Make Them NOW.

I fixed these delightful little creatures the other evening and definitely exceeded my goal of only eating one and sharing the rest with my co-workers.  They are wonderful with a cup of tea! You don't understand. THEY ARE PERFECT. Plus, you porbably have most of the ingredients already in your pantry....all you need to go grab is the cider packets and the caramels. So, go! Get what you don't already have, and make some baked Autumn goodness!

Caramel Apple Cookies

Ingredients

1 t ground cinnamon

1 c softened unsalted butter

1 t ground nutmeg

1/2 t ground cloves

1 c organic granulated sugar

1/2 t finely ground kosher sea salt

1 box of your favorite apple cider mix  packets (I bought Alpine Spiced Apple Cider)

2 eggs

1 t vanilla extract

1/2 t baking powder

3 c unbleached all purpose flour

1 t baking soda

1 bag Caramels (I used the square ones made by Kraft)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Line cookie sheets with wax paper or parchment
• In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon.
• Cream (mix vigorously) together butter, sugar, salt, and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time.
• Add vanilla and mix well.
• Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined.
• Refrigerate for about an hour - this is not neccessary, but does make the dough easier to work with
• When you are ready to bake, unwrap your caramels.
• Scoop out cookie dough balls the sixe of a Tablespoon.
• Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand. Press the unwrapped caramel into the center of your dough and seal the dough around it, covering it completely. Place on your wax paper about 1-2 inches apart.
• Bake 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. Don't over-bake! Once the cookies are done, pick up your wax paper and lay it on the counter so cookies cool for about 10 minutes. You want to take them off the was paper before they cool completely or they will stick.
• Yield: about 3 dozen.

Autumn Apples!

As a girl, my elementary schools in New York and Pennsylvania took us apple picking each year. Early Fall is one of the best times for joy-filled walks in an orchard. I remember with delight the crisp air and smile on my face as we raced off the buses and into the orchard! I would bite the first apple I could find and savor the sweet, enchanting fruit. Eve and I must be related.

Anyway, everyone knows that apples are one of the very best fruits for cooking! I like them with just about anything. I even cook apples in stews!

Below you will find the simplest applesauce recipe (and it all gets made in your crock pot)! I have been using it for years and it is so wholesome and tasty.

Spiced Applesauce

• 10 medium-sized cooking apples
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/8 cup brown sugar or 1/4 cup regular sugar
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 Tablespoon ground cloves

Peel, core & slice apples into 6 pieces each. Place in crockpot. Add your water and brown sugar, and then add your spices. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 3 1/2 hours. Once cooked, your applesauce may need a little mashing with a fork or potato masher....then, smile and divulge.

Keurig in my cup!

Recently, I decided to forego washing my hair (but that story is for another day)! This morning I wanted to share my recent success in completely eliminating processed, store bought coffee creamers from my coffee regime. I feel a great sense of pride in this victory as I have pretty much been addicted to coffee since my mom first put her stainless steel Puerto Rican coffee pot on our stove when I was 10 years old! Cafe con leche is more important than food in my book!

Anyway, for the past week and a half I have played with several variations of homemade flavored creamers....and they work! Oh my goodness they are delicious! Enough bragging, I know you are ready to concoct your own milky delightfulness!

Pumpkin Spice Creamer

1 Cup Whole Milk                   4 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Cup Heavy Cream                1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon (or 3 cinnamon sticks)
3 Tablespoons pureed pumpkin (you can use canned if you want)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract     1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice (I use McCormick)

Whisk together all ingredients except vanilla extract. Pour into a sauce pan and heat on medium low until the mixture begins to let off steam. Then pour it all through a stainless steel strainer or a mesh sieve. Use a funnel to pour it into a glass bottle, and refridgerate.

Anna's Peppermint Mocha
(in honor of my good friend, who usually waits all year for her holiday favorite)

1 Cup Whole Milk                   4 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Cup Heavy Cream              3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract    1 Teaspoon Peppermint Extract

Whisk together all ingredients except vanilla and peppermint extracts. Pour into a sauce pan and heat on medium low until the mixture begins to let off steam. Then pour it all through a stainless steel strainer or a mesh sieve. Use a funnel to pour it into a glass bottle, and refridgerate.



I hope you like these as much as I do!

Super Crock Pot Saves Starving Husband!

Have I mentioned that I have a crock pot? Yep, and I love it, let me explain.

Well, you see, my husband has gained 30 pounds since we got married....seriously. Not to mention that he regularly tells me there is nothing to eat in the house! Oh, and I recently accepted a job working in an office with office hours (so I don't get home until after 5:30 every day). All said and done, I have been desperately trying to struggle the demands of a hungry husband, a new job, housecleaning, purchasing a new home, and reaching out into our local community. Here is where the crock pot comes in....what better way to save time and feed my growing boy? I have a myriad of recipes thanks to some cook books and my crazy foodie brain. Over the past 2 weeks I have chopped, browned, and tossed ingredients into one pot for several hours, only to discover a scrumptious meal waiting for us at our house upon return home! Below, I will share a recent favorite and if I get lots of happy comments I will share more soon.

Keep in mind that my measurements are approximate as I never measure anything, I just throw it all together. This is probably why baking sweets is my least favorite form of cooking!

Oh, and another note on ingredients: I always try to buy organic and local. I won't add "organic" as a word before each ingredient, but you can assume I either bought it local or used organic.

Apple Cider Stew (awesome Fall stew)

1 pound beef stew meat
2 Tablespoons of real butter
1 bag of baby carrots
4 small sweet potatoes, sliced (the smaller they are, the better flavor they have)
3 of your favorite type of apple (I prefer washington or sweet green), diced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
crushed, fresh thyme
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups apple cider
1/2 cup golden raisens
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup celery, chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
dash of nutmeg
dash of allspice

No need to brown your meat for this recipe, just toss all of your ingredients into the crock pot and put on low for 10-12 hours! This savory-sweet stew is one of my VERY favorites!


Please let me know what you think! If I notice people are using these, I will continue to add more!