Caramel Cran-Apple Cider [Slow Cooker Recipe]

A delicious cider made in your slow cooker with apples and cranberries, sweetened with caramel topping.

Apple Caramel Oatmeal Cookies #fillthecookiejar

It is Fill the Cookie Jar time again and my cookie jar has been empty so need to fill it up.  This group was started by Cynthia from Feeding Big through Facebook.  Each month we are given a theme and we can decide if we want to join or not.  It is up to use, you don't have to join every month.  That is one thing I like about this group... But of course I love cookies so of course I am here with another what I think is a great cookie.

Crazy Ingredient Challenge ~ Avocado and Caramel #crazyingredientchallenge

Peanut Butter Chocolate Caramel Corn

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Not so long  I was chatting with a co-worker about how peanut butter and chocolate goes so well together.  As we chatted we came up with this combination for a treat.  I came home and made and it was delicious, if I say so myself.  This recipe really doesn't have any measurements as I just put things together but hopefully you will get the idea.

I do have to tell you a story, as I was making this, I place the caramel bits in a cup to melt in the microwave. I had set it first for 30 seconds and it didn't even come close to melting them, they were still hard.  So I put them on again for 2 minutes ~ Thinking that I would check them about every 30 seconds.  I was busy pouring the melted chocolate and drizzling the the peanut butter spread over the popcorn and snitching a kernel or two to taste that I forgot about the caramels in the microwave....  I am sure that you can imagine what happened.  The next thing I knew was that the whole kitchen smelt like it was burning.  The caramel was  burnt to a crisp.  The moral of the story is that when you are melting something you should set the time for short intervals so you remember to check it often. 

Peanut butter Chocolate Caramel Corn 

Ingredients:

popcorn

chocolate (melted)

caramel bits (melted)

peanuts

peanut butter spread

Make 1 -2 cups popcorn and add a handful of peanuts, spread on cookie sheet.  Drizzle with melted chocolate, caramel and peanut butter spread.  Let sit until hardens and enjoy.

The peanut butter spread I used was Der Dutchman Peanut Butter Spread.

Links Foodie Friends Friday, Weekend Re-treat, Random Recipe Roundup

Homemade turtles

Pecans, chocolate and caramel...

Aren't those the best things ever

I love making homemade chocolates,

you can give them for gifts or just eat them yourself...

and they taste so much better then the store bought ones

Because you did them with love...

I learnt to make

Homemade Turtles

many years ago and bought turtle molds so that they looked like turtles.

My molds are starting to look old and I wasn't even sure you could buy them anymore

So I went on line and found them...

You can buy them from Global Sugar Art

I usually buy my caramel ~ using either Werther's or Kraft
This year I decided to make my own... you can find the recipe here.
And the chocolate that I like using is Ghirardelli or Hershey and often I will combine them.
You can also use chocolate wafers if you want.
I don't have a double boiler, so I melt my chocolate in a dish that is over a pot filled with water

I don't have a recipe for these, so will just show you what I do..

First get everything ready.. Melt your chocolate I just leave it in my pot with hot water

so that it stays melted.

Have your caramels, pecans and molds ready.

melted chocolate, caramels, pecans and mold

a picture of the mold I used.

Drop a teaspoon or so of chocolate at the bottom of the mold.

Place a small amount of caramel on the round part of the pecan and 

place it caramel side down on the chocolate.

*** Make sure you have the flat side of the pecan facing up or you will have a pregnant turtle.

Cover the mold with chocolate.
I use a small brush to move the chocolate around the mold and fill them in.

Chill until firm.
You can place them in the freezer or do what I do, put them outside on my porch to harden.
Once hardened, turn the molds upside down and gently tap to release the turtle.
Occasional a limb or head might fall off...
You can glue them back on by using a small brush and melted chocolate.

Enjoy!

links: Tasty Thursdays, Foodie Friends Friday (ThisandThat), Thursday's Treasure, Freedom Fridays

Caramels.... Salted or not!

Do you like your caramels salted or not?

I have gotten into eating Salted Caramel....

I love the taste of sweet and salty together.....

And put it together with chocolate and it is wonderful. 

I found this recipe for Microwave Caramel from Food.com
this is simple and tastes great 

It is great for when I make my turtles...

aren't these just the cutest.... They look like real turtles.

I promise that I will show you how to make these cute turtles in a separate posts

Today's post is about the caramel

Microwave Salted Caramel

adapted from Food.com

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup light Karo Syrup - I use Roger's Syrup that I buy in Canada

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp salt 

Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl.  Cook on high for 6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.  Stir and pour in lightly greased pan.  Cool.  Once cool and slightly hardened score into small pieces.  I put mine back in the fridge until set and then brought it out and cut the candies. 

I put tinfoil and lightly greased it... this way I could pull the caramel out of the dish and cut them

My first batch I did not put the salt in with all the ingredients and once I poured them into the pan, I sprinkled Kosher salt on the caramels.

Once caramels are set, you can dip them in melted chocolate... YUM! or eat them as is...

I put tinfoil in my dish... this way I could pull it out to cut.

Caramels, sprinkled with Kosher salt...

salted caramel dipped in chocolate

Enjoy!

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