with a spoon. Crush or chop candy bars and sprinkle over chocolate.  Chill for another hour.  The best way to eat these is by cutting in slices with a knife.  Can even drizzle with another kind of chocolate if desired, or drizzle more caramel over the top.  The useless greased wax paper took any ambition out of me.

This is an example of how not to sprinkle the candy bars. :)

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

We are addicted to this bread.  So much, in fact that I am getting rid of my bread maker.  I don't need it with this recipe.  It is easier than the bread maker, takes less ingredients, and in my opinion is far superior.  I can make this bread in less time than I can run in a store when I am out and about.  I know it sounds too good to be true, but this bread is fabulous.  I don't add the water to the oven like the original recipe calls for because I like a chewier crust.  This also makes a great pizza dough.  I do like my basic dough a tad better, but seeing how I almost always have this dough made, it is easier to just use this. 
This takes less than 10 minutes to mix up the dough and less than 5 minutes to get ready for baking.  NO KNEADING!  We have fresh baked bread probably 4 nights a week with our meal.  LOVE it!!
The link has great step by step directions, but it is so easy and really hard to mess up. 
My mom says it tastes just like what her Italian grandmother used to make.  I love how it is a rustic bread and wonderful with pasta or soups.  This is the least intimidating bread I have ever seen or made.  Go for it!


ARTISAN BREAD IN FIVE MINUTES A DAY
recipe slightly adapted from artisanbreadinfive.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups warm water
• 1 1/2 TBSP yeast
• 1 1/2 TSBP salt (not coarse)
• 1 1/2 TBSP sugar
• 6 1/2 cups flour (I sub 1 c. whole wheat and 1 c. oat flour)

DIRECTIONS:
In a 5 or 6 quart bowl or lidded tupperware dump in the water and add the yeast, sugar and salt.
Dump in the flour all at once and stir with a long handled wooden spoon.

Stir it until all of the flour is incorporated into the dough, as you can see it will be a wet rough dough.

Put the lid on the container, but do not snap it shut. You want the gases from the yeast to escape.

Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for about 2 hours to rise. When you first mix the dough it will not occupy much of the container.  It will rise after the initial 2 hour and will pretty much fill it. DO NOT PUNCH DOWN THE DOUGH! It will settle itself.

The dough will be flat on the top and some of the bubbles may even appear to be popping. (If you intend to refrigerate the dough after this stage it can be placed in the refrigerator even if the dough is not perfectly flat. The yeast will continue to work even in the refrigerator.) The dough can be used right after the initial 2 hour rise, but it is easier to handle when it's chilled.  As it sits, it will take on more sourdough characteristics.  The flavor deepens with time.

It will collapsed in the fridge, but this is totally normal for the dough. It will never rise up again in the container.

Dust the surface of the dough with a little flour, just enough to prevent it from sticking to your hands when you reach in to pull a piece out.

You should notice that the dough has a lot of stretch once it has rested. You can add a bit of water if it isn't. 

Cut off a 1-pound piece of dough, about 1/3 or 1/4th of the original  depending on the size loaf you want (I do 1/4th for us, 1/3rd with company) using kitchen shears and form it into a ball tucking under the edges to make a nice round smooth top.  Place the ball on a sheet of parchment paper… (or rest it on a generous layer of corn meal on top of a pizza peel and I put the cornmeal on the parchment too!)


Let the dough rest for at least 40 minutes, (although letting it go 60 or even 90 minutes will give you a more open hole structure in the interior of the loaf. This may also improve the look of your loaf and prevent it from splitting on the bottom. ) You will notice that the loaf does not rise much during this rest, in fact it may just spread sideways, this is normal for our dough.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with a baking stone on the center rack for 20 minutes or longer, with a metal broiler tray on the bottom (never use a glass vessel for this or it will shatter), which will be used to produce steam. (The tray needs to be at least 4 or 5 inches away from your stone to prevent it from cracking.)
*(or Cast Iron Pizza Pan- which will never crack and conducts heat really well. Be careful to dry it after washing rinsing with water or it will rust)

Sprinkle the loaf with a bit of flour and cut the loaf with 1/4-inch slashes using a serrated knife (I use kitchen shears). (If your slashes are too shallow you will end up with an oddly shaped loaf and also prevent it from splitting on the bottom.)

Slide the loaf into the oven onto the preheated stone and add a cup of hot water to the broiler tray. Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes or until a deep brown color. (I skip the water and bake it 30 minutes or less)
If you used parchment paper you will want to remove it after about 20-25 minutes to crisp up the bottom crust. Continue baking the loaf directly on the stone for the last 5-10 minutes.

Allow the loaf to cool on a rack until it is room temperature. If you cut into a loaf before it is cooled you will have a tough crust and a gummy interior. It is hard to wait, but you will be happy you did! Make sure you have a nice sharp bread knife that will not crush the bread as you cut. Or you can tear it apart as they do in most of Europe.

Dough lasts for up to 2 weeks!

Glazed Doughnut Muffins

 

 

 I love that we can call a cupcake a muffin and serve it for breakfast.    Because, these really are  like a cupcake. They are a bit more dense than a typical cupcake, because of course, they are  a "muffin" people, not a cupcake.  Or maybe they are a doughnut.  This is one confused recipe, but who cares.  I prefer these muffins in their mini-me form, but they are good either way.  

My friend came over this morning and we enjoyed these over coffee.  My kids each had 2.  I initially thought they were a tad dry, so be careful not to overbake.   I think they would be great filled with some jam or fruit filling, or perhaps even some creamy pudding.  Maybe next time. 

GLAZED DOUGHNUT MUFFINS

recipe adapted slightly from mybakingaddiction , originally from King Arthur

For the Batter:

• 1/4 cup butter, room temp.
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 to 1 ¼ teaspoons ground nutmeg, to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk

For the Glaze:

• 3 TBSP butter; melted
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar; sifted
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 2 tablespoons hot water

DIRECTIONS:

 Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a muffin tin or line with 12 paper muffin cups, and grease the cups with non-stick vegetable oil spray; this will ensure that they peel off the muffins nicely.
  In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to combine. Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla.
Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.
Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tins, filling the cups nearly full.
Bake the muffins for 14 to 17 minutes, or until they’re a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean, or they bounce back to the touch.
  In a medium bowl, prepare the glaze by mixing together the melted  or very soft butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, almond extract and water. Whisk until smooth.  When muffins have cooled slightly, dip the muffin crown into the glaze and allow the glaze to harden. At this point, you can leave them as is or go for the double dip. I glazed my muffins twice.
This recipe made 12 muffins and 10 mini's.  Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Muffins will keep at room temperature for about a day.

Apple Cider Caramels

These caramels have an intense apple cider taste and are rich and buttery.  These are a little bit time consuming, but I enjoyed the end result.  My caramels didn't firm up as much as they should have, so they needed to remain chilled, but I kind of like that anyway.  I think I needed to let them cook a little longer to get a firmer caramel.  I toyed with the idea of doubling the recipe, thinking a little 8x8 pan would not yield nearly enough for my sweet tooth.  I am so glad I didn't!  One of these a day will do ya, and even after sharing with some neighbors we have a ton of caramels!  Rest assured, we will "suffer" through and every last one will get eaten.  I think these would make a great little treat to give to parents when they come by with trick or treating little ones. 

APPLE CIDER CARAMELS
Recipe adapted from:  Our Best Bites  

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 c. high-quality apple cider (like Simply Apple)
• 1 c. heavy cream or whipping cream, divided
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. apple pie spice
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. light corn syrup
• 1 stick (1/2 c.) real butter, cubed

DIRECTIONS:

Pour cider into a medium saucepan and boil on high for about 20 minutes or until the cider is reduced to 1/3 cup. (keep a glass or silicone measuring cup handy so you can pour it out and back in again if you need to and watch it near  the end). It should be thick and syrupy.  Set aside to cool.

Line an 8″ square pan with parchment paper, making sure to leave about 1″ hanging over the edges for easy removal. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. In a small bowl, combine 2/3 c. cream, spices, and reduced apple cider. It will be thick and smell divine.  Set aside.
In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/3 c. whipping cream + enough water to reach the 1/2 c. line on the measuring cup, and corn syrup. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Insert the candy thermometer and simmer until the syrup reaches 234 degrees.
Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the cream mixture. Add the cubed butter and stir until the cream and butter are fully incorporated. Return the pan to heat and re-insert the candy thermometer. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the temperature reaches 248 degrees (this takes a long time, like 20 minutes or longer).

Remove from heat and pour the caramel into the prepared pan. Let the mixture cool completely at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Cut the caramels into 1/2″ squares and wrap each caramel in wax paper. Store in an airtight container or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Lemon Rosemary Chicken

My pictures are pathetic.  I have a huge rosemary plant on my back porch and I didn't think to get any.  It was dark outside and I was rushing to get a shot of this, while talking to my husband, who was on his way home and sick.  All this equals bad picture.  Oh well.  It still tasted great.
This is a chicken dish my mom made when I was growing up that I jazzed up a tad.  She would slice the potatoes and deep fry them and then bake them with the chicken.  I tried to make it a little lighter by just baking the potatoes with the chicken.  This dish has lots of flavor and is super easy.  My prep time to get it in the oven was less than 15 minutes.  A great meat and potatoes meal.  Easy and tasty!

LEMON ROSEMARY CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS:

• 3-4 chicken breasts (bone-in and skin on)
• zest of 1-2 lemons
• 2 TBSP dry rosemary or 4-5 springs fresh, pulled from stems
• 4-5 lemons
• 1-2 TBSP olive oil
• 1-2 tsp seasoning salt
• salt and pepper
• 2 tsp minced garlic (I used garlic garlic by Tastefully Simple)
• 2 1/2 lbs potatoes 
• 1-2 cups frozen peas

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375.  Place chicken in baking pan/dish and dice potatoes into 1" dice.  Add potatoes to pan.  Drizzle chicken and potatoes with olive oil.  Squeeze lemons over chicken and potatoes.  Add zest and toss potatoes and coat chicken with juice and oil.  Wash hands and season potatoes with seasoning salt and fresh pepper.  Sprinkle garlic over chicken.  Cover and bake for 45 minutes-1 hour.  Uncover and cook another 15 minutes.  Add peas and toss to coat peas and to turn potatoes for even browning.  Cook another 30-45 minutes until chicken is golden and cooked through and potatoes are beginning to brown.  Remove and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
*I personally don't eat the skin, but you can broil for a few minutes to crisp it up if you like the skin. 

Vegetable Soup

 This is the kind of soup I wish I could eat every night.  I can not imagine anyone not liking this soup.  It had heartiness with the potatoes and the veggies in it were just amazing together.  I love that I can have 2 bowls, and gorge myself, and not feel an ounce of guilt. I love that I only had one pot to wash.  I love that it had so  much flavor, color and I felt so good about feeding this to my family, and they all loved it!  Even the 2 year old.

I really was looking to make more of a vegetable stew.  I wanted the veggies kind of rustic and large, but then I remembered I have a 2 year old, and diced somewhere in-between a dice and coarse chop.  The vegetables kind of melt into each other and get really tender.  I know some vitamins get lost when you cook veggies, but when it tastes like this, I will take the depletion happily.  This is a very versatile soup.   Add what you like, and leave out what you don't.  But did I mention how good this was? 



VEGETABLE SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 TBSP olive oil (I substituted some for flaxseed oil)
• 2 cups diced potatoes
• 2 cups carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 cup celery, coarsely chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cup chopped red cabbage
• 1 large zucchini, quartered and chopped
• 1- 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 3-4 cups water
• 2 TBSP fresh parsley chopped or 2 tsp. dry
• salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Over medium high heat, put the oil in a big stock pot and dump in the potatoes, onions, celery and carrots.  Cook for about 10 minutes, scraping the bottom as necessary to prevent the potatoes from sticking.    Add the cabbage, and garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Add the can of tomatoes, broth, water and zucchini a bit of salt and pepper.  Cover and let simmer for about 30 minutes.  Add parsley and let simmer uncovered another 20-30 minutes, until all the veggies are tender and cooked through.  Taste broth to see if needs seasoning and add accordingly.  Serve with crusty bread and if desired, Parmesan cheese.

Gingerbread Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

  Picture this: the creamy texture of the mini pumpkin pie against the moist crumb of cake.    I was thinking of making a pumpkin pie filled pumpkin muffin, which sounded great, but I was not feeling super inspired.  Then I thought about gingerbread and then the wheels really got turning.  Pumpkin pie, gingerbread and cinnamon cream cheese icing, now that will work! These cupcakes were delicious!   Lick your fingers and the cupcake liner/paper good.  (Well, my 8 year old daughter was licking hers until I gently and lovingly told her to stop.) 

A few words of caution; (OOO! sounds so scary!) This is a very gingery/molasses tasting cupcake, which I love, but may not be for you if you are not a big gingerbread fan. Also, these require a bit of prior planning because you have to cook the pumpkin pie before hand, but I enjoyed making them with my kids helping me along the way.  Maybe it was because I couldn't wait to taste them.   The pumpkin pie sinks while baking, which I didn't mind at all.  I topped them with some gingerbread men sprinkles so there would be no mistake that they are gingerbread and not chocolate. 

 

 

GINGERBREAD PUMPKIN PIE CUPCAKES WITH CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE ICING 

adapted from allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cupcakes:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1 TBSP ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup hot milk

For the Pumpkin Pies:

I just made a pumpkin pie and used up some filling by placing into mini-muffin tins.

For the Frosting:

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 5 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (175 degrees C).  Spray a 12 spaces in a mini-muffin pan with cooking spray and fill 12 about 2/3 full.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  

this is just before spooning more batter to cover.

Butter or line with paper liners a 12-cup muffin tin. Cream 5 tablespoons of softened butter with the white sugar. Add the molasses and the egg and egg yolk and mix. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot milk. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the hot milk mixture. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared tins filling about halfway. Carefully run knife along outside edge of the pumpkin pies.  Carefully spoon out and place in the center of each cupcake.  Spoon some batter into each to cover pumpkin pies. You may have some batter left.  You can discard or make a 1-2 more cupcakes.  Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 17-20 minutes or until slightly springy to the touch.  Allow to cool a few minutes in the pan and carefully remove to a rack to cool.  

For the Frosting: Cream the 2 tablespoons butter and the cream cheese together. Beat in the confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and beat. When the cupcakes are cool, frost the tops with the frosting and serve.