Caramels with Salted Pumpkin Seeds

475.  The chewy, buttery sweetness of rich caramel is a decadence to enjoy.  Although store bought caramels are tasty, chewy and delicious, they do not compare to homemade caramels.  

I originally found a wonderful recipe by Food Pusher years ago.  I have since developed my own recipe.

This recipe creates a soft, chewy, buttery candy which will stiffen but remains soft and pliable.

" I think love is caramel.  Sweet and fragrant; always welcome.  It is the gentle golden color of a setting harvest sun; the warmth of a squeezed embrace; the easy melting of two souls into one and a taste that lingers even when everything else has melted away.  Once tasted it is never forgotten."

~ Jenny Colgan

Cupcakes

338.  Cupcakes.  Wouldn't you just love one right now?  Chocolate, Vanilla or Carrot Cake Cupcake? No matter the flavor, a cupcake is always a delightful treat.  Satisfies me every time.  

My beautiful niece was engaged to be married and asked if I would whip up several batches of cupcakes for her Bridal Shower.  What an honor to be a part of her celebration in life.  The shower was held at a winery and our setting was on the back patio overlooking the vineyard.

So I chose to make three varieties:  Lemon Raspberry,  Salted Chocolate Caramel and Vanilla Blackberry.  

The Lemon Raspberry cupcakes were made from scratch with lemon cake, raspberry buttercream and raspberry jam filling topped with a fresh raspberry and lemon zest.

The Salted Chocolate Caramel cupcakes were made from scratch as well with a chocolate cake, caramel buttercream and fresh caramel placed in the center and drizzled across the top, then sprinkled with Flur d sal. 

The Vanilla Blackberry cupcakes were made from scratch with a vanilla cake, blackberry buttercream and blackberry jam filling topped with a fresh giant blackberry.

We had a lovely day and the beautiful bride-to-be was showered with love.

 My sweet sister was the hostess extraordinaire.  She designed all the flower arrangements and painted a masterful copy of their invitation.  Every detail was perfect...cupcakes included!

And, "They lived happily ever after."

"When you hold a cupcake, sorrow disappears."

~ Anonymous

Caramel Frosted Banana Drops

292.  A soft decadent cookie which is more like candy than cookie.  This recipe is memorable.

Caramel Frosted Banana Drops

• 1  cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1  cup butter, softened
• 1/2  cup (1 large) mashed banana
• 2  teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/3  cups All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
• 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 3/4  cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• Frosting
• 3/4  cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4  cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4  cups powdered sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon vanilla
• 1  to 3 tablespoons milk

 Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup butter until light and fluffy. Add banana and 2 teaspoons vanilla; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Stir in flour and salt; mix well. Stir in walnuts. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

 Bake at 350°F. for 9 to 14 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely

 In small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup butter. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. 

Cool slightly. Stir in powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and enough milk for desired spreading consistency.

 Frost cooled cookies and then indulge!

"Intellectual property has the shelf life of a banana."
~ Bill Gates

Caramel Cream Sandwich Cookies

241. What a beautiful buttery cookie! I found this recipe in the Pillsbury Best Cookies Cookbook.

They are small but the flavor is rich and so good.

Caramel Cream Sandwich Cookies

3/4 firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 egg yolk

2 cups flour

Combine sugar and butter and beat till light and fluffy. Add egg yolk; blend well. Add flour: mix well. If dough is too soft to handle, place in refrigerator for 15 minutes.Heat oven to 325. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on cookies sheets.

Dip fork into flour, flatten each cookie to 1 1/2 inch rounds.

Bake 325 F for 10-14 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute and remove from cookie sheets.

Frosting

2 Tablespoons butter (do not use margarine!)

1 1/4 cup powder sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

4 -5 teaspoons milk

In medium saucepan, heat butter over medium heat till light golden brown, stirring constantly. remove from heat. Stir in remaining frosting ingredients. Add enough milk for desired spreading consistency; blend until smooth. Spread scant 1 teaspoon frosting between 2 cooled cookies.

Your cookies will be smoother and perfectly round if you hand roll them into balls. I used the quick method with my cookie scoop.

This is a keeper recipe!!! A perfect Christmas cookie!

"The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread."

~Mother Teresa

Caramel Apples

183. One of the easiest and most fulfilling fall treat is caramel apples. If you haven't made caramel apples, you need to. Kraft has made it so simple with a microwave recipe on the package of caramels.

I was watching the new Food Network program on Sundays with Anne Thornton called "Dessert First". *LOVE* She shows her recipe for making caramel sauce.

You could make your own or grab a couple bags of caramel squares at the market.

You just unwrap all the caramels then add a little water, microwave and stir till desired consistency.

I like to add extra goodies like nuts, chocolate chips and sprinkles to my apples.

You can choose to coat them up to the stick or just along the sides.

Then let the caramel rest a few minutes.

This batch was dipped in melted dark chocolate and then dipped in toasted walnuts or sprinkles.

What a delicious gift or slice them and place on a dessert plate for Thanksgiving dessert.

When was the last time you made caramel apples????

"If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas."

~ George Bernard Shaw