Caramel Apple Dip

I made this for a get together with Corey's family tonight. I wanted to have something a little healthier since we've been eating so much junk lately. It was amazing, and I can't wait to try it again! Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Dip

4 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
20 caramels, unwrapped
2 Tb. milk
1/4 cup Mrs. Richardson's butterscotch caramel ice cream topping (feel free to skip this if you don't have it on hand, it just adds a little more contrast to the dip instead of pure sweetness).

1. Whip softened cream cheese and brown sugar with electric mixer.
2. Melt caramels and milk in microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 minutes. stir until smooth. Add ice cream topping. Let sit in refrigerator for 20 minutes. Mix melted caramel and cream cheese mixture until smooth and well blended.
3. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 days. Serve with sliced apples, fresh pears, or graham crackers. (I also tried it with marshmallows and it was great. It would also be a great sauce for ice cream or apple cake. Yum, yum, yum).

Apple Braid

This is a delicious bread recipe that doubles as breakfast or dessert. It's just sweet enough to satisfy your sweet tooth but not so sweet that it is overpowering. Enjoy!

Apple Braid

Bread
2 1/2 cups bread flour
3/4 tsp. salt
2 Tb. sugar or honey
1 Tb. instant yeast (I recommend SAF brand)
1 - 1 1/4 cups very hot water
2 Tb. melted butter or margarine

Filling
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch cloves
2 Tb. flour
2 Tb. butter or margarine

Icing
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup softened butter or margarine
1 Tb. water
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Mix all dry ingredients for bread in large mixing bowl with bread hook. Mix until well blended. Add very hot water and melted butter. Mix for 1 minute, until well combined. Check consistency. You want it to be a stick dough, not a dry dough. Add water or flour to get to desired consistency and mix for 5 more minutes.
2. Spray jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Place dough in pan and roll out so it fills the edges of the pan. Cut 4" strips down each of the long sides of the pan, leaving the center uncut.
3. Prepare the filling by mixing all filling ingredients and microwaving in medium bowl for 2 minutes, or until apples are soft and filling is thick. Spoon down center of braid.
4. Starting from the top, fold one strip of bread over diagonally and press it so it touches the bottom of the strip on the other side. Pinch well so it stays in place. Repeat from the other side. Continue until all strips have been pinched onto the opposite side. Pinch together the bottom of the braid so it seals in the filling and fold end under the braid. Repeat with top of braid.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover braid with dishcloth and let raise 25 minutes. Remove dish cloth and bake for 20 minutes, or until bottom and top are lightly browned. Remove braid from baking sheet and place on cooling rack to cool (this prevents the bottom from getting soggy). Cool 5 minutes and top with glaze.

Kevin's Cake

In honor of Krista's Birthday, Kevin's Cake

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup veg. oil
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg (personally I don't like nutmeg)
1 tsp cinn.
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups applesauce
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1 cup semi-sweet choc.chips

Mix sugar and oil. Add clocves, nutmeg, cinn. and salt. heat applesauce with baking soda in it. Add alternately with flour. Add chocolate chips. Bake in well greased and floured bunt pan.
350 degrees for 40 to 45 min.

Make a glaze with powdered sugar, milk butter and vanilla. Frost while cake is hot so that it melts.

Apple Cider Cupcakes

I saw a picture of Apple Cider Cupcakes in an advertisement for a cooking class, and I haven't been able to think about anything else since. Finally, after five days of cravings I decided to come up with my own recipe...and I wasn't disappointed. They were super easy and full of flavor! Hopefully you enjoy them as well!

Apple Cider Cupcakes
1 box yellow cake mix
Eggs, water, and oil as called for in cake mix
4 packages dry apple cider mix (Alpine brand)
dash cinnamon
dash cloves
1 apple, finely chopped (granny smith is best)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 - 30 cupcake pans with papers.
2. Prepare cake mix according to directions on package and add dry apple cider mix, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir in chopped apple. Pour into prepare cupcake pans, filling each 1/2 - 2/3 full.
3. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched in the center.
4. Cool completely and frost with cream cheese frosting (below) and garnish with cinnamon.

Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 c. butter, room temperature
3 - 4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 - 1/2 c. evaporated milk

Mix butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and milk/sugar until desired consistency and mix well. If not serving immediately, be sure to refrigerate!

Apple Cake

During the fall I always crave apple desserts. Maybe it comes from growing up with lots of apples from my grandpa's orchard. Maybe it's just because my dad is the biggest fruit-a-holic of all time and he passed that on to us. This is a recipe from my mom and it just wouldn't be fall without having appple cake at least once. I started early this year and made it before the first official day of fall even hit, I just couldn't wait one more day for the delicious aroma and even more amazing taste of this cake.

Apple Cake

Cake:

2 c. sugar (I used half Splenda and half regular sugar)

1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened

2 eggs

2 c. flour

4 c. shredded apples (I used a mixture of granny smith, jonagold, and honeycrisp)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. nutmeg (optional--I leave this out because I have issues with nutmeg, but if you like nutmeg go ahead and add it)

Topping:

1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans

2 T. melted butter or margarine

1 c. brown sugar (I used 1/2 cup brown sugar Splenda instead)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine all cake ingredients in large bowl and mix well. Pour into greased 9x13 pan.

3. Combine all topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly over cake batter.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean or mostly clean.

5. Cool slightly and top with whipped cream. It is best warm!