The Best Way I Know To Eat An Apple

  I love apples! I love eating apples, cooking with apples and baking with apples. I think one of my all-time favorite ways to eat an apple though, is dipped in caramel and drenched in chocolate! I only make caramel-dipped apples in October as a special pre-Halloween treat for family and friends. It's a good thing too, because I can polish one off faster than you can blink! Here's my "secret" to caramel apples.

  I only use gala apples for dipping. Galas are crisp, and have just the right sweet-tart-juiciness that you want in a caramel apple. Also, I try to find medium-sized apples (the perfect size for one sitting), that sit upright.

  One 14-ounce bag of caramels is enough for about 6 medium apples. Place un-wrapped caramels in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water. Add a splash of milk to the caramels (about 1-2 tablespoons) to loosen the caramels up a bit. You don't want too much milk or the caramel will run off the apples once dipped.

  Prep your dipping area: Lay out a piece of parchment paper large enough for all your apples; lightly spray with cooking spray. Press a popsicle stick about halfway into each apple. 

  Plunge apples, one at a time, into the caramel, twisting a little to coat all sides (I leave about a half-inch space around the top of the apple free of caramel-it looks prettier.) Holding the apple over the bowl of caramel, use a spoon to scrape all the caramel off the bottom of the apple (Caramel tends to pool at the base of the apple as it sets-doing this will ensure you don't have too much pooling.) Place apples on the parchment to set.

  Place 8 ounces of milk chocolate and 1 tablespoon shortening in a heatproof bowl. Microwave in 30-45 second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted and smooth.

  Lay out a sheet of foil large enough for all your apples. Lightly spray with cooking spray. Dip the bottom third of each apple into the chocolate. Let the chocolate drip off the apple, then scrape the chocolate from the bottom of the apple, just as you did with the caramel. Place apples on the foil to set.

  Once you have dipped all 6 apples, add 1 tablespoon shortening to the remaining chocolate in the bowl. Microwave about 20 seconds, until the shortening melts; stir until smooth. Dip a fork into the bowl of chocolate then shake it over the apples to create a splatter effect on the tops of the apples (be careful not to coat the tops of your popsicle sticks). Let apples rest until chocolate has set.

  To give as gifts: Wrap each apple with a square of cellophane and tie with a festive ribbon. Encourage recipients to eat within 2 days of dipping (they are best if eaten the same day).

A Princess B-Day

  My 3 year old wanted strawberry princess cupcakes for her birthday this year. I wasn't exactly sure how to go about it, but who was I to tell a 3 year old no on her birthday? I had come across some cupcakes on a blog recently, that I was anxious to try, so I figured this would be a good opportunity. I used this recipe for Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting (I omitted the filling for this occasion). I made lavender fondant crowns using the top portion of a flower cookie cutter I had, and adorned them with pearl candies. Ultra easy!

 

I've Got My Eye On You!

  So, I've mentioned my new fascination with the cake pops on Bakerella. We are attending a couples-only Halloween party tomorrow, and I decided I absolutely had to make some for the occasion. Once set, I stuck them in individual sucker bags and closed them with silver twist-ties.

Stick 'em in a ceramic pumpkin and they look quite intriguing!

Candy Corn...Sort Of

  Candy Corns have been a Halloween standard forever, so when I came across this recipe for Candy Corn Cookies, I knew they were a must-make. I had a package of Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookies on hand (and I'm not a fan of sugar cookies anyway), so I used it. I had to add a little flour to the dough to make it pliable, but they turned out fantastic. Have a look!

A New Page Addition

  I have been doing a bit of cake decorating over the years, and decided it was finally time to share some pictures. Have a look. I will begin working on my girlfriend's wedding cake soon (they are having a November wedding). This will be my first solo wedding cake. Wish me luck, and watch for photos come mid-November.

Rosemary Garlic Bread

Photo Credit-Julie Marie Craig @ Always With Butter

  I found myself doing something yesterday that I haven't done in quite some time; linking from blog to blog. When I find a blog I like, I enjoy checking their side-bar for blogs they follow. I have found some of my favorite blogs this way. I came across this blog; Always With Butter. You can't tell me that blog name isn't intriguing! I scrolled through her home page to find a recipe for Rosemary Garlic Bread. I decided it was a must-try, and what better night than than to serve with my new-found soup recipe? I made a couple changes, because my husband doesn't enjoy too much rosemary in things, and 6 cloves of garlic seemed a little much for serving with leek soup. So, I cut the rosemary to a couple pinches (I used dried because that's what I had) and one clove garlic.

  The bread was absolutely fabulous! And so simple! I made three skinny loaves from the recipe so I could freeze what we didn't eat. I'm happy, and sad to say, there isn't any to freeze. It was that delicious! My husband has requested I try the same recipe omitting the rosemary and garlic so we can have it with our Blood Orange Olive Oil and Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar (combine the two in a small dipping dish; it's phenomenal). 

  What I love? This bread is the perfect combination of crusty outside, and crumbly-soft inside.

Roasted Red Pepper, Leek and Potato Cream Soup

  My father has produced the most fantastic garden this year. Lucky for us, he's generous. Saturday he sent us home with a sack full of leeks. Leeks are not something I have done much cooking with, so I was curious how best to use them. My father's suggestion was Cream of Leek Soup, something he still had yet to make himself. So, I began researching recipes. I decided right off the bat that a smooth chunk-less soup wasn't something I was in the mood for. I started hunting through my freezer and came across some Garlic and Gruyere Chicken Sausage I had been saving for just the right recipe. This was just such a recipe!

  I used this recipe from Fabulous Foods as my base and started to work. Here's what I came up with:

  I prepared the recipe as instructed, omitting the garnish (I had intentions of filling my soup with other things). Also, I used only one bell pepper (that's what I had on hand).

  While my soup was simmering (in the final stages before adding the cream), I began a second pot. To this pot add 2 tablespoons butter and 3 peeled and chopped carrots; cook over medium heat about 3-4 minutes. Add 6 small new potatoes; diced, and 2 cups water. Boil 15 minutes, or until tender. Strain potato-carrot mixture, reserving the liquid.

  Add diced sausage (mine was pre-cooked), potato-carrot mixture and cream to simmering soup. Add potato-water until soup is of desired consistency.

  This soup was delicious (I had two bowls, my husband and 4-year-old each had 3)! What I love most, is that a lot of the work could be done in the morning, or even the day before. Way easy!!

  Notice that hunk of bread on the side of the bowl? Also fantastic! Watch for my post on it to follow.