Brooke's Gourmet Caramel Apples

A friend of mine makes tons of Christmas candies and sweets. She graciously agreed to teach a group of ladies how to make caramel apples ala Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. These were delicious, and much better than what you will buy at the aforementioned candy shoppe. It did take time, since you are making the caramel from scratch, but it was well worth it. She got her recipe from Our Best Bites (love their blog).

It would help if you have a candy thermometer.

1 pound dark brown sugar (about 2 cups packed brown sugar)
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup dark corn syrup
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon molasses
1/4 teaspoon salt

12 medium sized apples (that’s a pretty conservative measurement, this makes a lot of caramel)
popsicle sticks or chopsticks

12 oz bag chocolate chips (milk, dark, white, whatever you prefer)

I covered my apples with cinnamon sugar, but you can use any optional toppings for dipping (toffee bits, chopped nuts, coconut, crushed cookies or candy bars, etc.)

DIRECTIONS:

Wash and dry apples; place sticks in cores and place on a baking sheet in the fridge to chill. Prepare all toppings in bowls and have them ready to go.

To prepare caramel, combine first 8 ingredients in heavy 2 1/2-quart nonstick saucepan (about 3-4 inches deep, at least). Stir with wooden or silicone spatula over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves (no crystals are felt when caramel is rubbed between fingers), occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush or scraping with spatula, about 15 minutes.

Attach a clip-on candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to medium-high; cook caramel at rolling boil until thermometer registers 236°F, stirring constantly but slowly with clean spatula and occasionally brushing/scraping down sides of pan,  about 12 minutes. Pour caramel into a bowl. Submerge thermometer bulb in caramel.  Cool to 200°F, about 20 minutes.  If it cools too much just heat it up a little.

While caramel cools, line 1-2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or buttered foil.  Set up decorations and melted chocolates.

Holding stick, dip 1 apple into 200°F caramel, submerging all but very top of apple. Lift apple out, allowing excess caramel to drip back into bowl. Turn apple caramel side up and hold for several seconds to help set caramel around apple.  If needed, gently scrape the bottom of the apple to remove excess caramel. Place coated apple on prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining apples and caramel, spacing apples apart (caramel will pool a bit on foil). If caramel becomes too thick to dip into, gently heat in microwave, or add 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream and briefly whisk caramel in bowl over low heat to thin.

By the time you have dipped all the apples, the first ones should be ready partially set enough to add toppings.  If not, chill in fridge for a few minutes.  Lift 1 apple from foil. Using hand, press pooled caramel around apple. At this point you can either add toppings to the caramel, or dip the caramel-coated apples into melted chocolate and THEN add toppings.

Chill until toppings are set, about 1 hour. Cover; chill up to 1 week or wrap in cellophane bags for gift giving.

Candied Crockpot Ham

This year we chose to do an easy Thanksgiving - just ham, sweet potatoes, and rolls. I found a yummy, easy recipe and adapted it to our tastes. After this tasty meal was over, I made ham broth; if you've never made your own broth, DO IT! It's the best tasting, most nutritious broth you'll ever have! Just simmer any leftover bones, meat, and fat in water for 36-48 hours, strain, cool, and freeze in 1 cup portions!

1 to 2 cups brown sugar
bone-in ham
1 can pineapple (tidbits or crushed)

Cover the bottom of your crockpot with a thin layer of brown sugar. Place ham in the crock, dump the pineapple over top of it, then rub the remaining brown sugar on the outside of the ham. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until heated through. Pull the ham out and onto a serving plate, leaving the juice and pineapple behind (to be tossed). It was practically falling off the bone for us, and was super juicy and tender. Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies

This year I'm participating in a holiday cookie exchange. I really don't have a holiday cookie that I make every year, so I started looking online. Even though I'm not a big fan of sugar cookies, this recipe caught my interest. I am a HUGE dark chocolate lover; not only does it work to heighten my mood on a rough day, it shows promise as an alternative depression treatment. Any excuse I can get to eat some quality chocolate, I'll take!

This recipe was simple, yet time intensive. I could blame my kids for it taking all day, but that wouldn't be fair. Between letting the butter soften, and then rotating cookie dough between the fridge, freezer, and oven, plan on this taking the good part of a morning or afternoon. I would also suggest making sure you have 3 cookie pans ready - one to place newly cut dough on, one baking in the oven, and one cooling on the stove top - for maximum efficiency.

6 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1-1/4 cups dark cocoa powder
2 cups (4 sticks) salted butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs, cold
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

STEP 1)
In large bowl, sift together flour and cocoa powder. Set aside.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until fluffy and pale, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs until just combined.
Add flour mixture and vanilla, and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined.

STEP 2)
Split dough into quarters, form balls, and place each ball on a large piece of plastic wrap on counter. Wrap the sides of wrap over the ball, then press down with the palm of your hand and make a disc about 2" thick. Finish wrapping the disc with the plastic wrap. Repeat with each ball of dough. Chill discs of dough for about 45 minutes.


STEP 3)
Remove one disc and remove plastic wrap. Place on top of a large piece of parchment paper (I used a silicone rolling mat underneath to keep it from slipping while rolling), then place two 1/4" wooden dowels on either side of your dough (they will help your dough roll to an even thickness), then another sheet of parchment paper.
Roll dough (this will require a lot of muscle for the first few minutes until it softens up a bit) so it's flush with dowels.Slide your parchment paper and dough onto a spare cookie sheet, then place in refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

STEP 4)
Remove from fridge, and cut your shapes using the cutters of your choice, placing them on a baker's half sheet lined with a silicone baking mat (or parchment), with 2" clearance around each one and the edge of sheet.
(This is when you should preheat your oven to 325*)

STEP 5)
Place sheet with cookies into freezer for 15 minutes. Pull out and bake until cookie edges are just crisp, about 12 minutes for cookies under 3" across, and about 15 minutes for cookies over 3" across.
Cool sheets on wire racks for 10 minutes, then gently remove cookies and place on wire racks to finish cooling.

Repeat steps 3-5. This is where rotating the pans comes in handy. I have a pan in the fridge with the rolled out dough (step 3), a pan in the freezer with cut shapes (step 4), and a pan baking in the oven (step 5). Since each step is about 15 minutes, everything moves to the next step at the same time.

This recipe ended up making 24 small (2"), 48 medium (3"), and 12 large cookies (4") cookies, plus the quarter cup or so of dough the kids and I ate!

Sarah's Superbowl Dip

I know it's not Superbowl time right now! I'm going through all of my old recipes and pulling the ones I love. This is a perfect dip for any party/potluck.

1 lb chicken breast (or 2 cans cooked chicken)
1 large block velveeta
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup salsa
1 small can chopped olives
1 small can chopped green chiles

If you decide to use fresh chicken, boil it until done, then chop and shred it. While it's cooking, cube the velveeta into 1 inch chunks and put in a large crockpot. Add all other ingredients and let heat on low until melted (about 3 hours).

Serve with chips!

Mexican Flan

I saw this recipe on a mexican TV station while we were living in New Mexico. I was pregnant with Lily and this sounded SO delicious. It was, and still is. It's one of the easiest flans to make, and comes out great.

Carmel:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Filling:

1 can Evaporated Milk

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 can Media Crèma (table cream)

3 whole eggs

3 egg yolks

Prepare carmel by boiling water and sugar until syrup turns amber in color.  Pour into glass/ceramic pie plate, coating bottom and sides evenly. While this is cooling, in blender, mix all filling ingredients until well blended.  Then pour into carmel-coated pie plate.

Bake in water bath at 350* for 30 minutes, then 300* for another hour.

Jodi's Chocolate Mousse

2 eggs

2 c powdered sugar

1/2 c milk

1/8 t salt

4 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped

6 T unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 t vanilla

Whisk eggs, sugar, milk, and salt together in a medium heat-proof, stainless-steel bowl. Set the bowl in a large skillet of barely simmering water and heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove from the heat and stir in chocolate, butter, and vanilla. Stir until the chocolate and butter are melted and the mixture is smooth. Set the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and beat on high speed until the mousse holds a shape. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 days.

I like to use this as my French Silk Pie filling: just spoon into an Oreo-cookie crust and garnish how you wish - chocolate shavings, whipped cream, or nothing. Our French Silk Pie is the third from the left (with chocolate leaves).

Chocolate Pavlova

I made this a few years back for Mike's birthday and it was fantastic. I got the recipe out of a FOOD Network magazine (thanks for the subscription, fabulous brother-in-law Dane!) and here's the link online.
6 large egg whites
2 cups superfine sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

2 cups heavy cream, to be whipped
4 cups berries (any kind will do)
1 to 2 ounces dark chocolate for shaving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Draw a 9-inch-diameter circle on the paper with a pencil, tracing a round cake tin that size. Flip the paper over so your meringue doesn't touch the pencil marks - you'll still be able to see the circle.

Beat the egg whites with a mixer until satiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny.Add the chocolate: Sprinkle the cocoa, vinegar and then the chopped chocolate over the egg whites. Gently fold everything with a rubber spatula until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in.

Secure the parchment to the baking sheet with a dab of meringue under each corner. Mound the meringue onto the parchment within the circle, smoothing the sides and the top with a spatula.

Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 300 degrees F and cook for one to one and a quarter hours. When it's ready, it should look crisp and dry on top, but when you prod the center you should feel the promise of squishiness beneath your fingers.

Turn off the oven and open the door slightly; let the chocolate meringue disk cool completely in the oven. When you're ready to serve, invert onto a big flat bottomed plate and peel off the parchment. Top with freshly whipped cream, then berries, then shaved chocolate and even an extra sprinkle of powdered sugar if you wish.

Judy's Christmas Caramels

Coconut oil
1/4 c water
1 1/2 c sugar
1/4 c light corn syrup
1 c heavy cream
5 T unsalted butter
1 t fine fleur de sel (or I've used Kosher salt)
1/2 t pure vanilla extract

Line a 8x8 pan with parchment paper, allowing it to drape over 2 sides, then brush lightly with oil. In a deep saucepan (6" wide by 5" deep) combine water, sugar and corn syrup, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until golden brown. Don't stir - just swirl the pan!
Meanwhile, in a small pot, bring the cream, butter and salt to simmer over medium heat. Turn off heat and set aside.
When the sugar mixture is done, turn off the heat and slowly add the cream mixture to it.Be careful - it will bubble up violently. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the mix reaches 248 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Very carefully, pour the caramel into the prepped pan and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm.
When the caramel is cold, pull from the pan on to a cutting board and cut into 1" by 2" pieces. Wrap in wax paper.
Yields about 40 pieces.

Roy's Christmas Morning Struesel

TOPPING:
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t cloves

CAKE:
1 c sugar
1/2 c butter, softened
8 oz sour cream or plain yogurt
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 1/4 c flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

1 c fruit, frozen (I usually use raspberries)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix struesel in a small bowl, set aside. Mix each cake ingredient in, one at a time, until well mixed (except fruit). Pour h1/2 batter into 2 greased bread pans. Sprinkle in fruit and half of the topping. Pour in the rest of the batter, top with the remaining topping. Bake for 45 minutes, serve warm.

Boneless Leg of Lamb

5 lb leg of lamb, boneless
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 t dry oregano
2 t dry thyme
2 t dry rosemary
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c lemon juice
2 c dry red wine (I used cooking wine)
1/4 t pepper

Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. Rub garlic and spice mix all over the lamb. Put the lamb in a large ziploc bag and pour in the liquids. Squeeze out the air from the bag and seal it. I put it all in another ziploc bag so it couldn't leak. Marinate in the fridge overnight.

Remove the lamb from the fridge one hour before cooking. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Drain the marinade and pat the lamb dry. With the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan, sprinkle with 2 t salt and 1/2 t pepper. Stick a thermometer into the meat.

Roast the lamb for 20 min at 450 degrees, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees. Continue cooking until desired internal temperature is reached:

Rare: 130 degrees
Medium Rare: 140 degrees
Medium: 155 degrees
Well Done: 165 degrees

Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Tzatziki (Yogurt Sauce)

Ok, I'm guessing on this one because this is what Mike wrote down:

"yogurt, mint, cucumber, sour cream. shred cucumber, mix some sour cream, mint and yogurt to taste. add salt. let rest."

I'm pretty sure that means:

4 oz plain yogurt (greek would be best)
4 oz sour cream
1 cucumber
handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
1/4 t salt

Peel and shred the cucumber. Strain the pulp, then squeeze between paper towels (you want very little added moisture). In a small bowl mix yogurt, sour cream, mint; add cucumber. Taste, add salt, taste, maybe add more salt. Let rest.

Falafel

1 cup dried chickpeas or 16 oz. can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans.
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons flour
Salt
Pepper
Oil for frying

Place dried chickpeas in a bowl, covering with cold water. Allow to soak overnight. Omit this step if using canned beans. Drain chickpeas, and place in pan with fresh water, and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 5 minutes, then let simmer on low for about an hour. Drain and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste) in medium bowl. Add flour. Mash chickpeas, ensuring to mix ingredients together. You can also combine ingredients in a food processor. You want the result to be a thick paste. Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Slightly flatten.

Fry in 2 inches of oil at 350 degrees until golden brown (5-7 minutes).

Serve hot.

Baklava

1 lb pistachios or walnuts (or a mix of both), coarsely ground
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 c zwieback crackers or breadcrumbs
4 sticks unsalted butter, melted
16 sheets phyllo dough (thawed, if frozen), cut in half

SYRUP:
3 c sugar
1 1/2 c water
8 oz honey
1 T fresh lemon juice

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Combine the nuts, cinnamon and ground crackers in a bowl.

Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with some of the butter. Layer 10 pieces of phyllo in the dish, brushing each piece with butter before adding the next (keep the remaining dough covered with a damp towel). Sprinkle a quarter of the nut mixture over the dough. Layer 4 pieces of phyllo on top, brushing each with butter before adding the next; sprinkle with another quarter of the nut mixture. Add 4 more phyllo pieces on top, brushing each with butter, then add another quarter of the nut mixture, 4 more pieces of phyllo with butter, and the remaining nuts.

Layer the remaining 10 pieces of phyllo on top of the nuts, brushing each with butter; brush the top piece with extra butter. Cut into the baklava to make strips, about 1 1/2 inches wide. Then make diagonal slices, about 1 1/2 inches apart, to create a diamond pattern. Bake until golden, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the syrup: Bring the sugar, honey and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice and boil 2 more minutes, then let cool slightly.

Pour the syrup over the warm baklava; let soak, uncovered, at least 6 hours or overnight. Garnish with nuts.

Kitchen Sink Sweet Potato Casserole

Aptly named because everything but the kitchen sink goes in!

4 1/2 c cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 c butter, melted
1/3 c milk
1 c white sugar
1/2 t vanilla
2 eggs, beaten

TOPPING:
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c flour
1/3 c butter, cold
1 c chopped pecans
1 c mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients (except topping). Spread mixture into the baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and flour. Cut in cold butter so mixture is crumbly, then stir in pecans. Sprinkle mixture over sweet potatoes.
Bake for 20 minutes, then top with marshmallows and bake 5 more minutes (or until golden).

Cran-Orange Relish

12 oz bag cranberries
1 c sugar
1 c orange juice
orange zest
1 orange, supremed and diced
3/4 c walnuts, toasted

Combine first four ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat until thick. Take off of the heat and mix in last two ingredients. Chill before serving.

*Mixing leftover relish with softened cream cheese turns this into a great spread for leftover turkey sammies!

Raw Cranberry Relish

2 c sugar
1 whole orange, cut in quarters
1 bag cranberries

Dump in a food processor and chop until combined!

Good Eats Turkey

Our 2011 Thanksgiving feast in Colorado

1 14-16 lb frozen young turkey

FOR THE BRINE:
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 c kosher salt
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1 T black peppercorns
1 1/2 t allspice berries
1 1/2 t chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water

FOR THE AROMATICS:
1 red apple, quartered
1/2 onion, quartered
1 cinnamon stick
1 c water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 sage leaves
Canola oil, for coating

2 to 3 days before roasting:
Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:
Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

Judy's Homemade Stuffing

1 loaf bread, cut into cubes and dried overnight
2 cubes butter
1 small yellow onion, chopped finely
1 small bunch celery, chopped finely
1 T sage
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. In saucepan, melt butter and saute onion and celery until carmelized. Dump bread cubes and butter mixture into bowl to combine; spread on a foil lined baking tray. Sprinkle with sage, salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

I Hate April Fool's Day...

...and playing yet *another* practical joke on me won't change my mind.
My hubs loves April Fool's. So does the rest of his family. Which was fine and dandy when we lived close to them, because he could "fool" them, and they could "fool" him, and I wasn't involved. Now that we're in Houston, nearly 1200 miles away, I am the target.
Now I'm no Scrooge, I love fun and silly things on April Fools Day (for dinner I made meatloaf "cupcakes", frosted them with mashed potatoes, and topped them with a cherry tomato - which would have been more realistic if I'd had red tomatoes on hand): But I don't like mean jokes or lies disguised as an April Fool's surprise (like "Honey I got in a car wreck and am in the hospital" or the myriad of "I'm engaged" or "I'm pregnant" status changes on Facebook). I decided years ago that on April 1st, I wouldn't believe a thing anyone told me.
This year I reminded Mike how much I hate April Fool's and was sure I wouldn't be tortured. Wrong! Because if *he* loves something, and I don't, he takes that as a challenge to change my mind. Well, screwing with my computer and changing settings so I can't check my email or reconcile our budget sure doesn't change my mind. In fact, it just infuriates me. And since I'm pregnant, it makes me cry.
I hate April Fool's Day, and I'm having a hard time not hating the people who love it.

*update* I found an article on LDS.org about "lightmindedness" and just realized it fits well with my distaste for these kinds of "jokes". Check it out!