Welcome

It is too easy to get stuck in a rut of cooking the same meals over and over. I often get requests for my recipes and people ask where I get all my ideas. I thought it was time I compile my recipes, ideas, and suggestions into one place to share with others. In this blog, you will find tips I have for success in the kitchen, kitchen gadgets that I recommend, and recipes. Recipes are tagged with the main ingredients along with cooking style to make searching easier. Enjoy!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Chocolate Caramel Apple Cookies



Warning: Upon completion of reading this recipe, you may feel a strong urge to run to your car and go immediately to the grocery store to buy the ingredients for this recipe...Follow your instincts.

Warning 2: Once these are made, you may want to have a plan to share some with others or you will find yourself eating one after the other until before you know it, you have consumed 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Ok, now that that is out of the way....

A friend of mine found this recipe and posted it on facebook yesterday evening. I read the title and thought it sounded like an odd combination. Then I read the recipe. Next thing you know, I am texting my husband, bribing him to pick up the candy bars on his lunch break and bring them home to me. Thankfully, it worked!

I'm pregnant right now and am pretty relaxed when it comes to food choices and don't really cut anything out of my diet, just use good judgement and moderation. However, in my last pregnancy and this one, my one rule has been NO RAW EGGS. This is VERY hard for me because I have a downfall for cookie dough, cake batter, brownie batter... Well, I caved last night and couldn't resist trying this dough. It was just too tempting and was SO good. When the cookies came out of the oven, I burned my mouth on the caramel but I would say it was well worth it.

If you are the type of person who prefers to see pictures of each step of a recipe, then check out the original post where this recipe is located: http://www.hostessblog.com/2011/10/recipe-chocolate-caramel-apple-cookies/

I have not checked out the rest of that site, but after trying these cookies, I definitely will.

So, onto the recipe.

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 10 caramels, unwrapped
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 large apple OR 2 small apples, peeled & diced
• 6 Fun Size MILKY WAY® Simply Caramel Bars, chilled & chopped
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with parchment or wax paper.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together and set aside. In a large bowl, beat melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla extract, then beat in the egg and egg yolk until the mixture is well blended.

In a small, microwave-safe bowl, heat unwrapped caramels & milk until smooth and creamy, starting with 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring once. If necessary, continue microwaving the caramel in 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until completely smooth. Allow the melted caramel to cool for about 10 minutes, then pour it into the wet ingredients.

Fold in the diced apples, followed by the dry ingredients. Add chopped candy bars and chocolate chips and stir until combined.

Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoon onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are a light golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Note: My husband could not find the fun-size Milky Way Simply Caramel bars. Luckily, they had the full size bars in the check-out line. I used 2 full size (well, 2 full size packages. Each package contained 2 bars that were just a little smaller than a normal candy bar, but larger than a fun-size). I also did not chill mine first and had no problem cutting them. If you do want to chill them, do NOT put them in the freezer or the caramel will be rock hard (don't ask how I know this...)

Are you still reading? Or are you already searching your cupboards to find out which ingredients you need to go pick up?

Enjoy!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Peppermint Marshmallows

These take a little bit of work, but are well worth it. They make great Christmas presents. I like them in a cup of hot cocoa. My husband likes them in a cup of coffee. Friends like to just eat them plain. I also might sneak some of the mixture while it is still gooey, before it sets. No matter how you eat them, they're excellent!

1/2 c. Powdered sugar
1/3 c. cornstarch
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 1/3 c. white sugar
2/3 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. crushed candy canes or mint candies
1/8 tsp. salt

In a small bowl, sift together powdered sugar and cornstarch. Line a 9x13" pan with nonstick foil. Coat with nonstick cooking spray. Sift 2 Tbs. of the sugar/cornstarch mixutre into the pan, tilting to coat sides. Leave any excess in the pan.

Place 2/3 c. water in a large bowl. Sprinkle with gelatin. Let soften for 5 minutes.

In a medium size heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat white sugar, corn syrup, candy cane pieces and salt over medium heat about 7 minutes until sugar and candy are dissolved, stirring occasionally. Pour into bowl with gelatin, removing any larger chunks of candy cane that did not melt.

Beat on high speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 10-15 minutes. Spread into prepared pan and smooth top. Dust with 2 Tbs of sugar/cornstarch mixture. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.

Lift marshmallow from pan using foil. With a wet knife, cut into 6 squares. Spread remaining sugar/cornstarch mixture onto a baking sheet. Invert marshmallow block onto sheet; cut each square into 9 pieces. Toss marshmallows in sugar/cornstarch mixture, and set on a pan to set an additional hour. Store, loosely covered, at room temperature.

Enjoy!!