Simple Yet Gourmet

If you try one new cookie recipe this Fall, let it be this one!! I'm not kidding when I say that this is  one of the best cookies I've ever made.  They've already received rave reviews and comments such as, "Amazing!", and "Incredible!"  These are not your average snickerdoodle, not that I have anything against the traditional ones, they are made with browned butter and extra brown sugar for a rich caramel taste.  But wait, it also has a caramel center! And of course that classic chewy texture with a cinnamon/sugar coating.  I could eat these every single day. They are SO GOOD you guys! 

You know how some ingredients were just made to go together? Bananas and Dulce de Leche are one of those; and when Nilla Wafer's, creamy pudding, and whipped cream are added to the mix it is just on another level altogether! Not only is the Dulce de Leche found on the bottom of the jars, it's also mixed into the pudding and drizzled on top, so you get caramel banana bliss in every bite!  If you're not familiar with Dulce de Leche, it's a sweet milk caramel made from Sweetened Condensed Milk.  It is divine as a dip for apples and bananas, or as a topping on ice cream, baked goods, or pudding- wink wink.   I think these look so cute and fancy in these little half-pint jars, but you don't have to make it this way.  No jars? No problem. You can layer them in small bowls, or just combine them all in an 8X8 inch pan. Will it look as pretty? Probably not, but hey, it will still taste amazing!  These are best if made a day ahead of time to allow the banana flavor t...

Ooey, gooey deliciousness is what these bars are made of! They're basically two layers of a buttery oatmeal cookie sandwiched with loads of caramel and chocolate.  So good, and so rich! They are divine with a scoop of vanilla ice cream but are absolutely dreamy by themselves with a nice cold glass of milk as well.  They cut best when cool, but if you want to just scoop them into your bowl right out of the oven, I won't judge.  In fact, that's what typically happens at our house.  We just can't wait to dig in!  

  These are a new treasure at our house, warm rolls filled with brown sugar and cinnamon and topped with gooey caramel sauce and chopped pecans!  I am always looking for recipes for breakfast that I can make the night before to help with the morning rush.  Simple to make using frozen bread dough and yummy to eat.  My family likes a lot of caramel on their rolls so I double the heavy cream and powdered sugar mixture to give it the extra goo my family loves.   Enjoy!

 Guys, you NEED to try these bars! They are the perfect balance of sweet, salty, chewy, and crunchy. The Cinnamon Sugar sprinkled over the top adds a nice warm spiciness to the whole thing making for a very satisfying bite. So scrumptious without being overly sweet!  If that didn't quite convince you, how about the fact that they are SUPER easy to make.  Perfect for when you don't have an hour or two to spend in the kitchen. I love how these White Chocolate Caramel Churro Bars turned out!! One of my new favorite treats for Christmas or anytime!

I LOVE Caramel Apples! Do you?? I feel like they're the perfect balance of sweet and tart and they seem so gourmet.  There are so many varieties of caramel apples and once you learn the basics you can play around with different combos, which of course is part of the fun of making your own. Today I'm sharing how to make Apple Pie Caramel Apples that taste similar to an apple pie, but even more delicious! It's one of my all-time favorite combos and looks so pretty with the contrasting green (or red) apples.  Tart apples with chewy, decadent caramel surrounded by smooth and creamy white chocolate, sprinkled with Cinnamon and Sugar! So, so good.  

Are you a candy corn lover or hater?? I personally love candy corn and always have a bowl of it out during the month of October.  Either way though, you should try these caramel apples! They don't taste like candy corn, just caramel but the orange color is so fun.  Great way to use up any leftover candy corn you might have laying around.  You can pretty much use any apple variety you like here, but tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp are an especially delicious contrast to the sweet caramel.  I used some small Honeycrisp apples that came from my parent's tree and they worked perfectly! The caramel for the apples is made up of only 4 ingredients and is made in the microwave making these so quick and easy.  You can leave them plain or add your favorite toppings.  I used some melted white chocolate to make a few ghosts, and no surprise here, those were the first ones to get eaten! 

I saw these apples a little while ago on one of my favorite blogs and on a whim decided to make them that night.  Unfortunately, when I looked closely at the recipe I realized I didn't have a few of the ingredients.  Well, I had already told Brynlee that we were going to make them so there was no going back.  I improvised with what I had and they turned out great!  We used a variety of nuts and candies to dip them in (Halloween candy anyone?). It was so fun coming up with the different combinations.  Brynlee loved helping me make one for just her- a s'mores theme with milk chocolate, crushed graham crackers, marshmallows, and a drizzle of white chocolate.  The other apples were dipped in toasted pecans, M&M's, Snickers, Twix, and Crunch Bars.  While they were a little time consuming they really weren't hard.  Give them a try and you may just feel like a Gourmet Chef!

I love a good brownie and let me tell you, this just may be my favorite brownie of all time!  I already posted a recipe for Devils Food Caramel Brownies a few years ago, and while that recipe is good, I have to say that these brownies are great.  These brownies are kicked up a notch by using melted chocolate chips as the brownie base rather than a cake mix, then layered with ooey gooey caramel, more chocolate chips, and toasted pecans.  If I had come up with these brownies I'd name them Turtle brownies since that is what they remind me of, but I didn't so Caramel Brownies it is.  Whatever you call them, give them a try.  Just be sure to have people to share them with.  Otherwise you might find it impossible not to eat the entire pan!    

I pinned this recipe over a year ago with great intentions to try it and then completely forgot about it till this year.  I'm so glad I remembered!  This apple cake is very moist, dense, full of apples, and dripping with caramel.  It really wasn't that complicated to make- I just lined the pan with parchment to make sure the cake came out good.  Everything else was a piece of cake!  Pun intended :).  I thought this was a delicious take on a classic combo.  If you love caramel apples, you'll probably love this cake!

I only recently heard of this pie, and let me tell you, after one bite I was wondering where it had been all my life?!  I love dulce de leche and have been eating it for years as a family tradition for New Years Eve.  The sweet caramel flavor is so delicious and easy to make.  Every layer of this pie is delicious and combines to make an amazing pie.  There are several variations on how to make this, but this is how I did it.  I started out with a Nilla wafer crust then topped it with sliced bananas, dulce de leche, and a creamy cheesecake layer.  Finally I sprinkled cocoa powder on top and decorated it with chocolate curls.

These cookies are awesome!  They are basically a delicious caramel brownie in cookie form.  Even Aaron loved them and that's saying a lot since he never wants me to make anything besides his beloved Chocolate Chip Cookies.  I made them for a cookie exchange and I loved how they turned out.

I have a confession.  I love to cook all types of food, but I have a special place in my heart for sweets.  I would rather make a sweet treat than any other type of food.  So when I saw these chocolate, caramel, toasted coconut goodies I knew I could not resist making them.   They were awesome!  Even my non-coconut loving husband Aaron thought they were pretty good.  I have it on more than one opinion that these are even better than the girl scout variety!  I guess it's true...homemade is better than store bought.  While there are a few steps involved in making these, they really aren't hard at all and for a sweet making lover like me, I found it quite enjoyable :)

With fall in the air, I love to make anything with apples. I made these fun little tartlets for a Halloween activity we had. These are fun to make, cute and best of all very tasty! When I makes these for my family we like to serve them hot out of the oven with a scoop of ice cream. This time I added mini chocolate chips to the top when I took them out of the oven for a twist!

This cobbler ( which is really more of a crisp in my opinion ) is a delicious twist on an old favorite. My mother-in-law passed this recipe to me along with a glowing recommendation. She is an excellent cook, so when she says something is good, I listen! I'm glad I did. This cobbler is so good! Granny Smith apples are tossed with sugar and spices, drizzled with caramel, then covered with a crispy oatmeal-brown sugar topping. It smells amazing in the oven and tastes even better. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water. Do yourself a favor and go make some! *note: this was originally a dutch oven recipe so I've scaled it down.

These are SO yummy! I made these tonight for a BBQ and they went fast and got rave reviews from the adults and kids alike. Seriously, what's not to love about caramel and chocolate chunks sandwiched between a brownie? Just look at the caramel oozing out the sides. Is your mouth watering yet? Next time you're got a sugar craving treat yourself to one of these babies. You deserve it :)