Tag: caramel

Holiday Caramel Apple Trifle

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Without one tiny, minuscule doubt, if you make this dish for dessert you will be the hit of the party. It’s so easy and so tasty, and will make you want dessert even after you’ve filled yourself up on an overwhelming amount of turkey, ham, rolls, potatoes, etc, etc. I would certainly recommend making this for any holiday occasion, because its fun to make, pretty, and can serve a lot of people.

I found a recipe on Pinterest (here) and improvised by making a yellow cake mix from Fresh Market and also bought the most delectable caramel sauce from Fresh Market as well, which I recommend everyone buy and eat it on pretty much anything and everything. It’s seriously life changing.

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 4 cups chopped peeled granny smith apples (about 5 medium)
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (I also added chopped hazelnuts)
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon apple pie spice, divided
  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 jar (12-1/4 ounces) caramel ice cream topping, divided
  • 1 carton (12 ounces) cool whip, thawed, divided
  • 1 box of yellow cake mix baked according to the recipe (or pound cake or angel food cake)
  • Additional apple pie spice to sprinkle on top!

Directions:

  1. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in the apples, walnuts and hazelnuts, brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice. Cook and stir for 8-10 minutes or until apples are tender.
  2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in 1/2 cup caramel topping and 1/2 teaspoon of apple pie spice. Fold in 2 cups of the whipped topping.
  3. In a trifle bowl or glass serving bowl, layer a third of the cake cubes, cream cheese mixture and apple mixture. Repeat layers twice. Garnish with remaining whipped topping and drizzle with remaining caramel topping. Sprinkle with additional apple pie spice if desired. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
  4. Yield: 14 servings.

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Banana Pudding Pie with Caramel Drizzle

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Happy Monday! The warm June weather and humidity have started to settle in, and I have had the biggest craving for banana pudding. I looked up various Pinterest recipes and found one that I wanted to try! I varied it slightly to cut back on all the Cool Whip and decided to add a homemade caramel sauce to the recipe as well. If you’re craving the sweet comfort of a homemade banana pudding recipe, look no further!

Ingredients:

  • 1 9 pinch pie crust, prepped, baked and cooled (I was lame and just used a store bought graham cracker crust)
  • 2 cup chopped vanilla wafers
  • 2 bananas
  • 1/2 8oz tub Cool Whip
  • 1½ cups of milk
  • 1 5.1oz box instant vanilla pudding
  • juice from one lemon
  • Homemade caramel sauce for drizzling (recipe below)
  • Optional: chopped walnuts for topping

Directions for the Banana Pudding Pie:

  1. Cut the bananas into thin slices and then toss with the lemon juice. The lemon juice will prevent them from turning brown as fast as they normally would.
  2. Whisk together the milk and pudding mix. Mix in the cool whip. Mix in 1 cup of the crushed vanilla wafers and finally the bananas.
  3. Scrape into the cooled crust. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes or until set.
  4. Top with any additional or leftover Cool Whip as you please. I just spread some around the edging of the pie. Sprinkle with the remaining vanilla wafers and then drizzle with the caramel sauce and if so desired, walnuts.

Directions for Homemade Caramel Sauce (taken from my Caramel Toffee Cheesecake Recipe)

  • 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream

In a medium sauce pan, combine the sugar and syrup. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula. Once it is caramel colored, add the butter and stir until the butter is melted. Add the cream and stir until it’s all combined. Bring it back to the heat if you get clumps and stir it until they’re dissolved. Store in the refrigerator if not using right away. Makes about 3/4 cup.

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Caramel Toffee Crunch Cheesecake with Dark Chocolate and Graham Cracker Crust

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By Natalie Anne (recipe adapted from Yammie’s Noshery)

I’m always so nervous to make cheesecake because I feel like its never going to be as rich and creamy as I hope for. But this recipe blew me away. It was a bit of a process all together, but so incredibly worth it. I was home visiting my parents for Thanksgiving and I’m not the biggest fan of pumpkin pie, so I decided to try something a little more non-traditional plus this recipe made my mouth water and I couldn’t wait to try it.

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First I prepared the graham cracker crust:
3 cups of graham cracker crumbs (about 2 packages of crushed graham crackers)
1/2 cup Heath Bar Toffee Bits
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 sticks butter (1 cup), melted
1 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (I strayed from the recipe and used dark chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate and I wholeheartedly recommend it)

Preheat the oven to 300º. Combine everything (except the chocolate chips) and press into a springform pan lined with parchment paper. Push all the way up the sides and press in firmly. Spread the chocolate chips over the pressed mixture. Set the springform pan on a baking sheet (just in case it drips). Bake for about five minutes or until the chocolate chips are melty. Smooth them out with an offset spatula. Throw it in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

Next I made the Homemade Caramel Sauce:
1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup heavy cream

In a medium sauce pan, combine the sugar and syrup. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula. Once it is caramel colored, add the butter and stir until the butter is melted. Add the cream and stir until it’s all combined. Bring it back to the heat if you get clumps and stir it until they’re dissolved. Store in the refrigerator if not using right away. Makes about 3/4 cup.

*Now this was my first time making homemade caramel and I was entirely convinced I was doing the entire wrong, until I started to see the caramel color slowly come out of the sugar and syrup. I was so excited, and it tasted so heavenly. It wasn’t too thick to work with and remained light and creamy.I definitely recommend making this caramel sauce instead of using a sticky store bought one.

Cheesecake Filling:
3 packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup caramel topping (recipe below)
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Add the vanilla and caramel and beat well. Add the eggs and beat just until combined. Pour into chilled crust. Wrap the springform pan with a couple of wet dishtowels (this helps the cheesecake to cook more slowly and evenly). Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. The center will still be jiggly, but never fear, it shall set in the end. Turn the oven off and open the door about 4 inches, but leave the cheesecake in for about 30 more minutes (this helps the cheesecake to cool more slowly and evenly and prevents cracking). Remove from the oven and cool for about 30 more minutes. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Finally the Whipped Cream:
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 cup caramel (from your homemade wonder)
1/2 cup Heath Bar Toffee Bits

Beat the whipping cream and sugar in a chilled bowl until stiff peaks form.
Spread the caramel slowly across the cheesecake. Sprinkle the toffee bits evenly over top. Dollop the whipped cream along the edges of the cake and garnish with more toffee bits.

And there you have it, the most scrumptious cheesecake you will ever indulge in!

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❤ Natalie