Halloween is tomorrow and in addition to the many wonderfully festive aspects of this holiday, like Jack-O-Lanterns and Trick-or-Treaters, I am all about making Caramel Apples! This sweet treat has been a Halloween staple for me for as long as I can remember. The combination of caramel and apple alone is brilliant! Honestly, whoever came up with that combination deserves some sort of award, especially on Halloween!

I will admit that even though I am a total Caramel Apple fanatic, I have never been a fan of their size. Sure, eating an apple alone is no big deal, but then coat it in caramel, chocolate, candy, etc… it quickly becomes overwhelming and way too much food, especially for one sitting!

As if the universe somehow heard me voicing my issue with caramel apples while perusing Pinterest a few weeks ago, I came across the most brilliant idea- Miniature Caramel Apples!! After spending time testing recipes and various assembly tips, I am pleased to share with you what I think is the perfect caramel apple. Not too big, but still has all of the essential flavor components AND gives you the ability to have just a taste or many tastes!

Here is what you will need:

2 Granny Smith Apples
1 Bag of Kraft Caramel Bits
Cinnamon Sugar
Crushed up Pretzel Pieces
Chopped Nuts (I used hazelnuts and toasted them)
Tree Sticks from your yard/outside (*You can also use toothpicks)
Parchment Paper
Pam Non-Stick Cooking Spray
Melon Baller

Directions:

Wipe sticks down with distilled white vinegar and a damp cloth
Then break sticks into 3" long pieces and bake on a baking sheet at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 15 minutes (to sterilize)
Heat the caramel according to the packaging, then set aside to cool
Meanwhile, use your melon baller to scoop out apple balls making sure to leave a piece of apple skin on each apple ball
Use a paper towel to dry the apple balls, removing as much moisture as possible from the flesh
Insert a baked stick into the top of each apple ball (*the apple skin is the top of the ball)
Spray a parchment lined cookie sheet with Pam non-stick spray
When the caramel is cooled enough that it is starting to harden, dip each apple ball into the caramel, making sure to have the caramel touch all edges of the apple skin
Once the apple ball is coated in caramel, dip the base into your desired toppings and set on the greased parchment sheet to dry

*Note- these treats have a short shelf life, so please enjoy them shortly after they are made.

Happy Halloween Everyone!!

Im slightly ritualistic when it comes to fall baking, apple dishes always kick off the season followed by pumpkin and cranberry. Reason being is simple, this time of year is prime apple picking season and I am not really in need of a pumpkin until late October. In an effort to gear up for our upcoming apple orchard trip, I wanted to come up with a new dessert recipe that was as tasty as an apple pie, but way less labor intensive (see my apple pie baking tips here). As I was perusing various websites and recipe books I kept seeing recipes for cobblers, crisps and crumbles. Prior to researching, I always thought that the three (cobbler, crisp and crumble) were synonymous (well I was wrong!). Here is the difference:

Cobbler - Fruit base with a biscuit/cake-like top layer
Crisp- Fruit base with a top layer consisting of sugar, flour, butter and oats
Crumble- Fruit base with a top layer consisting of sugar, flour and butter

I love oats, so I opted to create an apple crisp for today's recipe. This dessert couldn't be easier to make and is a great way to get the most out of your orchard bounty. Definitely a sweet way to kick off the start of the Fall season.

Ingredients

1/4c cold butter (cut into 1/2in cubes)
1/2 c flour
1/2 c light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4c old fashioned rolled oats
1/2tsp + 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4c chopped toasted pecans
Juice of 1 Lemon
4 Granny Smith Apples
2 Tbs sugar
More butter for greasing
Whole Nutmeg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit
Butter an 8x8 inch square baking dish
In a large bowl, add the juice of a lemon
Peel, core and slice apples into 1/4in thick slices
Place the apple slices in the bowl with the lemon juice, toss the slices until coated
Add the granulated sugar and 1/4tsp of cinnamon to the slices, toss until combined and set bowl aside
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, salt and 1/2tsp of cinnamon
Once combined, add the cold butter and cut it into the flour/sugar mixture with a pastry cutter (or your hands) until the texture resembles coarse sand
Add the oats and toasted pecans to the mixture, mix until combined
Take the apple slices and place them (somewhat tightly packing) in the greased baking sheet
Cover apples with the crumble mixture, lightly grate fresh nutmeg over mixture before placing in the oven.
Bake for 30min in the oven uncovered, then cover baking dish with aluminum foil loosely and cook for another 15 minutes until you are able to stick a toothpick/bamboo skewer straight through the center to the bottom of the dish without any resistance.
Serve warm with a scoop of good vanilla ice-cream

**Note- To make this in a rectangular dish, double the ingredients and bake for approximately 1hr 15min (give or take).