The Most Perfect Caramel Candy Apple

 This is the season for candy apples. They are not only fun to eat, they're festive to look at. They can be easily made and made to perfection.It just takes some skill and patience.

Before you start get yourself a good candy thermometer. A perfect coat is what makes a candy apple great. If; the coating is too soft, it may slide off or becoms too hard. OXO has an excellent brand that also works for a deep fryer along with Polder which also works for cooking jellies and jams too as well as deep frying.The recipe is easy.It's three cups of sugar and half a cup of corn syrup mixed with one cup of water. Red food coloring is added when the mix hits 300 degree Farenheit or the hard crack stage. You can test this by dropping a drop of the syrup into a glass of cold water. It should form into a hard droplet not unlike hard candy. The apples are placed on lollipop or popsicle sticks and one by one swirled into the red goo. Place on  waxed paper or a butter greased cookie sheet(  doing it this way gives extra flavor).What apples should you use? I'd prefer  small Granny Smith simply because their tartness is a nice foil to the sweetness. Fuji, Jazz and Gala, all reds, also make for good candied apples. Keep in mind that some apples come with a waxy coating which will make the coating slide off. To remove it , boil six cups of water with one tablespoon white vinegar. quickly dip the apples in this for five seconds and thoroughly dry.

Caramel apples are another yummy treat right now. The question is to use Kraft caramels or take it an extra step to heaven with home made caramel. The Kraft way has always been the easiest. It's just cutting up the caramel, putting them in a microwavable bowl with two tablespoons of water. The apples are then dipped into the caramel , then swirled and finally placed on parchment paper. They can be hardened in the fridge for one hour or until firm. Homemade caramel is much more labor intensive but worth it. It's more chewy and buttery, think a rich taffy that won't pool at the bottom. You will need heavy cream or heavy whipping cream which is the backbone. You cannot use milk or milk substitutes. Corn syrup is also required because that's what makes the caramel stick to the apple. Brown sugar is used instead of white.It's softer and better tasting than the granulated for this. Butter gives caramel that creaminess and extra flavor as does vanilla extract. All the ingredients except the vanilla are cooked until the caramel reaches the soft ball stage about 235 degrees Farenheit. The vanilla extract is added a few minutes later. Let it cool before dipping the apples in. Keep in mind that caramel burns the sides of the pan so use a wet pastry brush to clean it. You can dip both kinds of apples in coconut flakes or chopped peanuts for added flavor.

Happiness right now is a candy or caramel apple. Make these homemade candy and caramel ones for a perfect fall treat. They're fun, festive and delicious!!

Binge Faves

With snow and cold weather here , there's only one thing to do. Binge!!It's great to stay in all day and catch up with favorite shows and eating . What you binge on is up to you You can go healthy or decadent, that's up to you. Either way, just set out a bowl and grab the remote.

What would be a healthy binge? Veggies and fruit.,There;'s nothing as refreshing as a platter of bite size vegetables with some kind of dip.Some stores such as Acme and Stop ; Shop sell bowls of cut vegetables with dip. It's also easy to make your own. Go light with a tangy vinaigrette made with oil and lime juice instead of lemon.Add some cilantro and hot pepper for heat. You can also go for a creamy dressing. Mix tahini sauce  with lemon and a tiny bit of dark honey or chopped dates for an interesting dip. Tired of all the low calories. Then go full on healthy decadent with a homemade French dressing. It's combining  low calorie mayonnaise and ketchup with olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Longing for something crunchy? Get yourself an air fryer. This is a podlike mini oven that can crisp up fries and onion rings without all that oil. It's also good for cooking crunchy crispy  chicken tenders  and fish fillets, both the real deal and the soy kind. For those with a sweet tooth, try Crispy Green Crispy Fruit. These are  packets of air dried fruit  that are very low in calories but high in flavor and crunch. The apple  and pine apple pieces are the most addictive and are perfect for an afternoon of binge watching

Of course there is the decadent side of binging. You can make your own or order in sliders from White Castle.Have a side of fries with aoili mustard or go really calorie crazy with chili cheese one.You don't have to make your own spicy pot (although you're snowed in so why not)Open a can of
Hormels or Campbell's brand an zap it in the microwave.As for cheese, go for Kraft's Olde English. You can also buy Sargento's or Kraft's shredded cheddar mixes.Another fun binge food is pizza.Don't try to eat a whole twelve piece by yourself!That would be too bingeful!.Go with an individual pie.Stop & Shop sells single serve ones as does Red Baron. If you're not watching your weight, then finish with a hot fudge sundae. Of course there are chips and dip, but you can also splurge by making spinach dip. It's a pretty easy mix of sour cream, frozen or fresh chopped spinach and mayo. As for sweets, of course cookies. Get the Nestle or Pillsbury ready bake , bake ,cool and enjoy. Enjoy those with a soothing cup of tea or a liqueur spiked coffee.

If' it's a snowy day, stay in, Binge on your favorite programs and foods. Indulge yourself on this day off.

It's Apple Season

With fall comes apples along with the myriad of recipes. What is great about them is that they can be a snack , a side or a dessert. They're perfect for any meal from breakfast to lunch to dinner.Be creative and brave with autumn's gems!

What you pick decides what you make,If you bring home baskets of Golden Delicious apples, then realize that they're best for apple sauce while Honey Crisps are better for eating fresh and to put into salads.Most of the varieties are good for snacking. Think about pairing slices with peanut butter or even better pair it with slices or cubes of sharp Vermont cheddar. A fun snack or dessert is the tart Granny Smith slices with a caramel dip. You can buy it or make your own using brown sugar and sweet cream. Some recipes call for cream cheese for extra creaminess along with a dash of brown cinnamon for extra bite.You could also just microwave caramels such as Kraft' s with a spritz of water added in for smoothness.Fresh apple slices are also perfect added to any breakfast. Slip them in to hot oatmeal or cold rice puffs for more flavor and fiber.A fun weekend breakfast or brunch dish is a Dutch baby. This is a giant (think skillet size) pancake baked in the oven and then sprinkled with a dusting of powdered sugar. Apples can even be added to French toast as a topping or baked inside a French toast casserole.

Of course apples can also liven up a lunch too. A few crisp slices in any salad makes it special. Use two different types such as the sweet Golden Delicious and the crunchy Roma, Try one that just has apples and cherry tomatoes. Spike it up with chilis and peppery mesclun greens.  Think of adding slices to a chicken salad, whether it's made with greens and last night's leftover roaster or one with mayo and raisins. Apples can be used as a side dish for a dinner as they are in Germany. Many German pork dishes comes with a side of sauteed apples. The apples' sugars break down the complex proteins of the meat, making it easier to digest. It also is a great foil for the pork's distinct flavor. You can easily make an applesauce in your crock pot or pressure cooker and use it for roasted pork or pork chops. An easier spin is sauteed apples. This is just simply sauteing the slices with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Add cornstarch to thicken it. Sauteed apples are even good reheated with the pork as the meat's savory juices mix with the apples. Of course , anything with apples is the perfect dessert. Think an untraditional one with a cheddar crust. This is a bit more flavorful than the average crust. Or go sweet with a caramel walnut loaded apple pie. Baked apples are another great dessert. Go elegant with ones poached in a sweet red wine or fun with ones stuffed with caramel, butter and chopped nuts.

This is apple season. Use them in any recipe or as a sweet , fiber filled snack. They 're delicious any way you serve them.

Happiness Is Breyer's Ice Cream

One of the best American ice cream's is Breyer's  Any Yank will tell you why he or she loves it..It's smooth and light , creamy and flavorful. Breyer's either be the perfect dessert or the most satisfying snack. Best of all it can be used in making many treats, ideal for the warm days ahead of us.

Breyer's is one of America's oldest food manufacturers starting right after the Civil War in 1866. William A Breyer started by hand cranking his creamy concoctions. It was made in the Philadelphia style, which had already been popular for a century. The Philly way eschews eggs, producing a lighter product and taste. It's more of a thick kind of ice milk as opposed to the eggy French style of ice cream.Breyer created different flavors right away, adding fruits, nuts and extracts, which are still being used today.He opened the first ice cream shop in 1882 and four more quickly followed. The rich mixture of whole cream and cane sugar. It was cranked in one store and delivered by a horse drawn carriage to the other three. By 1896 Breyer and his family set up the first ice cream factory as more and more people clamored for the icy treat. The Twentieth Century brought more sales to the company that topped millions, and was sold to grocery stores in New York City, Staten Island, Jersey City , Newark and even south to Washington D.C. The family sold it as early as 1926 to National Dairy Products Corporation. It has been bought and sold several times, from Kraft to Good Humor and finally to Unilever who make the ice cream in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. They now produce gluten and even sugar-free ice creams  for those with celiac disease.

Breyer's is one of my favorite ice creams, simply because of the light mouthfeel and taste. It's not a heavy , custardy feeling , like some other brands. It's good on it's own but that lightness helps to make sodas and sundaes airier too. One of my favorites is their coffee flavor. This is perfect in chocolate flavored soda (yes, there is one - and Stop & Shop makes it )along with making an excellent mochaccino sundae. This consists of two  plump scoops , drenched in chocolate syrup and covered in Reddi-Whip. Their fudge ripple is to die for, with the vanilla ice cream marbled with thick fudgy veins. My new favorite is the new Breyer's Blast that has chopped up Samoas,from the Girl scout cookie collection.Samoas on their own are more like candy, with their coating of chocolate, caramel and toasted coconut. This marriage has created a yummy, chewy but light coconut flavored ice cream, that I would love to put into a summery ice cream pie.Another must try are their Gelato Indulgences.My to try list has their lush chocolate caramel, that dripping with the last and decorated with decadent chocolate curls along with Tiramisu Gelato, that's made with marscapone cheese,espresso syrup and lady finger bits.

There's a reason why Breyer's is America's favorite ice cream. It is delicious and light, perfect for dessert or as a cool treat on a hot day. Try this classic , It's sure to be your classic ice cream go to after one spoonful

Caramel Apples _The Best Halloween Treat Ever!

There's nothing like scoring a caramel apple on Halloween. It and its' cousin, the candy apple, are the best treats out there. There's something satisfying about that first crunchy-soft bite; that perfect blend of candy and fruit. Even as adults we go wild for them.

The caramel apple had its' origins in Britain's toffee apple. People were munching on some form of this in both the US and England as early as the late 1800's.Putting a sugar glaze on any fruit isn't new. That concept goes back to medieval times. Putting that fruit on a stick was. Enrobing apples in caramel was nothing groundbreaking yet a Kraft salesmen, Dan Walker , made it into a big thing during the 1950's. Moms across the country created them for their little Halloweeners, using - what else - Kraft caramels and Macintosh apples. Now it's become a holiday standard.Caramel apples are created in almost every house as well as being sold on every farm stand in the country.

Here's a poser for you foodies out there. How do you like your caramel apples? Purist plain? Covered in nuts and chocolate chips? Looking like a strange creature wrapped in coconut? Write in and let me and our other fellow foodies know.