Salted Caramel Apple Tart

This tart looks really impressive and takes absolutely no time to put together.

1 sheet (half of a 17.3-ounce package) puff pastry, thawed
2 small Granny Smith apples
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 large egg
15 caramels melted with a dash of milk
Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment or baking mat. Slice the apples into thin (about 1/4-inch) pieces. Place them in a large bowl then add the lemon juice and brown sugar to the bowl and toss to combine. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry onto the lined baking sheet. Lightly score the dough by cutting a border 1 inch from the edges (do not cut through the pastry). Prick the pastry all over with a fork. Arrange the apple slices on the puff pastry inside the border area. Whisk together the egg with 1 Tablespoon water. Brush the edges of the pastry with the eggwash then bake the tart for 15 to 17 minutes until golden and puffed. Melt the caramel and milk for 30-60 seconds to create a caramel sauce. Remove the tart from the oven oven, drizzle it with caramel sauce and sprinkle it with sea salt. Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies

 

Today is the first day of September, so here on Mahogany Trail we are celebrating the coming of Fall. Fall has always been my absolute favorite time of year! Fall means sweaters and boots, pumpkin, halloween, football, crisp, cool weather and the best baking of the year! These pies pretty much sum up all things wonderful about Fall. As you know caramel apple pie is the only apple pie I ever make (see post THE apple pie). I made the first pumpkin pie of the year, per my 11 year olds request and found myself with half of my homemade pie crust leftover. Wha to do? How about try a version of my famous caramel apple pie in a miniature had held version? Yes please! So that’s where I found the inspiration for these little pockets of perfection. Enjoy!

1 pie crust (as prepared for THE apple pie)
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cubed (think chocolate chips/corn kernels)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup kraft caramel bits
Fleur de sel salt (fancy shmancy flaky salt…lol)
1 egg, beaten for egg wash
Turbinado sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare your apples and mix with lemon, flour, sugar and cinnamon. Roll out the pie crust and cut 6 each 3 inch and 4 inch rounds. You w ill use the 3 inch as the bottom and the 4 inch as the top. Place a pile of apples on top of the 3 inch rounds. Top with caramel bits and a sprinkle of the salt. If you can’t find the caramel bits, you could always cut up regular sized caramels. Now place the 4 inch crust on top and press the edges with a fork to seal the pie. Slice vents in the top to let the steam out. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle turbinado sugar on top. Bake until slightly golden brown and caramel bubbling, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

 

 

Milk Chocolate Toffee Bars

We seem to have a lifetime supply of chocolate chips on Mahogany Trail. It’s the strangest thing. I have a little glass jar that just always seems to be full of chocolate chips. It never fails. These sweet chewy caramely bars will never fail you either. Next time you feel like cookies, give these a try. Plus they’re even easier, no scooping spoonfuls of dough.

1 stick butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with foil. Spray it down with cooking pray. Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Scrap down the sides of the bowl. In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Once combined add the chocolate chips and the toffee bits. Beat on low until evenly combined. Spread dough into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. Lift foil out of pan and cut into squares.

Caramel White Hot Chocolate

You’re welcome. I’m just going to get it out of the way, because after you make this you will thank me. Pair this with my red velvet cookie post from earlier and you’ll be a happy camper. You’ll also be the most popular person on the block. Perfect for a chilly winter night (a Houston girl can dream). When I made this I poured a nice big cup to take a picture for the post. The entire time thinking, I will never drink this entire cup. The cup is empty. It’s that good. You will never buy those lame hot cocoa mix packets ever again. You could make this milk or dark chocolate.

8 oz white chocolate, chopped
4 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
20 caramels, divided
Marshmallows or whipped cream for topping

Place chocolate, milk, vanilla and half of the caramels in a crock pot. Cook on low for about 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Pour into mugs and top with marshmallows or whipped cream. Melt remaining caramel in microwave for about 45 seconds and drizzle over top. Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Sweet Rolls

These are sheer perfection! What could be better than combining caramel, apples and cinnamon rolls? I’ll tell you…NOTHING! These should come with a warning. They will make you very popular and friends and family may demand another batch. This recipe makes enough to feed a small army. LOL! It makes 4 pans, perfect to give away as gifts at this time of year (If you can pry them out of your families hands). If you’ve never made homemade rolls this is a great recipe to start with. It’s not as complicated as it may seem. Conquer your fears and get to baking!

For the dough:
4 cups whole milk
1 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
9 cups all-purpose flour
2 packages (2 1/4 teaspoons each) active dry yeast
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
1 scant teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon salt

For the filling:
4 Granny Smith apples
1 stick butter, plus more for greasing the pans
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the caramel icing:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

First, make the dough. Combine the milk and canola oil in a large pot. Add the sugar and stir it around. Scald it (heat it to almost a boil), then turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool until it’s warm, but not too warm! Add 8 cups of the flour along with the yeast and stir it around until all combined. It’ll be super sticky, but have faith! Cover the mixture with the lid of the pot or a dish towel and let it sit for an hour or so, until it doubles in size. After it’s had a chance to rise, sprinkle in the remaining cup of flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt and stir gently to combine. It’ll take a little while to get it all stirred together.

While the dough is rising start on the filling. Dice up the apples finely. Then throw them in a skillet over medium high heat and stir them around to cook. After 3 to 4 minutes, when they’ve gotten nice and golden brown, remove them to a plate. Add a stick of butter and the brown sugar into the same skillet over medium heat and stir it around until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Pour in the cream. Then stir it around and let it bubble up and thicken for about a minute.
Turn the heat down to low, then add the apples back to the skillet and sprinkle on the cinnamon. Stir the mixture and let it thicken for another 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon it into a bowl to cool.

When you’re ready to make the rolls, preheat the oven to 375 and roll out the dough in a rectangle about 10 x 30 inches. Spoon the caramel apples over the dough and use your fingers to spread them evenly over the surface. Roll the dough toward you into a nice, tight roll. This is really a two person job. Pinch the seam when you get to the end. Turn the seam over so that it’s facedown against the countertop. Slice the dough into rolls 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Grease 4 round, disposable foil cake pans. Place 7 to 8 rolls in each pan, being careful not to crowd them. Set aside to rise in a warm place for 20 to 25 minutes. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they’re nice and golden brown.

While the rolls are baking, make the caramel icing. Melt a stick of butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the brown sugar. Let it melt, then whisk in the cream. Cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly, then remove from the heat. Sift in the powdered sugar and salt and stir until you have a smooth icing. Remove the rolls from the oven and immediately spoon a good amount of icing over the top. Use a knife to spread it evenly Over top and it will run down into all the cracks.

THE Apple Pie…enough said…

I know May is a strange time for apple pie, but my son is participating in a fundraiser and these were requested. I know people will pay good money for these bad boys! Lol! First let me say this is the only crust recipe you will ever need. I use it for absolutely everything from apple pie to chicken pot pie. It’s so perfectly flaky every single time. This crust alone would make any pie fantastic. That being said, the secret ingredient is really the caramel sauce. It takes this pie over the top. Once you try this pie I promise you will never make another regular apple pie again. This is my most requested recipe ever. This will make one large 9 inch pie (pic above) of 4 small pies (pic below).

For the crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup shortening, cold
12 tbsp butter, cold and cubed
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup ice water

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar. Cut in the shortening. Add the cold butter cubes and cut it into the flour with a pastry cutter. Work it quickly, so the butter doesn’t get too soft, until the mixture is crumbly, like coarse cornmeal. I always use a pastry cutter because the warmth of your hands will melt the butter. Add the ice water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together forming a dough. Bring the dough together into a ball. When it comes together stop so it doesn’t become tough and over worked. Divide the dough in half and flatten it slightly to form a disk shape. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. We ready roll out onto. Floured surface into desired shape and size.

For the filling:
8 apples (I like to use a combo of granny smith, gala, red delicious)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp lemon juice

Peel and cut apples. Toss with lemon juice and cinnamon. The lemon juice will keep the apples from turning.

For the caramel sauce:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to thicken and form a paste. Add both sugars and the water. Bring to a boil, reduce temperature and simmer for 5 minutes.

To assemble:

Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples in a slight mound. Cover with a lattice crust. Gently pour the caramel sauce over the top. Pour carefully and slowly so you don’t make a mess. Bake 15 minutes at 425, then reduce the temperature to 350 and continue baking for 45 minutes.

Caramel Corn

It’s movie night on Mahogany Trail. What goes better with a movie than popcorn? I was feeling nostalgic and decided to try to recreate the caramel corn my Mom made when I was a kid. Of course I had to put my own spin on it and add some mix ins. We had milk and white chocolate, M&M’s, nuts, chocolate covered almonds and chocolate covered cherries. The possibilities are endless. We each had our own custom creation and they were all a big hit.

1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda

Over medium heat, combine first four ingredients in a large pot and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Add popcorn to pot and stir to coat well (I used one large bag). Bake in large roaster or pan at 200 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper to dry. Add your favorite mix ins.

Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Just what I needed after a crazy day at work. These are perfect salty, caramel, chocolatey goodness! Saw these on Pinterest and knew I had to try them.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup stick pretzels, broken
1/2 cup caramel bits
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.
Cream together butter with sugars. Add vanilla & egg.
Combine salt, baking soda, & flour.
Gradually add to wet mixture.
Mix until combined.
Stir in pretzels, caramel bits, & chocolate chips.
Bake for 11-12 minutes.