Southern Comfort Caramel Apple Pie

The Perfect Apple Pie recipe I posted last week was a delicious and simple apple pie.  This apple pie was on a whole other level.  The apples are cooked in cinnamon, caramel & southern comfort and then topped with a brown sugar & pecan streusel.  The apples are perfectly cooked, not mushy, while the streusel is nice and crunchy.

This will be making a presence at my Thanksgiving Dinner table.  Check out my Holiday Treats ordering page to order one for yourself!

Recipe from Ezra Pound Cake

Apple Cider Caramels

Caramel & apple are two of my favorite fall flavors (if you haven't guessed by now!).  I found these yummy treats on on Pinterest & they were the perfect answer to some leftover apple cider.

These tasty little treats were bursting with favor & were thoroughly enjoyed.  Everyone was impressed with how much of the apple cider flavor came through.  They are a perfect fall treat!

Apple Cider Caramels
Recipe from Our Best Bites 

2 cup high-quality apple cider 
1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream, divided
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup real butter, cubed

- Pour cider into a medium saucepan and boil on high for about 20 minutes or until the cider is reduced to 1/3 c. Keep an eye on it...it might try to run away. Set aside to cool.
- Line an 8" square pan with parchment paper, making sure to leave about 1" hanging over the edges for easy removal. Coat with a bit of vegetable oil and set aside. 
- In a small bowl, combine 2/3 c. cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and reduced apple cider. Set aside.
- In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/3 c. whipping cream + enough water to reach the 1/2 c. line on the measuring cup, and corn syrup. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Insert the candy thermometer and simmer until the syrup reaches 234 degrees.
- Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the cream mixture. Add the cubed butter and stir until the cream and butter are fully incorporated. Return the pan to heat and re-insert the candy thermometer. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the temperature reaches 248 degrees.
- Remove from heat and pour the caramel into the prepared pan. Let the mixture cool completely at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Cut the caramels into 1/2" squares and wrap each caramel in wax paper.

Perfect Apple Pie

I've been on the hunt for the *perfect* apple pie.  It's one of my husband's favorite desserts, and he loves being the test subject for my experiments.  This time, I turned to my newest cookbook, Baking Illustrated.  They did not disappoint.

I made this in my tart pan (another experiment) which is why it's not as thick.  That aside, it was truly the perfect apple pie!  I think what I've been missing along was the allspice!

Pumpkin Bread

Don't tell anyone, but I may be hoarding cans of pumpkin.  Before making this bread, there were no less than 4 cans of pumpkin in my cupboard.  With the pumpkin shortages the past few years, I'm always afraid I'm not going to have any when I need it.  I bought enough last year that I still had 2 cans last me through to this fall ;)

Onto the bread... quick breads are a great treat to bake up because they usually require simple ingredients and are super easy to mix up.

This recipe from Bakingdom made 2 loaves, which was perfect for sharing!  I added a cinnamon streusel topping for a nice crunch, and the inside was perfectly moist.  This will be my new go-to pumpkin bread recipe!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie

If there is only room for one dessert on your holiday table, this should be it!

A graham cracker crust, filled with a layer of caramel and pecans, topped with a layer of apples sauteed with brown sugar & cinnamon, and a layer of creamy cheesecake.  Whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel & a sprinkle of pecans add the finishing touch to this delicious dessert.

Want one for Thanksgiving?  Check out my Holiday Treats page for ordering information.

Recipe from Annie's Eats

Salted Caramel Mocha Cupcakes

Next in the lineup of fall cupcakes is the Salted Caramel Mocha cupcake.  It also happens to be another favorite fall coffee drink of mine :)

This is a delicious chocolate coffee cupcake, filled with salted caramel, and topped with a salted caramel Swiss meringue buttercream.  I finished it off with a drizzle of salted caramel and some chunky sugar for texture.

Recipe by Bakingdom

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

My favorite coffee drink made into a cupcake!  The oh-so-talented Annie concocted this delicious recipe & I knew I needed to make it the second I saw it.

These were easy & beyond delicious!  The only change I made was to add a little Pumpkin Spice coffee cream to the heavy cream as I was whipping it.  That ended up being a fantastic idea :)

Recipe from Annie's Eats