CARAMEL APPLE BARK

What? 2 recipes in 2 days! Bringing back an occasional Tasty Tuesday because I’ve had so many recipes lately! I sure hope you saw the Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese Dip recipe yesterday! My fav tailgating food recipe for sure! 

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Its fall y’all and my favorite time to cook, bake and concoct new recipes! This one is so perfect and yummy for a Fall Day! and to use the bounty of apples you might have in your neck of the woods! 

CARAMEL APPLE BARK 🍎🍏

The yumminess of a caramel apple but NO stickiness!!!!

What you'll need

CARAMEL APPLE BARK

Ingredients:
11.5 oz milk chocolate chips (save a few for melted drizzle on top)
1 apple, diced
11 oz bag caramel bits
1-1/2 cups tiny twist pretzels
Lemon
 
Directions:
1.   Pour the chocolate chips into a glass bowl. Microwave them in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
2.   Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate into the shape of a rectangle on top of the wax paper. The dimensions of the rectangle will end up being about 8"X12".
3.   Place the pretzels evenly on top of the chocolate.
4.   Dice the apple and use a paper towel to dab the apple pieces to absorb any extra moisture. Mix with some lemon to prevent browning. 
5.   Place caramel in a microwave-safe bowl. I like to add 2 tablespoons of milk or water to help thin out the caramel just a little bit. Microwave the caramel for one minute and then stir the mixture. Continue to microwave the caramel in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval until completely melted and smooth.
6.   Add the diced apples to the caramel and mix until well combined. Spoon the caramel/apple mixture on top of the pretzel layer.
7.   Drizzle a little more melted chocolate on top. Refrigerate for at least an hour before cutting or breaking into pieces. 

And I'll be back tomorrow with an 

UP NORTH Fall Leaf trip recap!!

 LINKING-UP with Metamorphosis Monday // Thursday Fashion Files // Love your Creativity // Hello Monday  

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MY FAVORITE APPLE & SPINACH SALAD

When I started to make this salad, which I’ve loved for years, I realized something. I am always concocting up new recipes and sometimes forget to make my tried and true staple recipes that I’ve been making for years to share with you all here on the Blog. This is a seasonal salad for me that I only tend to make In the Fall season.....AND I LOVE IT!! And you truly could eat this all year round. 
Yum

The homemade dressing is the star of the show here and of course I like to use my favorite apple: The Honey Crisp!

What you'll need

Apple Spinach Salad

INGREDIENTS 

1 pound Baby Spinach or Spring Mix

3 sweet apples halved and sliced ( I like Honeycrisp or Gala)

1/4 cup Feta cheese, crumbled

Handful Dried cranberries or crasins (I had a cranberry and nut blend)

1/4 cup Candied pecans and/or almonds 

Dressing

3/4 cup olive oil

3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 Tablespoons white vinegar

3 Tablespoons sesame seeds

1/4 cup white sugar

3/8 teaspoon paprika
S&P to taste if desired 

DIRECTIONS 

To make the dressing, pour all into a salad shaker or jar and shake well, or whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Assemble salad ingredients and top with dressing, toss and serve! 

HAPPY TASTY TUESDAY!!

Linking up with Tasty Tuesdays // Wonderful Wednesday's Blog Hop // Full Plate Thursday // Tickle My Tastebuds Tuesday // Creative Muster Party // Wow Us Wednesdays // Thursday Favorite things Blog Hop //Best Of The Weekend// Handmade Hangout // Grace At Home // Two Cup Tuesday // The SITS Girls // Create, Make, Take // Dishing It & Digging It // Feathered Nest Friday  // Pretty Pintastic Party // Metamorphosis Monday // The Scoop  // Best Friday Features //  Meal Plan Monday #140 // Delicious Dishes Recipe Party  // Clever Chicks Blog Hop // Cooking & Crafting with J&J // Sweet Inspiration Link-Party // Farmhouse 4o Inspire Me Monday

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APPLE SHEET CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL FROSTING

The last time I shared a Fall Sheet Cake recipe was 3 years ago and included pumpkin of course and it was a huge hit. That Caramel Cider Pumpkin Sheet Cake is a family favorite. However, after bringing home some delightful apples from our Michigan trip last month, the Apple wheels were spinning and with the moistness that apples bring, I knew it would be a cake of some sort. You know what had me even more stoked over this recipe is that it was even 10 times better the next day. I highly suggest making it the day before and as you know, a Sheet Cake makes a lot but it still didn’t last long in our house. The great news if you would happen to have some left, is that it freezes well.

Let's be honest with why I am such a fan of the sheet cake. Since it is not as thick of a cake, say in a 13x9 pan, it allows for a much better cake/frosting ration. The thinner the car, the more frosting and in this case; the salted caramel, has me over the frosting moon! 

What you'll need

Apple Sheet Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting
INGREDIENTS

For the cake

1 (2 sticks) cup unsalted Butter, softened

2 cups white sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup milk

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves

3-4 medium peeled and diced apples

For the frosting 

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup Brown sugar

1/3 Heavy Cream

1 teaspoon Vanilla 

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

3-4 cups Powdered sugar 

DIRECTIONS 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 11x17 sheet or jelly roll pan. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and set aside. In a large bowl with a mixer, mix together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, when all eggs have been added, mix in the vanilla and the milk. Stir in the apples. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just moistened. Spread batter evenly into pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake completely. To make frosting; In a medium saucepan, place butter brown sugar and heavy cream and melt over medium heat just until boils, remove from heat and whisk in sea salt until melts, then mix in vanilla and powdered sugar with mixer. Add more powdered sugar after 3 cups if not desired thickness. Working quickly, as it will harden, spread over cooled apple cake. Cool and cut into squares. 

HAPPY TASTY TUESDAY!

Linking up with Friday  // Pretty Pintastic Party // Metamorphosis Monday // The Scoop  // Best Friday Features //  Meal Plan Monday // Delicious Dishes Recipe Party  /

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CARAMEL APPLE COOKIES

This girl is a sucker for a yummy caramel apple! However, I don't eat them very often because they can be kind of messy. So since I love cookies with yummy frosting this time of year, I decided why not try a Caramel Apple Cookie! Maybe throw in some of my beloved Honeycrisp. Add a little apple butter for the moist factor. The result is a cookie that to me rivals or is almost better than the Pumpkin Drop Cookies I shared HERE.

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I have fond memories of unwrapping Carmel after Kraft caramel to melt and dip apples in with my mom! Fall harvest parties just meant you absolutely had to have caramel apples back in the day. Our sons are crazy about the caramel apple suckers but now I am over the moon for these Caramel Apple cookies! Mr. Nine thought so too, I heard "these cookies are great several times." Those Pumpkin drop are usually my favorite of my fall cookie repertoire, but these might've taken the lead.

If you try no cookie recipe this fall, trust me when I say try this one, especially if you like Apples and caramel! The Apple flavor is very mild and the caramel frosting signs on these moist cookies.

What you'll need

CARAMEL APPLE COOKIES
Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 peeled and shredded honey crisp apple 
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup Apple Butter
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp Apple Juice
Frosting
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 Tbsp apple juice 
• 1 Tbsp whipping cream or half and half
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• Nuts..optional

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg for 20 seconds, set aside. In a separate bowl, toss shredded apple with lemon juice, set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix together butter and brown sugar until creamy. Mix in egg and vanilla extract. Mix in half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed, slowly add in apple juice, then mix in remaining half of the flour mixture. Fold in shredded apples that have been mixed with the lemon juice. Scoop dough out with a spoon (about 2 inch wide dough mounds) and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets spacing cookies 2-inches apart or a baking stone. Bake in preheated oven 11 - 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the frosting: In a small saucepan combine brown sugar, butter, apple juice, cream and salt. Heat mixture over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread over cookies in a thin layer. The frosting will set quickly so. Add the optional nuts now if desired. As frosting cools it will thicken, so add 1/2 tsp warm water at a time to thin as needed for a more spreadable consistency. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

AND
**Make sure to head over to The Blended Blog today where myself and 3 other contributors are featured in a "Behind The Blogger" Interview and Feature!! Super FUN questions this month. Don't Miss It!

HAPPY TASTY TUESDAY SWEET FRIENDS!!

Linking up with Tasty Tuesdays // Tuesday Talk // Wonderful Wednesday's Blog Hop // Full Plate Thursday // Recipe Sharing Party~YUM // Tickle My Tastebuds Tuesday // Two Uses Tuesday // Creative Muster Party // Wow Us Wednesdays // Thursday Favorite things Blog Hop //Best Of The Weekend Wake Up Wednesday // Handmade Hangout // Simple and Sweet Fridays // Throwback Thursday // Share It // Too Cute Tuesday // Sweet and Simple Fridays // Grace At Home // Inspire Me Monday// Creativity Unleashed // Two Cup Tuesdaye // The SITS Girls // Clever Chicks Blog Hop // Snickerdoodle Sunday // Dishing It & Digging It // Diary of a Real Housewife // Feathered Nest Friday // Weekend Potluck // Metamorphosis Monday // The Scoop

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