Soft and Chewy Apple Cider Caramels

Every once in a while I create a

recipe that makes me want to

share it with everyone I know.

When creating recipes it can take a couple

 of tries to perfect, tweak, get the right balance

of certain ingredients in order to have a

successful end product. Well after many

and I mean MANY tries of making these

caramels, I am SHOUTING out load

with a smile on my face..."I DID IT!"

These Apple Cider Caramels are

one of my absolute favorite caramels!

You care going to be amazed at just

how good they are.

 

Soft and Chewy Apple Cider Caramels

2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

1 Cup Light Corn Syrup

2 Cups White Sugar

6 TBSP. Butter~ cut into pieces

1 1/2  teaspoon of Apple Pie Spice~ divided

1/2 Cup Boiled Cider ~ *see note below

1/2 teaspoon Salt

 

*Take 1 Cup Apple Cider and

boil it down until you receive a 1/2 Cup

of boiled cider.

 

Lightly grease a 9x9 pan, line with

parchment paper and lightly grease

the paper as well. Leave enough paper to

hand over the edges. This will make it easier to

remove the set caramel out of the pan.

In a large pot combine the cream, corn syrup,

sugar, butter, cider and 1/2 teaspoon of

the apple pie spice. Bring to a boil stirring until

all the sugar has dissolved. (make sure you place

your candy thermometer into the pot first thing)

When it reaches a boil, STOP stirring.

Reduce heat to med-high, cooking until the

candy reaches 248 degree's.

(It took me about 24 minutes)

Remove from heat, stir in salt and remaining

apple pie spice. Pour into your prepared pan.

Let caramel sit for a minute or 2 and then I

like to sprinkle the top with cinnamon/sugar.

Just enough to give it a little sparkle. ;)

Let cool and set. I made this late at night

and then just let it set over night.

Cut into small pieces by using a sharp

knife that you can dip into hot water

before each new cut. I then like to

wrap each piece in wax paper to keep fresh.

Store in an air tight container.

The perfect Holiday Treat,

Lark

 



Sweet Potato Casserole

Thanksgiving Holiday has always

been one of my favorite Holidays.

I love having a get together, I love

spending hours in the kitchen.

Preparing dishes that everyone looks

forward to each year. I feel as if I am

giving a personal "thank you" to each

individual that is partaking of the meal.

I have much to be grateful for,

and each Thanksgiving gives us

the opportunity to share that with

others. So even though you are not

sitting around MY table I want to

 express my gratitude for each and everyone

of you who take the time to support

me and my site. I am in awe just how many

come visit my site daily. THANK YOU!!

 Now what do you say we get cooking?

Believe it or not, I never had this

growing up. No one in my family

cared for sweet potato's. Although we did have

Yams (Sweet Potatoes) in Orange Pineapple Sauce

(My Mom made them with canned yams.)

Well since then I have come to really enjoy

the taste of sweet potatoes. This casserole is

simple to make, and can be served as a

side dish or even as a dessert.

 

Sweet Potato Casserole

4 Cups Sweet Potatoes~ peeled, cubed/cooked

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Nutmeg

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

4 TBSP. Butter

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Cup Toffee Pieces

1/2 Cup Chopped Pecan's *Optional

1 Cup Mini Marshmallows * Optional

1/4 Cup Honey

 

Preheat oven to 400

Mash potato's along with the butter.

Add in salt, nutmeg, cinnamon as well

as 1/2 cup of the brown sugar and toffee.

Spread into a 9x13 pan. Bake for 20 minutes

Remove from oven and top with remaining

brown sugar, toffee pieces.

**If you are adding in the pecans and marshmallows

you will just add them over the brown sugar/toffee

mixture.

Return to the oven and broil for a few minutes.

Watch carefully so it wont burn.

Before serving drizzle the honey

over top. DELISH!!

 

Happy Holidays,

Lark

 

 



A New DIY site for Crafts / Christmas Cards

The Holiday Season has started!

If your like me I tend to start planning

on DIY decorations and crafts to add

that homemade touch to the holiday's.
  I search all over the internet
 looking for the newest and latest idea's.
 This year I have found

a fabulous D.I.Y site that has a ton

of idea's to inspire you.

JULEP  has everything from

Holiday craft ideas, Fonts, Party,

DIY Wedding to Holiday Tips and

much, much more!

 

*Just LOOK at this cute

Scratch Off Advent Calendar.

 I just know you are going to find

a ton of ideas to get you in the

crafting mood.

 

Another MUST visit Site you

are going to be thrilled you found

is Minted here you are going

to find a huge selection of Holiday

cards to personalize with your own

photo's to send to everyone on your

Christmas list.

Take a peek at a few samples~

 There are so many to choose from.

I cant wait to get my order back

to send off to my family and friends.

Not only can you make holiday

cards, you can make party

invitations, birth or wedding

announcements.

The possibilities are endless.

 

You can also follow Julep

and Minted on  Face Book HERE 

and Twitter HERE as well as

on Pinterest HERE .

 

HAPPY CRAFTING!

Lark

 

Minted has given me a credit to use for

the purchase of my own Holiday Cards

in return for advertising their site to

Lark's Country Heart readers.

 

 

 

 

 



How to Brine a Turkey

Thanksgiving Day is right around

the corner, just day's away.

Are you ready? Do you know how your going

 to prepare the turkey yet?

Want to try something new?

 

Today I am going to give you the

easy steps to help you make

sure you have the BEST TURKEY EVER!!

For years I prepared my Thanksgiving

Turkey the same way my Mother did.

(Nothing wrong with the way Mom made it!)

I just happened to be watching a

TV episode on how to elevate

your standard turkey to the next

level. It promised that "you would

not find a more moist turkey, if you

brined your turkey". I had heard of

brining fish, duck, even Cornish hens....

but never a turkey. I have no idea why I

never thought of it before then.

So I wrote out the directions and

thought that one day I would try it.

(well before Thanksgiving in case I didn't like it.)

Anyway to make a long story short,

I brined a turkey within a week

of seeing the episode. I didn't follow the

directions to a "T", because they had used

spice's that I knew I didn't like. So I

added my own blend of spice's to the

brine mixture I used. It was a HUGE,

HUGE SUCCESS! It has now become

my chosen way to prepare my bird.

~What y'all are going to need~

 

  Brined Turkey

*This is for a 15 lb. Turkey~ you can double

for a larger sized bird. Making sure you keep

the ratio of salt to water at 1 Cup to 1 gallon

 

15 lb. Turkey~ thawed/remove giblets 

1 Gallon of Water

1 Cup Course Salt

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

4 Cups Apple Cider
4 TBSP Chicken Bullion~powder

3 TBSP Fresh Corse Black Pepper

2 tsp. Garlic Powder

2 tsp. Onion Powder

1 tsp. Cumin

1 Orange~ sliced in rings

1 Lemon~ sliced in rings

Ice

5 Gallon Bucket w/ lid

 

Combine all the ingredient's (except turkey)

in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil to

dissolve the salt and sugar.

Remove from heat, let stand for 1 hour.

Make sure your 5 gallon bucket is clean

and then place your thawed turkey inside.

Pour the brined mixture over the turkey,

add in enough ice cubes to make

 sure the turkey is submerged.

Now if you live in a warmer state

you will want to make sure to keep the

turkey in a chilled area. I placed it in a

garage, since it was 40 degree's in there.

You can leave the turkey in the brine

 mixture for 2 day's. On the day you are

going to cook the turkey, remove from the

brine, rinse and pat the bird dry. Then just continue

to cook as you desire. I bake mine in a

Reynolds Turkey Bag.

And just LOOK at how moist

the meat is...

*Feel free to substitute in your favorite

spices, if you do not care for the one's listed.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Lark

 

 

 

 



Candied Ginger Pear Bread

 Harvest time tends to give us a bounty

of fresh pears and apples. I love this time of

year. Baking is one of my most favorite

hobbies. So when I was baking several

loaves of quick bread, I thought up this

recipe....hoping it would be a hit with

my family and friends.

It was a HUGE success.

The little pieces of candied ginger in this

bread, makes it a special treat.

 

Candied Ginger Pear Bread 

1/2 Cup Butter~ softened

1 Cup Sugar

2 Egg's ~ Beaten

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Apple Pie Spice

2 Cup All Purpose Flour

1/4 Cup Buttermilk

1 Cup Fresh Pear's~ peeled/chopped

1/4 Cup Candied Ginger

 

Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl combine all ingredients.

Stir to combine. DO NOT BEAT.

Pour batter into a well greased

9x5 loaf pan.

Bake for 1 hour.

*I also like to sprinkle the top of the

batter with some Cinnamon/ Sugar

before I bake it.

Let loaf cool completely

before you cut and serve.

*You can find Crystalized (Candied)

Ginger at your local grocery store.

Usually found in the Spice/Baking isle.

HAPPY HARVEST,

LARK

 

 

Sweet Potato Pound Cake

Looking for something to serve up

your guest's this Holiday Season?

This cake will put smiles on everyone's

face around your table.

 

Sweet Potato Pound Cake

1 cup Butter

2 Cups Sugar

4 Egg's ~ beaten

1 tsp. Vanilla

3 Cups All Purpose Flour

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

2 Cups Mashed Sweet Potato's

 

Preheat oven to 350

Prepare a 10" inch Flute Pan

by generously greasing/ flouring the pan.

In a large mixing bowl cream

together the butter and sugar until

light and fluffy. Then add in the

eggs, vanilla and sweet potatoes. 

Sift together all the remaining ingredients,

 adding in a cup at a time. Mix until

smooth. Evenly pour into the

prepared baking pan. Bake on

the center rack of the oven for

1 hour. Let cool for 1/2 hour before

removing from pan.

While you are letting the cake cool

you can prepare a simple

Caramel sauce to drizzle over the cake.

 

Creamy Caramel Sauce

1 Stick Butter

1 C. Brown Sugar~ packed

1/2 Cup Whipping Cream

1 tsp. Vanilla

1/8 tsp. Salt

 

In a sauce pan melt butter.

Add sugar stirring to combine.

Add remaining ingredients, stir until

sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth.

*You can keep this stored in the fridge

in a jar for up to 3 weeks.

 

Happy Baking,

Lark

 

 

 

 

Orange Zest Sweet Potato Bread

This bread is a mix between a

sweet roll and white bread.

It is smooth, and soft slightly

sweet with a hint of orange.

You can leave off the Cream Cheese

glaze if you want to slice it for toast.

Either way you serve it, I am sure you

will be going back for a second slice.

 

Orange Zest Sweet Potato Bread

2 1/4 tsp. Dry Active Yeast (I Use Red Star)

1/4 C. Sugar

Zest of 1 Orange

3/4 Cup Sweet Potatoes~ mashed

1/2 C. Warm Water

3 TBSP. Butter~ softened

1 tsp. Salt

2 Egg's

3-4 Cups All Purpose Flour

 

Dissolve yeast in the warm water

along with 1 TBSP. of Sugar.

Let bloom for 5 minutes.

In mixing bowl combine remaining sugar,

orange zest sweet potato, butter, salt and egg's.

Mix well. Add in the yeast mixture

and 3 Cups of flour. Mix, adding in

more flour if dough is to sticky.

Remove from mixing bowl and

knead for a few minutes until dough

is smooth. Rub a small amount of oil

over the dough, place in a bowl and cover.

Let dough rise for 1 hour. Punch down

dough, form into a loaf. Place into a

lightly greased loaf pan. Cover

with a light towel and place in a warm dry

area to raise double in size.

Bake @ 375 for 30 minutes.

Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

*If you are adding a glaze to the bread,

wait to pour it over bread  until it

is completely cooled.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8oz.) Cream Cheese~ softened

1/4 C. Butter~ softened

2 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla
2 tsp. Orange Zest

Beat until smooth.
To make it "pourable" heat
in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Holiday Season,
Lark
 


 

 

Pumpkin Spice Bread Pudding Cake with Creamy Caramel Sauce

This is a Super Moist Cake with a

silky smooth custard like texture.

Serve it warm with a creamy

caramel sauce and your

guest's will think they are eating

bread pudding. Except there isn't

any bread in this recipe.

 

Pumpkin Spice Bread Pudding Cake

4 Egg's ~ separated

1 TBSP. Water

1 Cup Sugar

1 Stick Butter~ melted

1 Cup All Purpose Flour

1 Cup Whole Milk

1 Cup Buttermilk

2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 tsp. Vanilla

 

Preheat oven to 350

Grease and line with parchment paper

a 9x9" pan, leaving excess paper to

hang over the edges.

 

Beat egg whites on high in your mixing

bowl until stiff~ set aside.

Next beat egg yolks, sugar, water,

milk(s), pumpkin spice and vanilla

together until smooth.

Add in flour and mix well.

 Now fold egg whites into batter.

DO NOT WHISK  You want

"lumps" of egg white to be seen.

Pour batter into your prepared

baking pan.

Bake on the center rack of oven

for 45-60 minutes. You want the

cake to be cooked through, however you

want the feel of the cake to be like

a sponge. For my oven it took

55 minutes to bake.

Let cool completely before

removing from the pan and

slicing.

I like to cut in into diamond shapes,

and serve with a warm Caramel Sauce.

 

Creamy Caramel Sauce

1 Stick Butter

1 C. Brown Sugar~ packed

1/2 Cup Whipping Cream

1 tsp. Vanilla

1/8 tsp. Salt

 

In a sauce pan melt butter.

Add sugar stirring to combine.

Add remaining ingredients, stir until

sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth.

*You can keep this stored in the fridge

in a jar for up to 3 weeks.

 

This would be great to serve to company

for brunch, or a snack.

Any bread pudding lovers will

think this cake is divine.

ENJOY,

Lark

 

 

 

 

 

 



Sweet Potato Spudnuts (Doughnuts)

I don't often take the time to make

homemade doughnut's, because these

are one of the treats that I have NO

will power against. (NOT a good thing to have

 in my house....if you know what I mean?!)

That being said, lately I have been trying to

come up with new recipes for them.

(I must be asking for extra lbs. to jump on my body...lol)

I have made more doughnut recipes in

the last month, that even my family is

begging me to make something else.

I just wanted to let you know the "depth"

of my sincerity to my food blogging.  ;)

I am sure y'all have heard of

Spudnuts before? Well that is where I

got the idea for these delicious doughnuts.

I decided I would substitute sweet potatoes

for the regular mashed potatoes, and add in some

of my favorite Fall flavor inspired spices

to make them melt in your mouth.

It was a HUGE success.

I cant wait for you to try them out for yourself!

 

Sweet Potato Spudnuts (Doughnuts)

*This will make 3 1/2 dozen  doughnuts*

1 Large Sweet Potato ~ peeled/diced

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 Cups Milk

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Shortening (not butter flavored)

1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1 TBSP. Vanilla

2 1/4 tsp. Dry Active Yeast ~ (I use Red Star)

2 Eggs ~ beaten

1 1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

6 C. All Purpose Flour

 

Boiled Icing

1 Cup Boiling Water

2 lbs. Powdered Sugar

4 TBSP. Butter

4 TBSP. Vanilla (or Maple, or Cocoa)

 

Place all ingredients in to a

bowl and using a hand mixer

beat until smooth.

 

 

Start by placing your sweet potatoes

in a medium sauce pan, add the cinnamon

and cover with water. Bring to a boil until the

potatoes are fork tender. About 15 minutes.

(You can use Yellow or White Sweet Potatoes)

When they are ready, drain potatoes

reserving 1/2 Cup of the potato water.

 Mash the sweet potatoes,

(DO NOT add butter or anything else

 to the potatoes.) Measure out 1/2

Cup of the mashed sweet potatoes. 

If you have more than you need

for this recipe, you can freeze the extra

potatoes to use in another recipe.

In another saucepan add together the

milk, sugar and shortening. Stir until

the shortening is melted and the sugar

dissolved. Making sure not to boil.

Remove from heat and let cool

to room temperature.

In a small bowl combine the 1/2 warm

potato water and yeast together.

Let yeast bloom for 10 minutes.

Combine the baking soda, baking powder,

1/ Cup sweet potatoes and vanilla in your

 mixing bowl. Mixing to blend.

Next add in the cooled milk mixture as well

as the yeast. On a slow speed mix together.

While mixer is going add in eggs, salt.

Along with flour a cup at a time.

The dough should be smooth, not

to sticky. Remove from mixing bowl, knead

for a few minutes. Place in a greased bowl,

cover and let rise until double in size.

Punch down dough and roll out to a 1" inch

 thickness on a lightly floured surface.

Cut into desired size. I do not re-roll the dough.

 I love to cook up the doughnut holes as well. 

 Let them rest for 15 minutes.

 Usually I have them rest while I start my oil heating.

By the time the oil is ready, the doughnuts are.

I like to cook the doughnut holes first, so I can

 taste a few as I go....I mean so my family can.

Now before you start the frying process

make sure you have a rack ready to place

them on to drain off the excess oil.

As well as having your icing ready

to dip the hot donuts into.

Fry until golden brown on each side.

About 1 minute each side, depending on how

 hot your oil is. *Remember to reduce the heat

on the oil as you continue frying,

 as the oil retains its heat for a long time.

After letting the doughnuts cool for

a minute, dip each one into your icing.

Place back on wire rack to drain.

I like to double dip them, and then drizzle

with a contrasting icing to make them

look "fancy".

Now here is the hardest part....

pack them up and deliver them to

your friends before you eat them all!

Enjoy making these Sweet Potato

Doughnuts  even more by having your kids help

you roll out the dough, cut out the shape

and dip each doughnut into the icing.

Lark