girltalk Blog

Caramel Corn

This must-try recipe for caramel popcorn is from my sister, Helen.

Caramel Corn

8 cups popped popcorn                                1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar                         1/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons butter or margarine                  1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Put popcorn into baking pan. Remove any unpopped kernels.  Measure brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt into 1 1/2 quart saucepan.  Put pan on burner.  Turn burner to medium heat. Cook and stir with a wooden spoon till butter melts and everything is mixed.  Continue cooking till mixture starts to boil.  When mixture boils, stop stirring. Cook for 5 minutes. Move pan off burner and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. Pour mixture over popcorn using a rubber scraper to scrape pan.  With spatula, gently stir the popcorn and hot mixture so all the popcorn is coated.  Put pan into oven of 300 degrees and bake 15 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and stir mixture with spatula. Put back into oven and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer. Pour it out onto a clean counter top and separate it before it cools then put it in a Tupperware container with a good seal and it will last a long time. Makes about 8 cups.

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Applesauce

Here’s a simple but yummy applesauce recipe from my good friend Clara—

The best apples to use are summer transparents, like Lodi - but they are only available for a brief time mid-summer.  I usually use Granny Smith for their tart flavor; McIntosh are another choice.

Cut apples in half, core, and pare. Rinse apples, cut into quarters, and put in large saucepan. Add about an inch of water and bring to boil (make sure they don’t boil dry). Turn heat down far enough to maintain low boil and cook apples until they are soft (test with fork).

Pour the hot apples, with the juice, into a food processor. Puree the apples until they have a smooth sauce texture. Add sugar and sweeten to taste (the more tart the apple, the more sugar—that’s what makes it so good!) We always sprinkle cinnamon on top, but some people like to stir it in. You can enjoy the applesauce hot or cold.

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Caramel Apple Crisp To Go

This recipe would be a perfect addition to a fall picnic…

Caramel Apple Crisp To Go

1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp. light-colored corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
4 to 6 apples, cored and sliced
1 cup crushed cookies, such as biscotti, pecan shortbread, peanut butter, oatmeal, snickerdoodle, or chocolate chip.

1. For caramel sauce, in a heavy medium saucepan combine whipping cream, butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup.  Bring to boiling over medium-high heat (about 5 to 6 minutes), whisking occasionally.  Reduce heat to medium.  Boil gently for 3 minutes more.  Stir in vanilla.  Transfer sauce to a storage jar with a lid.  Let cool for 15 minutes.  Cover and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.  Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.
2. To serve, place apple slices in individual bowls.  Drizzle with caramel sauce.  Top with crushed cookies.  Makes 8 servings.

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Caramel Layer Chocolate Squares

A delicious family favorite…

Caramel Layer Chocolate Squares

1 (14 oz.) pkg. caramels
1 pkg. German Chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup evaporated milk, divided in equal portions
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine caramels and half of evaporated milk.  Cook over low heat, stirring often until melted and smooth.  Grease 9"x13” pan.  Combine dry cake mix, butter and rest of the evaporated milk, and chocolate chips.  Stir just until mixed.  Press half of dough firmly in pan.  Bake 6 minutes at 350*.  Spread caramel mixture overall.  Top with remaining half of dough.  Spread gently to cover.  Bake at 350* for 15 minutes.  Let stand until cool before cutting.

From Roxie Kelley and Friends, With Heart & Soul (Maryland Heights, Missouri: Cracom Pub., 1995), 90.

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Colonial Pumpkin Bars

This recipe provides a fun alternative to pumpkin bread…

Colonial Pumpkin Bars

3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup pecans, chopped

Cream butter and sugar together.  Blend in pumpkin and eggs.  Mix remaining ingredients together and add to creamed mixture.  Spread in a greased 10"x15" pan, or (for a cake) in a 9"x13" pan.  Bake at 350* for 25-35 minutes, depending on the size of the pan.  When cooled spread with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 lbs. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Blend cream cheese and butter well.  Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.  Add vanilla and blend well.

Roxie Kelley and Friends, Just a Matter of Thyme, (Kansas City, Missouri: Andrews McMeel Pub., 1998), 115.

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Three bananas

Three overly-ripe bananas make for one happy husband and one happy son eating banana bread. No doubt, the chocolate glaze is the reason they enjoy it so much! Below is the recipe:

Banana Bread with Chocolate Glaze

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/4 cups sugar (1/2 brown and 1/2 white, optional)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt

Glaze:
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 325*. Beat together butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream, vanilla and bananas until blended. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, until blended. Do not overmix! Pour batter into a greased bundt pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a cake tester, inserted in center, comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in pan for 15 minutes then remove and cool. When cake is cool, drizzle top with chocolate glaze. To make glaze, melt chocolate chips and butter in microwave using 30% power (defrost). 

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Blueberry Muffins

Last week, Mom, Nicole, and I decided to go blueberry picking at a local fruit farm.  So we loaded Jack into the car seat and drove off.  Upon arriving we waited for the little tractor which carries you to and from the blueberry field.  As we waited, dark clouds began to creep up, but we chose to ignore them.  You can figure out the rest.  After our bumpy trip to the field we began picking, and almost immediately, it began pouring.  But we weren’t going to let a little rain stop us.  We picked two full buckets and returned home completely soaked. 
This little story is simply to give you a very yummy blueberry muffin recipe that we have always enjoyed making…

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup mashed blueberries
2 cups whole blueberries
1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease both muffin cups and tops of muffin tins around cups.  Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Combine dry ingredients and add alternately with milk to butter mixture.  Stir in blueberries.  Fill muffin cups and sprinkle tops with sugar and nutmeg mixture.  Bake about 25 minutes.  Cool 30 minutes before removing from tins.

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Lemonade

I thought you might enjoy this recipe for fresh-squeezed lemonade that I served at my luncheon.

Fresh Lemonade Syrup

3 c. sugar
1 c. boiling water
3 c. lemon juce (about 16 lemons)
2 T. grated lemon peel

In a 1-1/2 quart heat-proof container, dissolve sugar in boiling water. Cool. Add lemon juice and peel; mix well. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.  Yields 5-1/2 cups syrup (number of batches varies depending on concentration of lemonade). 

To prepare lemonade: For 1 serving, combine 1/4 to 1/3 cup syrup and 3/4 cup cold water in a glass; stir well.  For 8 servings, combine 2-2/3 cups syrup and 5 cups cold water in a 2 quart pitcher; stir well.

(This recipe was given to me by my friend, Jenny Detwiler)

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