caramel apples (and raspberries)

Well.. I made these a month ago and then the pictures got lost into the unorganized mess that is my pictures folder. But since caramel apples are one of my favorite things in the world, I thought it was still worth a share. Roll them in crushed peppermint and its perfectly festive for christmas.

Caramel apples
makes 4

1 cups granulated sugar
1 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


In a heavy sauce pan over medium heat combine sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup of the heavy cream. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. This will take some time.

Once the mixture boils add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream in a slow trickle so that you do not cool your caramel mixture and it continues to boil uninterrupted.

Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to boil for 5-6 minutes without stirring.


Add butter one tablespoon at a time, stirring after each melts. Clip on your candy thermometer and allow to boil over medium-low heat until the mixture just hits 250°F (Firm Ball stage) stirring occasionally. This should take about 30-40 minutes, if your temperature is climbing too quickly you might need to reduce heat all the way to low. By the same token, if you're not hitting 250°F by 40 minutes you might want to increase the heat a bit.

While waiting, clean apples and insert sticks.

Once you've hit the right temperature, quickly remove from heat. Stir in the teaspoon of vanilla and dip the apples into the caramel. Place on parchment paper to cool.

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I got a little carried away and started dunking raspberries in the left over caramel. It was out of this world good! I strongly recommend.

chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies

Gingerbread cookies have always been a favorite of mine. In high school my friends and I would stay up late making chewy molasses rich cookies, baking about half the dough and eating the rest straight out of the bowl while watching movies. Just thinking back on it I can almost feel the inevitable stomach ache we'd always get.

Part nostalgia, part needing a holiday treat for a party, I decided to make some gingerbread cookies. I came across these in Martha Stewart Cookies. I figured everything's better with chocolate right? Nod yes, please. Because the combination is magical.






(click on pictures to enlarge)


Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
makes 2 dozen

1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablspoon cocoa powder
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water
7 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate, cut into chunks
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

2. In a bowl, sift together first six ingredients. In a different bowl, beat butter and fresh ginger until lightened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar, beat until combined. Add molasses, beat until combined.

3. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking soda mixture, then remaining half flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn onto plastic wrap. Pat out to a 1-inch thickness; seal wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

4. Preheat oven to 325. Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Chill 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until surfaces just begin to crack, 10 -12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

Marshmallows

Christmas is only five little days away. How did that happen??


Well, the day before Josh got home from Germany, I got sick. Like high fever, bad cough, worst sore throat ever sick. Which really put a kink in my christmas preparations. I had a million knitting, crocheting and sewing projects I needed to finish to send to family for christmas, not to mention all the christmas baking I had planned. Instead I ate soup and got caught up on tv shows (dexter finale.. whooooa)

So finally on thursday I mustered up the strength to bake the entire day so I could send something homemade with the gifts to friends and family.

Marshmallows have been on my to-do list for a long time, mostly because they look so cute and fluffy.



I am not a huge fan of marshmallows in general. But I do like them in smores and on top of my hot cocoa.. And these were AMAZING in hot cocoa. And hopefully my recipients enjoy them as well.

The instructions for these look a tad intimidating, but don't be fooled, they are extremely easy. A candy thermometer is key.


(reminder: click on pictures to enlarge)

Another last minute christmas gift recipe coming tomorrow!

Marshmallows (recipe by Smittenkitchen)

About 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

3 1/2 envelopes (2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
2 cups granulated sugar (cane sugar worked just fine)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites or reconstituted powdered egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla (alternately: 1/2 of a scraped vanilla bean, 2 teaspoons almond or mint extract or maybe even some food coloring for tinting)

Oil bottom and sides of a 13- by 9- by 2-inch rectangular metal baking pan and dust bottom and sides with some confectioners’ sugar.

In bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold cold water, and let stand to soften.

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, second 1/2 cup of cold water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

With standing or a hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. (Some reviewers felt this took even longer with a hand mixer, but still eventually whipped up nicely.)

In separate medium bowl with cleaned beaters beat egg whites (or reconstituted powdered whites) until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla (or your choice of flavoring) into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into baking pan and don’t fret if you don’t get it all out (learning from my mess of a first round). Sift 1/4 cup confectioners sugar evenly over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours, and up to one day.

Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. Lifting up one corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and ease onto cutting board. With a large knife trim edges of marshmallow and cut marshmallow into roughly one-inch cubes. (An oiled pizza cutter works well here too.) Sift remaining confectioners’ sugar back into your now-empty baking pan, and roll the marshmallows through it, on all six sides, before shaking off the excess and packing them away.

Marshmallows keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature 1 week