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

 



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

 

 

 

 



Old Fashion Apple Fritter's

It's time to start picking all those

Apples in the orchard. I love going

out and picking them off the tree in

the cool crisp Fall weather.

There is just something about

picking apples that makes me start

nostalgic day dreaming.

When you get all those fresh

ripe apples home, I start combing through

old family cook books for recipes.

This is a very simple old fashion recipe

for drop Apple Fritters.

I hope you will take the time to

make a batch with your loved ones

this Fall. You will never regret the

time spent in the kitchen making

memories to last a lifetime.

 

Old Fashion Apple Fritters

1 Cup. All Purpose Flour

2/3 C. Sugar

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Apple Pie Spice

1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

1 tsp. Vanilla

1/2 C. Applesauce

1 Egg

1/3 C. Buttermilk

1 C. Granny Smith Apples~ Diced

 

Start by sifting all dry ingredients

together. Add in applesauce, vanilla,

egg and buttermilk. Stir just enough to

mix all together. (DO NOT BEAT)

Then fold in the apple pieces.

Heat oil in a deep pan, on med. heat.

*You can test the oil to see if it is

hot enough by dropping a small

amount of batter in. If it floats its ready!

Using two large spoons, drop dough

into the oil carefully. The dough will float

after a few seconds. Cook on each side

about 3 minutes or until golden brown.

Test the center of each fritter to make

sure it is cooked all the way through.

Drain excess oil off by placing

them on paper towels. While still warm

dip each fritter into a *simple icing.

*Icing: 1 Cup Powdered Sugar

1 TBSP. Milk

Make some Memories,

Lark



Skillet Pumpkin Corn Bread

If you are a pumpkin fan

you are in for a treat with this

Skillet Pumpkin Corn Bread!

 

Skillet Pumpkin Corn Bread

1/4 C. Butter~ softened

1 C. Yellow Cornmeal

2/3 C. All Purpose Flour

1 TBSP. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

3/4 tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/4 C. Honey

1 C. Pumpkin Puree

2 Eggs

3/4 C. Buttermilk

 

Preheat oven to 400

Butter the bottom/sides of your

cast iron skillet~ set aside.

In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients

together and whisk until blended well.

Pour into your buttered skillet

place on center rack on oven and

bake for 25-30 minutes.

You can either serve this along side

a bowl of chili or topped off with

 some sweet honey butter.

Happy Fall Y'all!

Lark



Simple / No Fail~ Focaccia Bread

 The name says it all!

You aren't going to believe how

simple this Focaccia recipe is.

And guess what, you have time

to make it to serve for dinner tonight!

 

Simple / No Fail Focaccia

2 Cups Water

1 TBSP Sugar

2 TBSP Dry Active Yeast ~ (I use Red Star)

3 to 4 Cups Flour

1 tsp. Salt

3-4 TBSP. Olive Oil

* Any Seasonings you desire

I used: Garlic Salt, Black Pepper, Sea Salt

and Italian Seasoning.

 

Place 3/4 C. warm water, sugar and yeast

in a bowl, let stand 10 minutes.

In your mixing bowl add the remaining water,

salt and olive oil. Slowly add in your flour.

You want the dough soft but not sticky.

Knead then place in a bowl, cover

and let rise for 1 hour.

Roll out and place onto a baking sheet.

Make indentations with your fingertips,

in the dough. Using a pastry brush, brush on

enough olive oil evenly over entire surface

of dough. Now add any of your favorite

seasonings. Let dough stand for 15 minutes

Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes.

That's Amore'!

Lark



Carrot Cake Pancakes

YUP, They taste as good as they look!

Soft on the inside with a nice crisp from the

griddle cooked edge. Filled with all the same

ingredients you love in a carrot cake.

Breakfast is looking better and better isn't it?

 I will admit we even had these for dinner!

 

Carrot Cake Pancakes

2 C. All Purpose Flour

1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

1/8 tsp. Ginger

1 tsp. Salt

2 C. Buttermilk

1/2 C. Crushed Pineapple~ drained

2/3 C. Brown Sugar

1/4 C. Butter~ softened

2 Egg's

2 tsp. Vanilla

2 C. Carrot's ~ Finely Shredded

 

Start by sifting the first (7) ingredients

together. In separate bowl combine the

remaining ingredients, mixing well.

Now fold the dry ingredients into the

wet, mixing just enough to blend.

DO NOT BEAT.

Pour batter onto a heated griddle.

Cook until air bubbles appear, then flip

to other side. This will take about 3 minutes.

Serve warm with, My Homemade Vanilla Cream Syrup

or a swirl of cream cheese frosting.

Perfect way to start the day!

Lark

 



Homemade Spaghetti Sauce~ A Canning Session

Many of you know how much I enjoy

canning. And this time of the year is

when I enjoy canning the most.

Usually the weather has cooled off

enough that I can open the windows

and doors to enjoy the cool breeze as I

am stirring and stirring over the warm

stove. (lol) However this Summer

heat is hanging on a lot longer.

That being said, this is my 1st canning

session of the Fall Season.

I thought I would share with y'all

just how I go about prepping the

tomatoes in order to start making

my homemade spaghetti sauce.

(After all NOT everyone knows how to can!)

#1~ you need to make sure you have

all the proper Canning Supplies.

#2~ Next choose a tomato that will hold

the taste and texture you like.

#3~ Make sure you set aside enough

time to give the process it's due. Canning

is NOT hard, however it IS time consuming.

 

 

To start you need to place a large stock pot

half way full of water to boil.  While the water

is heating you will cut a "x" into the bottom

of each tomato. I also like to remove the

hull of the tomato at this time.

I do this to all of the tomatoes

before I start placing them into the

boiling water, it makes it go a lot

faster since you wont have to stop

to cut more tomatoes.

Now using a large spoon or ladle

place about 6-8 tomatoes depending

on the size of your tomatoes,
into the water.

 

 

You will let them set in the water

for about 30 seconds, or until the

skin on the tomato starts to wrinkle

and peel back. Quickly remove each

tomato and place them directly into

a ice bath. I just do this in my sink.

This will stop the cooking process

as well as cool the tomato down

enough to make it easier to handle

while you remove the skin.

I remove the skins as soon as I can,

while the other tomatoes are boiling.

 At this point it is up to you to
decide if you like chunky or smooth
spaghetti sauce. My family likes
smooth, so at this point I place
them into my food processor to
puree.  Once you have all the tomatoes
either puréed or chopped, you can start
mixing the ingredients together for the sauce.
*I usually just taste and add ingredients as I go
along in the cooking process.
 I  tried to narrowed my recipe down to make it a
little bit easier for Y'all to make a smaller
batch if needed. FOR EVERY 8 Cups of tomato
puree or chopped you will add the following:

3 (8 oz.) Tomato Paste ~ I like to use Hunt's Brand
that has added Basil, Oregano and Garlic
4 Garlic Cloves ~ minced
1 Med White onion~ minced
1/4 C. Green Onion~ minced
1 tsp. Oregano
1 TBSP. Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1 TBSP Salt
4 Pkg.'s Dry Spaghetti Sauce Mix
2 C. Water.
*Optional Mushrooms~ minced

Mix all ingredients together and place in a
large stock pot, simmer on Med.-Low heat
for 2 hours. Stirring often.

**Taste the sauce and add more water
if it is too strong tasting or add more
of your desired ingredients.
Now your ready to ladle it into your
hot cleaned jars. (follow the directions
on the jar box if you have any questions.)
I process them in a Hot Water bath for
15 minutes each batch. Let cool over night.

Happy Canning Season!
Lark

 

 

 



Creamy Coconut Syrup

Coconut Syrup

1 Stick Butter

1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk

1 C. Sugar

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Coconut Extract

 

In a sauce pan combine all

the ingredients expect the

extract. Bring mixture to a

rolling boil for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in extract.

Now it's time for waffles!

**Try My Humming Bird Cake Waffle

recipe by going HERE.**

 

Feel like your on vacation

while eating breakfast at home!

Lark

Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

If you or someone you know loves

Thousand Island Dressing, you will

definitely want to make this ASAP!

My husband is a HUGE fan of

thousand island dressing. One

evening as we were just getting

ready to sit down for dinner,

of which a green salad was served.

And of course we were out of thousand

island dressing. (I am a ranch fan, so I had

no idea we needed more.) So of course

my husband was bummed...so him being

quick witted turns to me and says~

"You're a Food Blogger, why don't you

to just whip some up?"

Well those of you who know me,

know that I don't just jump to any one's

bidding. (lol) Needless to say he ate

his dinner salad with Ranch.  :)

However the next day I made him some

Homemade Thousand Island Dressing.

 

Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

1 C. Mayo

1 C. Chili Sauce (you can use Ketchup)

1/4 C. Sweet Relish

2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 C. Milk

1 tsp. Minced Garlic

1 tsp. Minced Onion

1 tsp. Paprika

Salt/ Pepper to taste

 

I like to place all the ingredients into

my food processor, however you can

just whisk all the ingredients together

if you wish. That is all there is to it!

**Can be stored in a covered container

in the fridge for 4 weeks.

ENJOY!

Lark



Hummingbird Cake Waffles with Coconut Syrup

If you have never heard of a

Hummingbird Cake before, you must

not be Southern or have been to the

South. Because they are everywhere

in the South. You can find this cake

listed on many menu's or in bakeries.

I would compare it to a carrot cake,

because it is a dense moist cake.

Usually topped with a cream cheese

frosting and nuts. What makes this

cake so full of flavor are the banana's

and crushed pineapple.  Recipes of this

cake are found in every Southern

cook book passed down through the

generations.  Many cooks like to add

their favorite, spice, fruit or nut to

the batter to make it their "signature".

I guess you could say that is what I

 have  done with this recipe as well.

Hummingbird Cake Waffles

with Coconut Syrup

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

2 tsp. Baking Powder

3/4 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk

1/2 C. Sugar

2 Egg's

2 TBSP Oil

2 Ripe Banana's~ mashed

1 (8oz.) Crushed Pineapple ~ drained

 

Coconut Syrup

1 Stick Butter

1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk

1 C. Sugar

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Coconut Extract

 

Start by sifting together the

flour, baking powder, salt

and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a small bowl combine the

remaining ingredients, stir to

mix well. Pour this into the

dry sifted ingredients,

beat together. Let batter sit

for 10 minutes while you make

the  coconut syrup.

In a sauce pan combine all

the ingredients expect the

extract. Bring mixture to a

rolling boil for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in extract.

Now it's time for waffles!

Follow directions for your own waffle

maker. However I will let you know

I had to add another minute of cooking

time to mine, due to the cake being

so thick and full of yumminess.

Serve them hot along side the

sinful coconut syrup~ divine!

I am sure that once you have

tasted these waffles, and this sinfully

delicious coconut syrup you will

be addicted!

 

Lark