Inside Out Caramel Apples

So if you can't wrap your mouth around a honkin' huge caramel apple as in my previous post, here's the solution - make Inside Out Caramel Apples.
They're easy, great for kids, and...
they're as yummy as the big ones.
And if you eat a couple slices, you won't feel guilty as with the bigger apples.
The only thing is, make sure the inside of the apple is dry, otherwise you're going to have caramel oozing out of the apple all over your cookie tray.
Ask me how I know.
Yeah, makes for a kinda messy thing in your fridge and not really easy to eat.
Actually, not edible at all really cause there's no caramel left on the apple and the nuts have slithered all over the tray because they were on the caramel express.
Not fun.

I found this over at Domestic Fits.

Inside Out Caramel Apples - makes 3 apples

3 large Granny Smith Apples

1 large lemon

3/4 cup caramel sauce (I used the leftover caramel from the Bad Butt Caramel Apples and kept it warmed)

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

1/3 cup chopped peanuts

Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

Slice apples in half.

With a melon baller, remove the core, seeds and some of the apple to hollow it out enough to hold the caramel, leaving the skin and about 1/4-1/2 and inch of apple.
Squeeze the juice of the lemon onto each of the apple halves.  Allow to set for about 5 minutes.

Using a paper towel dry the inside of the apples, removing any lemon juice.  Make sure the halves are as dry as possible otherwise you're going to have caramel running amuck once you cut the apple.
Believe me.
Fill each apple half with caramel just below the rim (rim of the apple? yeah, that's what it is.).
Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if desired.
Place onto prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until caramel is well set.
Remove from fridge, cut with a sharp knife and drizzle with melted chocolate.

I rate everything I make on a scale of 1-4 and these Inside Out Caramel Apples earned 4 rolling pins.
Yeah, they're yummy, and if the apples are dry enough and the caramel doesn't run, it totally works.

See the apple in the back?
Yeah, that's what happens if your caramel isn't set or the apple isn't dry when you put the caramel in.
It's not easy to eat when it's runny either.
You'll have it all over your chin.
Like, totally.
Fer sure.
You can do this.  I know you can.
Learn from me and my mistakes.
Jackie notes in her post at Domestic Fits that if you buy a caramel sauce, "make sure it is really firm at room temperature."  And, when melting the caramels, she says to put 2 tablespoons of corn syrup in it which I didn't do.  This would probably harden it a bit more, but I found if I let the apples sit in the fridge for longer than 30 minutes, the caramel didn't run.
She also has a caramel recipe from scratch that she used instead of the store bought wrapped caramels I used.
Disclaimer - I'm not responsible for your runny caramel.  It worked for me, not completely because I know I didn't totally dry some halves, but the ones I did, the caramel set quite nicely.
Just don't come and throw your apples at my house if it doesn't work.
Like that dessert I made the other night that I burned and completely filled my kitchen with smoke, try, try again.

I linked this up to Foodie Friends Friday at one of the host blogs, A'lil Country Sugar.

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

DailyBuzz Moms 9x9 ~ Bad Butt Caramel Apples

Yes, you read that right, Bad Butt, a post that is part of a DailyBuzz Moms 9x9 "Fall into Autumn' Special!
And they're called bad butt only because I can't say, or rather don't want to say the slang for derriere because we run a family-friendly show here and I have nephews and nieces reading my blog.
Not to mention my own kids.
And yes, they've heard me use some foul language now and again, but this is a mouth I would kiss my mother with.

I LOVE caramel apples.  I love candy apples, too, but those really get stuck in my teeth and it annoys me to no end.

Know what I mean?  It's great for a little while, but when you're on a ride at the carnival and the only thing you can think about besides trying to keep the corn dog and the candy apple down you just ate before you got on this Tilt-A-Whirl is the fact that you've got this huge hunk o' red chewy, sticky stuff stuck to your teeth.
And boy, oh boy is it not easy to get off.
But we're not here to talk about carnival rides and candy apples.
NO, we're here to talk about F-A-L-L.
And it has nothing to do with that Humpty guy, either.
No, I'm talking 'bout autumn, kids back in school, leaves falling, and cool crisp days, but not if you live here in Phoenix, it's still 100 degrees today.  There is NOTHING Fallish about that!
And with Fall comes really good food ~ pumpkin pie, squash, apple desserts, and carmel apples!
So, here we are with these incredible caramel apples.
Yes, they're yummy and they're easy to make and it will save you a pretty penny if you make them yourself instead of buying those gourmet ones at the store.
OR, you could buy the ones you see at Walmart that have been sitting around for quite some time starting to get moldy, but I highly recommend you do it yourself.  It's cheaper, tastes better and you'll have a great bonding experience with the kids.
Now who doesn't want some quality time with the youngin's, especially at this time of year when the school schedule can get pretty hectic.  And besides, it will make for great memories.
"Mom, remember the time we decorated caramel apples?  They were SO yummy!"
Yes, memories to last a lifetime and they can decorate them with whatever toppings they desire.
You'll be mom of the year.

Oh, and caramel apples lead me to something else about apples.
What about bobbing for apples?
If you're a child of the 70's (and yes, I suppose I am dating myself) or probably before that, you certainly know this game I dost now speak of.
When I was little, every year our neighborhood would have this awesome Halloween party.  And I mean awesome!  We'd have a parade in our costumes to see how all the houses were decorated and to show off our costumes led by Mr. Flood on his tractor.  I never did understand why he owned that thing because we lived on a small peninsula with a neighborhood of about 90 houses and we were no way near close to a farm.  He only had a front yard and I don't think that was even big enough to mow it with the thing.  Anyway, I digress...as usual.  ;-)
After the Halloween party we'd go to the Baker's (not their occupation, their name) house and play games and eat yummy treats before we went trick-or-treating.  Among the games were donuts on a string where you had to eat a donut attached to a string, finding treasures buried in eyeballs, brains, and icky, gooey stuff, and you guessed it, the all important *insert deep booming voice* BOBBING FOR APPLES!!

Who the heck thought of that game and what on God's green earth were they thinking?!

It. Is. DISGUSTING with a capital D.
I'm not gonna lie.
Imagine shoving your face into a big honkin' tub of water with a dozen or more apples floating in it taking one out using only your teeth.
Sounds pretty easy, hunh?  I mean, how difficult can it be?
It's a gosh darn pain in the patootie it is!
This apple that you're trying to nab may or may not have bite marks in it from a previous bobber, and it slips away every time you try to bite at it.
THEN there's that one minor detail that you are swapping saliva with everyone who has previously opened their mouth in the tub before you.
Mind you, this game was played long before a large part of the population became germophobes and diseases spread by body fluids were relatively well known.
I mean, the only thing we were worried about at Halloween is checking the apples we received while trick or treating for razors!
But that disgusting game...
I can't even possibly imagine allowing my kids when we went to that same Halloween party (because they grew up in the same neighborhood for about 10 years) to even go near an apple-bobbing bucket!  They did away with the game at the party, but still.
Now that you've heard me rant about one of my Halloween memories for which I've needed years of therapy, shall we make caramel apples now and leave this on a good note?
I think so.

Caramel Apples - makes 4

7 cups water
3 tablespoons white vinegar (for cleaning)
2 large Granny Smith apples
2 Pink Lady apples
4 sticks (I cut long skewers and used 2 per apple because I couldn't find appropriate ones.)
*you can use any apples you like - but out of the four I used, I prefer the Granny Smith because the sweetness of the caramel and toppings offsets the tartness of the apple very nicely.
2 14 oz. bags wrapped caramels
4 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
Toppings of your choice
we used:
2 cups semi-sweet morsels
2 cups white chocolate morsels
1 cup dark chocolate morsels
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1/2 cup Heath Toffee Bits
various Halloween sprinkles
Halloween Nerds (orange and white - punch flavored)

Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and spraying it with cooking spray.
Pour water and vinegar into a large bowl.  Wash the apples in the vinegar solution, drying them off completely.  You won't need to rinse them after washing because you can't even taste the vinegar.  This will remove the wax buildup and any residue on the apples, helping the caramel to adhere better.
Place the apples on the baking sheet and place a stick into the center of each, stopping at about 3/4 of the way through the apple.  (This was the most difficult part of the process.)

Place the tray of apples into the freezer while preparing the caramels.

Unwrap the caramels and place into the top of a double broiler.  The bottom should be filled halfway with water and brought to a simmer.
Add water and vanilla.

Stir continuously until caramels are completely melted.  This could take you a little while, but just be patient.  It will be worth it.
Do not boil the water and leave caramels unattended.  You don't want burnt caramel.  Don't ask me how I know.
Remove apples from freezer and remove caramel from heat.

Using one apple at a time, dip the apple into the caramel.  Gently and slowly spin the apple until it is completely coated.

If you spin too fast, you will obtain air bubbles.
These are not a big deal if you're going to be coating it again in chocolate, but if you're stopping after this step, you'll want a smooth surface, not something that looks like a warty witch's face.

Allow excess caramel to drip back into the pan.

If it clumps at the bottom, gently remove with a knife, just below the bottom of the apple.
(If you want to put nuts or candy toppings on the caramel, this is the point at which you would do that.
If coating with chocolate and then more toppings, the caramel will have to set.)
Place onto prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining apples.
Put tray of apples into the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes for caramel to set.
Put desired toppings ie, candy, nuts, sprinkles into separate bowls.

If using chocolate for a second coating, place morsels into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  Remove bowl and stir.  If necessary, place into microwave for another 30 seconds, stirring after 15.  DO NOT overheat the chocolate - once it reaches the stage of "seizing" it is impossible to return it to a melting stage and you will have wasted your money.  Trust me on this.
Wipe any excess chocolate off the bottom with a knife.
Remove apples from the refrigerator and one at a time, gently roll the apple in the chocolate followed by desired toppings.  It may be easier to use a spoon or your fingers to sprinkle toppings on.

Place finished apple onto prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for  30 minutes until toppings are set.
ENJOY!!!

I rate everything I make on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these Bad Butt Caramel Apples earned 4 rolling pins!
I would have made my own caramel sauce, but having never made these before and knowing caramel has a small window before "going south"when homemade, I opted for the bags.
They worked perfectly and of course, no one complained.
We made four different apples:  a milk chocolate coated with toffe bits, a dark chocolate coated with sprinkles, a white chocolate coated with sprinkles and Nerds on the bottom, and the piece de resistance, a white chocolate coated in milk chocolate then drizzled with white chocolate and swirled with a stick.
MAN, I LOVE these THINGS!!
I did have some caramel, chocolate, and nuts left over, so come back tomorrow to see what else I made.
Remember, eat the caramel apples.
DON"T go bobbing for them!

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

I'm Guest Posting at Everyday Mom's Meals ~ Turkey Spinach Enchiladas

Happy Weekend, everyone!!!
Today I'm guest posting for Krista over at Everyday Mom's Meals!
I made Turkey Spinach Enchiladas and the family really liked them, but you'll have to go visit Krista for the recipe and to see the rolling pin rating I gave them.
Please tell her hello when you stop in and then come back tomorrow for a new post!

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

Secret Recipe Club ~ The Ultimate Egg Salad Sandwich

It's Tiiiiiiimmmmmeeeeee for....

THE SECRET RECIPE CLUB

(sorry folks, I can't get those really neat Secret Recipe Club buttons to work today :-/  )

The Secret Recipe Club is a group based on Secret Santa.  Our group leader is April of Angel's Homestead, and our group C leader is Debbi of Debbi Does Dinner...Healthy & Low Calorie.

Have you played Secret Santa? Ok, well I guess you don't "play" Secret Santa, it's something you participate in, I suppose.  Everyone who signs up is assigned a blog each month to "secretly stalk".  When we stalk this blog, we are looking for a recipe to make and then blog about on our assigned reveal day!  It is a lot of fun getting to know fellow bloggers and seeing all of the different recipes they have created.  It's even more fun eating them (not the bloggers, silly, the FOOD we make from the recipes!!  Sheesh!)!!  

I've loved participating each month because I've "met" so many wonderful people and have tasted so much great food!  I highly suggest you take a look at The Secret Recipe Club's website if it's something you might be interested in.  You can go to the "Join the SRC" tab on the home page.

For the month of September, I was assigned the wonderful blog...

Feast on the Cheap

It is a blog by Mary Anne and Mariel.  They are a beautiful mother-daughter team and have a wonderful website FILLED with fantastic recipes!!  Mary Anne is a professional caterer and Mariel is a fledgling foodie. They have so very many recipes to choose from that I really had trouble deciding.  There were the S'more Brownies, the Greek-Style Chicken Pita Wraps with Homemade Tzatziki, and the Butcher's Bolognese.  

And oh, believe me, there were plenty more!

Finally though, I decided on the Ultimate Egg Salad Sandwich.  With a name like that, you know it's got to be good! 

One thing I love about Feast on the Cheap is that the ladies tell you the approximate cost of how much each dish will be when you make it depending on how well stocked your pantry is.  They want their recipes to be wallet-friendly and have a tab on their home page called Well Stocked where they list items that you should always have in your pantry.

I've found by experience that it is much better to have these items on hand so that when you see a recipe for a dinner you want to make, you aren't running to the store 4 different times in a day because you're out of something.

Yeah, I did that.  No joke.

So, stock up.  It's a very smart idea.

I did make a few changes to their recipe which I'll tell you about after.

Ultimate Egg Salad Sandwich - serves 2-4

6 large eggs

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon salt

generous grind of fresh black pepper

2 tablespoons minced red onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion

4 large pitas, sliced in half

4 strips of bacon, cooked crispy

2-3 cups lightly packed fresh spinach

Oops, and I'm just realizing that I forgot the cucumber

In a medium saucepan, place the six eggs.  Cover with cold water and bring to boil over high heat.

Cover, turn heat off and allow eggs to sit for 12 minutes.
With tongs, remove eggs and transfer to a bath of ice water.  Have them sit for 5 minutes, then peel and coarsely chop.  *It is SO easy to remove the shell this way ~ it just slides right off!*

In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, mustard, paprika, salt and pepper.

Add both onions.
Fold in chopped eggs.
Slice the pitas in half and place some spinach, and a strip of bacon (I broke it in half) inside each.

Finish by adding some egg salad.  If you don't, what's the point of an egg salad sandwich?

I rate everything I make on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and The Ultimate Egg Salad Sandwich earned...ah, I'm teetering between a 3 1/2 and 4.  The thing that's holding me back from a 4 is the bacon.  I think I'd much prefer it without it.  The saltiness was good, but I think it'd be better on the side.
Overall, the sandwich was a winner and the family liked them a lot, so I'll definitely be adding them to our menu again!
My one complaint was that I would have added at least another half of the recipe because there wasn't enough for four of us to eat it for dinner and we aren't very big eaters.  I tasted it, but ate something else for dinner.  :-(
Because that's what momma bear does.
My daughter also thought it was "very sneaky" sticking the spinach into it.
I told her it wasn't my doing that that was what was called for.
I'm just not that smart.
Oh yeah, the changes I made...instead of light mayonnaise, I used regular; substituted red onion for sweet onion; green onions for chives only because the store I went to was out; forgot the cucumber; used spinach instead of lettuce; and used Pocket-Thins Flatbreads instead of pitas.
A BIG baking hug to Mary Anne and Mariel for a great recipe and wonderful site!  It was great to get to know them and I look forward to trying more of their recipes and following their posts!

On another note, if you don't already know, we're having a 12 Days of Cookies Party over on the 365 Days of Baking FB page.  You need to come by and visit and see what WONDERFUL recipes friends are sharing!! LOTS of great ideas to help you plan your baking for the holidays which aren't that far away!!!

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

Taco Pockets - Revisited!

   

Some recipes are so good that they deserve a second look AND better pictures.
This is the case with the Taco Pockets I made on Day 295 of the 365 Days of Baking.
I was in a rush to go to a Christmas party and I was bringing them as an appetizer.
So, if you're one of the people bringing an appetizer it's best to be on time if not a bit early to the party, you would think.
The pictures were shot sort of haphazardly and the instructions were good, but I'd really like to do them justice today.
It's a recipe I really think you should consider serving when you have people over for Game Day, a potluck, or are feeding a large crowd.  They're a really great finger food (ok, some stuffing may fall out, but it's nothing you can't pick up with a fork), the recipe makes a lot AND for those big guys feeling all testosteronish wanting to show off after their team scores a touchdown, they can impress the ladies by shoving a whole one into their mouth!
Well, it's better than one of those corny pick-up lines, isn't it?
"Did you fart, 'cause you blew me away!"
Yeah, that would be a big fat no to neither, actually.

I do have to warn you that these aren't something that can be made quickly, like when you're in a rush to go to a Christmas party.  haha
Just be patient and everything will all come together.
Good things take time, ya know.
Don't worry though, they won't take you that long to make.  It's not like it's an all-day affair or nuthin'.
I'm just strongly suggesting you don't wait one hour before you're planning to serve them to start the prep work.
Just sayin'.

And still some pictures are nearly as bad as the first post.  :-/
Well, A for effort, I suppose, right?

Taco Pockets - makes 32 (we'll eat at least 3-4 per person for a meal and then there's plenty left over for the next day's lunch!)

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, minced
3 tablespoons Homemade Taco Seasoning
1/2 cup water

8 slices PepperJack cheese

2 cans (8 oz. each) 8 count crescent rolls

3 plum tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink, crumbling while cooking.

Drain the fat and return to pan.

Add onion and cook until soft.

*This is the way I cooked it in the first recipe which surprised me. I usually cook the onion first until it's translucent and then add the ground beef to the pan.  I don't think it makes a difference either way, so do it however you choose.*

Add taco seasoning and water, and stir thoroughly to combine.

Reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer while preparing crescents.

On a piece of parchment paper, unroll one package of crescents.  You can also do this on a clean surface, I just found that it contained the slight mess a little bit better and made for easy clean-up.  YAY me!

Cut each triangle in half, so that you have two smaller ones.  Don't worry, they won't be symmetrical, but it'll still work.

Gently separate them and arrange on parchment so that they are easy to access.

Stack the slices of cheese and cut them diagonally so that they form four stacks of smaller triangles.

Onto each crescent triangle, place one piece of cheese.

Place 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons of ground beef mixture on top of the cheese.

Top each with a few pieces of chopped tomato.

Sprinkle each with some cilantro.

Fold the points of the dough over, so that it comes together like a diaper, pinching the dough as the pieces come together to secure.

They will not all look like a baby's diaper.  Some of the pockets will not look anything like a baby's diaper, but that's ok.  Because the triangles are not the same size, some will be easier to put together than others, mainly the larger ones, like the one pictured above.  With those, I was able to fold the top of the triangle all the way over to the bottom and then fold the two sides over, pinching them into the middle strip.

The longer, thinner ones I found I just wrapped the two ends all the way over the other side.

Confused?  I am.  I'm trying to explain it so that it helps you, but I may have overdone it.

Some stuffing will fall out, just stick it back in.

No biggie.

Place onto prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 13-15 minutes until golden brown.

Repeat with remaining ingredients and second package of crescents.

I rate everything I make on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these Taco Pockets earned 3 1/2 rolling pins.

Even though they aren't the best things in the world for us considering they aren't completely made from scratch, I really do like making meals with crescent rolls.

I like the taste, I like that they're easy to use, and they're fun when using them in recipes.

So, shoot me.

I know, I am a big proponent of making things from scratch and not eating stuff that's processed, but sometimes I do make that exception.

Just know that there are options out there.

And yes, you could make your own dough for these, but I didn't want to.

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!

Banana Oat Bran Peanut Butter Chip Muffins

Um, I have to come clean with something.  Kind of funny, actually, but at the same time, EXTREMELY embarrassing!!
I lied.  Plain and simple.  I didn't do it on purpose, but I do need to let you know the information in the following paragraph is COMPLETELY and utterly INCORRECT!
I remember being SO very exhausted after that bike ride to get breakfast with my hubby that it FELT, yes, FELT like we rode for 20 miles when in all actuality, it was only, um...*hanging head in embarrassment*, a mere 8.43 miles.
See, I remember typing and thinking that I wanted to say it FELT like we rode for 20 miles going up and down those hills because my body hurt all over so very much, but I guess I left that part out.
Must've gotten side tracked or something. And I was tired. Very, very tired.
I'm not making excuses, I'm just telling you what happened.  I guess I was "not all there" when I wrote this post.  And I certainly wasn't coherent when I edited it or else I probably would have caught it.  Maybe.
I just had to come clean.
Up to this point, I've been nothing but honest and I certainly don't want to go and ruin my reputation now! I could have kept it and let you all think I'm a super duper bike rider and so into fitness that my body just completely radiates health because I'm so buff, and have the legs of a triathlete, but that is FAR from the truth.
So, I've been humbled and I admit my fault.
It was first brought to my attention when I was talking to my aunt last night on the phone and she asked me about it.  I told her no, that it only felt like 20 miles and that was what I wrote.  She insisted otherwise.
After I got off the phone, I forgot all about it and didn't check the post.
Then Nettie from Moore or Less Cooking commented on it when she shared the picture of the muffins after I'd shared them at her Sunday Potluck on her FB page, reminding me that I'd forgotten to check last night.
So there was really no way out but to fess up, y'all.
I'm just leaving the post as is with this amendment.
Love you!

I'm a woman of few words tonight, folks.
I'm tired even after my *ahem* three hour nap.
Yeah, life is tough.
A 20 mile bike ride to get some breakfast with the hubby, up and down some pretty rough hills just wiped me out.
And this is productive as I get today.
I still have dishes in the sink that are waiting to be done and THEN I'll be off to bed.

Make these muffins in the morning.
They're yummy and they'll make your body happy.
I'm happy.
Because you're here.
Again.
And again.
And again.
I thank you and I love you.
You. Complete. Me.

I adapted this recipe from my Fannie Farmer Cookbook ~ Thirteenth Edition.
Ok, I've attempted to "fix" some things in the recipe in the way of spacing, but everytime I go to fix it, things get worse, so I'm not messing with anything else.  My apologies for the format.

Banana Oat Bran Peanut Butter Chip Muffins - makes about 18

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 teaspoon flour

2 cups oat bran
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup mashed banana (I used two bananas)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin (and 6-cup tin, if you have it.  Otherwise, re-use the current pan, clean and grease again.  Fill the unused muffin cups halfway with water to ensure that the muffins will cook evenly.)
In a small bowl, toss the peanut butter chips with the teaspoon of flour.  This will help prevent the chips from sinking to the bottom.  Do this, too, when baking with fruits and berries!

In a large bowl, whisk together oat bran, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In a medium bowl, mix together milk, egg whites, canola oil and mashed banana.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined.

Fold in floured peanut butter chips.
Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full.

Bake for 15-17 minutes, until the tops are slightly golden.

I rate everything I make on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these Banana Oat Bran Peanut Butter Chip Muffins earned 3 1/2 rolling pins.
They were delicious with the oat bran and banana and made me feel like I was eating something REALLY healthy!
I like that.
Then the peanut butter chips...
Oh, be STILL my heart!
They were such the perfect touch to complete the muffins.
Peanut butter and banana, it's a winner.
A match made in heaven.
A marriage that was meant to be.
I think Elvis would agree.

I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!