salted caramel apple crisp

who is ready for another apple recipe?! of course this one has to have some salted caramel sauce incorporated too. when i was out for a walk in my new neighbourhood this past weekend, i discovered just down the street from me is ANOTHER apple orchard (um, i love this place). i don't know how i didn't discover that sooner, this one was beyond cute. i knew it was time to purchase another bushel full & get baking.

i don't really think it is possible to ever get sick of apple desserts. there are too many! one of my favourites growing up was apple crisp & this one my mom said is the best apple crisp i have ever made. i think that is saying a LOT. instead of just finishing it off with salted caramel i even tossed the apples in salted caramel sauce before baking. you can always use store bought, but i highly reccomend making it yourself! nothing will come close to this flavour & i even made a simple video on NOM last month on how to make it. hope you have a lovely weekend & who knows what i will discover next in this quaint little hood of mine:)

ingredients

for the salted caramel

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)

for the filling

• 3 lbs baking apples, peeled + cored + thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup salted caramel
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

for the topping

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold & cubed
• salted caramel, for topping
• whipped cream, for topping

directions

for the salted caramel

• in a saucepan add the sugar and water. bring the pan to a boil while wiping down the crystals that form on the sides of the pan using a pastry brush (do not stir, i repeat, do NOT stir).
• continue to boil until the mixture turns to a deep amber colour, approximately 5 minutes. be sure not to burn the caramel! it will go from a deep amber to burnt sugar VERY quickly.
• remove from heat and immediately whisk in the butter, cream, salt & vanilla.
• cool to room temperature before using in recipe. can be made in advance!

for the filling

• preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• in a large mixing bowl toss the apples, sugar, caramel, cornstarch, vanilla & lemon juice.
• add to baking dish & set aside while you prepare your topping.

for the topping

• in a large mixing bowl whisk the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt & walnuts.
• add in the cubed butter & work into the mixture until pea sized crumbs are formed.
• evenly disperse over the apples & bake for one hour.
• remove from oven & drizzle with additional salted caramel.
• serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

like what you see? get it here. copper pan | ramekin | linen | porcelain paper plate

caramelized brussels sprouts + pancetta

this weekend i am going to be painting just about every room in the new home! i am quite excited to see how all the colours i picked will look. i stuck with warm grey paint tone's from farrow + ball's line of estate emulsion paints! but since getting the home ready will be keeping me quite busy over the next few weeks, i decided to get my thanksgiving menu ready early! so i have teamed up with wayfair to share with you one of my all time favourite thanksgiving side dishes. i mean, pancetta!? it really doesn't get much better then that. i never grew up eating brussles sprouts, so i never had any negative feelings towards these little guys. i actually love them. there is so much you can do with them! cook them in chicken stock, toss them in browned butter or go the sweet route & use apple cider. this is such a quick & easy one pot side dish to put together which is very important when preparing a whole thanksgiving feast! the less dishes to wash in the end, the better.

you can find some fun thanksgiving decor, tablescape ideas & serving bowls, up on wayfair!, i even got a few items for the house too. okay, a few is an understatement.. i am starting to become best friends with the UPS guys. anyways, wish me ALL the luck with painting! i am sure going to need it once i finish one wall & see there is three more to go.

ingredients

• 2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed & halved
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 pound pancetta, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 2 medium shallots, sliced
• 2 teaspoons quality balsamic vinegar
• sea salt & cracked black pepper, to taste

directions

• in a large pot of salted boiling water, add brussels sprouts. blanch them for two minutes & immediately submerge them into an ice bath. this will keep those sprouts bright & vibrant throughout the rest of the cooking process. set aside.
• in a sauce pan over medium heat add the olive oil & pancetta. cook until the pancetta is browned & crispy. remove pancetta but leave the fat to cook with.
• add the garlic & shallot, cook until translucent. about 5 minutes.
• toss in the blanched brussels sprouts with the balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper. cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
• add the pancetta back in & pour into desired serving dish.

this post was created in partnership with wayfair.ca for the pass the dish campaign! you can see the rest of the menu here: appetizer | main | side dish | dessert.