CHOCOLATE CARAMEL APPLE PARTY

 

LET'S PARTY!!!!! so halloween is next weekend (boo!) & what's a better way to get in the spirit then throwing an apple on a stick & making a party out of it! today i am teaching you how to throw the ultimate caramel apple party. there are literally a zillion things you could dip, roll or drizzle an apple in. these are inspired by one of my favourite childhood treats from rocky mountain chocolate factory. they make the most decident, fun & delicious chocolate caramel apples ever. making caramel apples is perfect for a pre-halloween girls night in or to getting your little kiddies in the spirit. below is a list of what you need + the easiest two ingredient recipe for the perfect caramel dipping sauce! with all my left over chocolate & toppings i created a halloween chocolate bark (which you can see here). never ever let any ounce of chocolate go to waste! what are you doing to get in the halloween spirit? have you watched just about every horror movie on netflix like i have? what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, i think?!

what you need to throw the ultimate caramel apple party:

  1. 8 candy apple sticks, twigs or popsicle sticks.
  2. apples, duh! 8 medium size apples of your choice.
  3. a bowl of caramel sauce (see recipe below). bonus points for salted caramel!
  4. four types of melting chocolate: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate & orange chocolate. you will need a larger quantity of milk chocolate if you plan to dip each apple in it like i did. it seals in the gooey caramel. if you can't find orange chocolate, add yellow/red food colouring to white chocolate.
  5. as many toppings as you can possibly think of. i used coconut, salted peanuts, reeses pieces, mini chocolate chips, skor bits & halloween sprinkles.

for the caramel sauce:

ingredients

  • 1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons milk or water
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (optional for salted caramel)

directions

  • using a microwave safe bowl add your caramel squares & milk. place in microwave 2 minutes & stir. if the caramel is not melted enough, continue to microwave in 30 second incriments until a smooth consistency is formed.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

like what you see? get it here. dip bowl | plate | french paddle | tiny plates

HONEY BERRY GRANOLA

 

it's a healthy recipe day on the blog! i wanted to call this a hearty winter granola, but we're still in the heart of fall (& i didn't want everyone to freak out about the fact that winter is coming) so i will calm down on my winter excitement. seriously though, this past weekend in toronto was so cold that i had to bust out my winter jacket. i think this is the first time that my winter coat made it's debut appearance in october! anyways.. we can get back to winter later. this granola is packed with a lot of healthy & filling ingredients such as nuts, dried fruit, coconut & honey. i used my favourite farmhouse pottery's vermont made honey which you can find here. if you want to make this granola vegan (or you are super canadian & like maple better), sub equal parts maple syrup for the honey. if you want a more clustery granola, toss an egg white into the mixture. this is another recipe where you can easily substitute/swap ingredients. i chose cranberries & blueberries because of the winter vibe i was going for, but if you must.. you can use raisins.

ingredients

  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • 1/3 cup raw sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup dried blueberries
  • 1/3 cup honey (can also sub maple syrup)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

directions

  • preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  • in a large mixing bowl add oats, walnuts, pecans, coconut, sugar, salt, cranberries & blueberries. stir a few times.
  • in a separate bowl whisk honey & oil. add to the dry ingredients & toss until everything is evenly coated.
  • pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the oats begin to turn a golden brown.
  • eat hot or cold & store in an air tight container for up to two weeks.

like what you see? get it here. honey pot | mixing bowl | wooden spoon | french paddle | pour bowl

PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE DANISH

 

so i cheated a little making this danish, which only means you can too! i used store bought puff pastry (dun dun DUUUUN). i'm sorry barefoot contessa, please forgive me! maybe one day i will devote an entire blog post to making puff pastry alone, but for this recipe store bought is fine. i wanted to use pumpkin & cream cheese in a unqiue way, something you don't often see pumpkin in, which is when the light bulb went off! a pumpkin cream cheese danish. it is flakey, it is cream cheesy, it is pumpkiny & it is downright delicious. it's another one of those dessert for breakfast items that is totally socially acceptable. it's also a perfect way to use up that little bit of pumpkin puree that always seems to be left in the can. i hate seeing even an ounce of pumpkin go to waste!

ingredients

  • 1 box (1 pound) puff pastry, cold
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk

directions

  • in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment beat cream cheese, egg, white sugar, cornstarch & vanilla until smooth. set aside.
  • in a separate mixing bowl stir pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves & vanilla. set aside.
  • once your filling is ready, roll out your puff pastry to a thin rectangular shape.
  • cut lines diagonally on each side leaving about 4-5 inches in the center (see photos). add your cream cheese followed by spoonful's of the pumpkin mixture.
  • fold in ends & cross the lines in a V shape to get the braided effect. you can do an egg wash or milk wash if you desire.
  • bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the puff pastry is golden brown.
  • while the danish bakes, make your glaze by combining icing sugar & milk until the desired consistency is formed.
  • remove from oven & immediately drizzle with the glaze.

like what you see? get it here. silpat | french rolling pin | mug (1) | linen | plates | serving board | mug (2) | knife