girltalk Blog
There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. And we’ve had too much caramel.
After two weeks of reading, buying, baking, eating and writing about the sugary stuff, it’ll be a while before we can look at it again, much less eat it. We’ll steer clear of the caramel section in the grocery store this fall, lest we run into countless bags of caramel in one place. There probably won’t be any caramel desserts at Thanksgiving this year either. We may skip Thanksgiving baking altogether and go straight to Christmas cookies, just to be safe.
In all seriousness, while we are carameled-out for the moment, we thoroughly enjoyed this contest. Many of your amazing recipes will be Mahaney clan staples for years to come, much to the delight of our husbands and children. So thank you!
Here are our final favorites, Caramel Apple Pizza from Amanda Schulte and Oatmeal Everything Bars from Beth Muzik….
Caramel Apple Pizza
From Taste of Home 2001 Annual Quick Recipe Book
1 tube (18 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
4 cups sliced peeled tart apples (about 3 large)
1 can (12 ounces) lemon-lime soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping*
1/3 cup chopped pecans
Press cookie dough into a greased 14-in pizza pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Run a large flat spatula under crust to loosen from pan. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, brown sugar and milk until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. In a bowl, combine the apples and soda; drain well. Toss apples with cinnamon; arrange over cream cheese. Drizzle with the caramel topping and sprinkle with pecans. Cut into wedges.
Yield: 8-10 serving. *Editor’s Note: Fat-free caramel ice cream topping is not recommended for this recipe.
Oatmeal Everything Bars
1 - 14 oz. bag of caramels
3 T. milk
1 1/2 C. butter
2 C. flour
2 C. oats
1 1/4 C. brown sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 C. chocolate chip (approx)
1 C. pecan halves (approx)
Microwave caramels and milk (medium power for 2-3 minutes/check and stir every 30 seconds). Set aside. Melt butter and combine with flour, oats, brown sugar, soda, and salt. Press 1/2 of butter/oat mixture into greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips. Sprinkle pecan halves. Pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips/pecans. Top with spoonfuls of remaining butter/oat mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Wait a good 30 minutes before cutting. Their really gooey when they’re hot! ENJOY!
Let me tell you, the fun didn’t end with the four girltalkers. This caramel contest brought much joy to four husbands, seven children and one brother. Mike has never had that many dessert options at his fingertips at one time. Let’s just say that he handled the situation without much difficulty.
Tara Beth Townsend contributed a great Thanksgiving dessert and our first winner for today: Pumpkin Caramel Swirl Cheesecake. Samantha Weinhausen is our other winner with a yummy layered Caramel Apple Dip.
Pumpkin Caramel Swirl Cheesecake
Crust
1 1/2 cups ground gingersnap cookies
1 1/2 cups toasted pecans (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin
9 tablespoons whipping cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon (about) purchased caramel sauce
1 cup sour cream
preparation
For Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind ground cookies, pecans and sugar in processor. Add melted butter and blend until combined. Press crust mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides.
For Filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light. Transfer 3/4 cup mixture to small bowl; cover tightly and refrigerate to use for topping. Add pumpkin, 4 tablespoons whipping cream, ground cinnamon and ground allspice to mixture in large bowl and beat until well combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined.
Pour filling into crust (filling will almost fill pan). Bake until cheesecake puffs, top browns and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack and cool 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around cake pan sides to loosen cheesecake. Cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
Bring remaining 3/4 cup cream cheese mixture to room temperature. Add remaining 5 tablespoons whipping cream to cream cheese mixture and stir to combine. Press down firmly on edges of cheesecake to even thickness. Pour cream cheese mixture over cheesecake, spreading evenly. Spoon caramel sauce in lines over cream cheese mixture. Using tip of knife, swirl caramel sauce into cream cheese mixture. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Release pan sides from cheesecake. Spoon sour cream into pastry bag fitted with small star tip (do not stir before using). Pipe decorative border around cheesecake and serve.
Caramel Apple Dip
* 2 (8oz) cream cheese, room temperature
* 2 cups powdered sugar
* 2 t vanilla extract
* 1 jar caramel topping (for ice cream)
* 1 large Symphony candy bar with almonds and toffee, crumbled into small pieces
* A couple sliced granny smith apples
In a large bowl cream together, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Spread mixture in a pie plate. Next pour the caramel topping on top of the cream cheese mixture, followed by crumbling the candy bar on top of the caramel layer. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Serve with sliced granny smith apples.
This caramel contest was more than we expected: more work, more mess, and definitely more fun. We were also pleasantly surprised by the chance to use your recipes to bless others. Kristin and Nicole brought caramel desserts to small group meetings at their churches. Janelle and I took plates with an amazing assortment of caramel confections to meet our new neighbors. The only downside is that we’ve probably raised expectations for homemade gifts we’ll never be able to meet again: brownies from a box are going to be underwhelming after the variety of delicious bars, cookies and muffins we delivered last week. I have a feeling our neighbors will be consistently disappointed in us from now on. Or, like Janelle said, maybe we’ll have to do another contest—in the interest of evangelism, of course.
Today’s winners sent in two fabulous cookie recipes: Robin Gilmore
contributed Special Thumbprints/Caramel Brickle and Candace Teichroew
gave us Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies. Thank you both!
Special Thumbprints/Brickle-Caramel
Basic Dough:
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
In large bowl beat first four ingredients until light and fluffy.
Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level off and put in separate
bowl adding baking powder, stir. Add flour mixture to butter mixture
and stir until smooth dough forms.
3/4 cup almond brickle chips
20 unwrapped caramel candies
1/4 cup half ‘n’ half or milk
Combine dough and brickle chips; knead to blend. Refrigerate dough 30
minutes. Shape dough into 1 inch balls; place 2 inches apart on
ungreased cookie sheet. Make thumbprint. Bake at 350 degrees for 11
to 14 minutes or until lightly browned around edges and set.
Immediately remove from cookie sheet. (May have to indent again) Cool
completely.
In small saucepan over medium heat, melt caramels and half ‘n’ half,
stirring until smooth. Spoon 1/2 tsp. of filling into center of each
cookie. Makes 3 1/2 dozen
Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/4 cups chopped pecans, divided
1 package (13 ounces) Rolo candies
4 squares (1 ounce each) white baking chocolate, melted
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, 1 cup sugar and brown sugar. Add
the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in
vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to the
creamed mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans.
Shape a tablespoonful of dough around each candy, forming a ball. In a
small bowl, combine the remaining sugar and pecans; dip each cookie
halfway. Place nut side up 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake
at 375° for 7-10 minutes or until tops are slightly cracked. Cool for 3
minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle with
white chocolate.
Yield: About 4 dozen.
I have to jump in here and say that this caramel contest has been a blast. Which brilliant girltalker came up with this idea anyways? (I won’t say who.) I mean, how many opportunities come along in life where you are obligated to prepare and consume numerous desserts? Does it get any better? I won’t say that it wasn’t a lot of work; we were more than a little tired by the time we took this picture. And I didn’t exactly enjoy cleaning up the big mess when the fun was over. But it was all worth it. Don’t be shocked if you find a similar contest showing up on the blog in the future…maybe “All Things Chocolate” should be next. Oh, and let me just state that the food pictured below is only some of what we made last week.
Today’s big winners are Meredith Huspeni for Caramel Apple French Toast and Chasity Elseman for Caramel Apple Muffins. Delicious recipes ladies!
Caramel Apple French Toast
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 - 3 large tart apples, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 slices day-old French bread (3/4 inch thick)
In a small saucepan, cook brown sugar, butter and syrup until thick, about 5-7 minutes. Pour into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan; arrange apples on top. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk and vanilla. Dip bread slices into the egg mixture for 1 minute; place over apples. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered at 350° for 35-40 minutes.
Caramel Apple Muffins
(From Southern Living)
Ingredients
* 1 (3-pound) bag small apples (12 to 14 apples)
* 2 cups sugar
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted and divided
* Quick Caramel Frosting
Preparation
Peel, core, and cut 4 apples into 24 (1/4-inch-thick) rings. Sauté apple rings, in batches, in a lightly greased skillet over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove from skillet, and place 1 apple ring in the bottom of each of 24 lightly greased muffin pan cups.
Peel and finely chop enough remaining apples to equal 3 cups. Set aside.
Stir together sugar and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl.
Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients; add to sugar mixture, stirring just until blended. (Batter will be stiff.) Fold in finely chopped apples and 1 cup pecans.
Spoon batter evenly over apple rings in muffin pan cups, filling cups three-quarters full.
Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan, and cool, apple rings up, on a wire rack.
Press the handle of a wooden spoon gently into the center of each apple ring, forming a 1-inch-deep indentation in the muffins. Spoon warm Quick Caramel Frosting evenly over muffins, filling indentations. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans.
Caramel (k?r’?-m?l, -m?l’, kär’m?l) A smooth chewy candy made with sugar, butter, cream or milk, and flavoring.
A few weeks ago we got the urge to have another contest. One of us (I won’t say who) suggested a caramel contest. At first some of us (I won’t say who) wondered if there were enough caramel recipes out there to have a real contest. I mean, there’s caramel popcorn and caramel apples, and….what else?
But within minutes of the posting, our inbox began to fill up with caramel recipes: old family favorites, crowd pleasers, and even original concoctions. Who knew you could make so many things with caramel? There were dips and drinks, cakes and cookies, pies and pizzas.
It took about twenty-four hours for us to remember why, in four years of blogging, we’ve never done a cooking contest: oh yeah, because the only way to judge the entries is to cook them! What have we gotten ourselves into? Whose crazy idea was this anyway?
With dozens of entries there was no way we could make them all. So Mom and Janelle divided them up into categories (cakes, bars, cookies, crisps, cheesecakes, muffins, pies, drinks, dips, breakfast foods, snacks, and more). Then they chose from the categories using a single, strictly scientific, standard: which recipes look the yummiest.
After paring down the options they doled out assignments. We dragged the kids to the grocery store where we purchased bags of caramels, tubs of caramel dip, jars of caramel topping, and sugar for homemade caramel sauce.
The newly created girltalk test kitchens swung into action.
(I have to admit: it’s not as easy as it looks on The Food Network. I guess it helps to have an assistant to unwrap all those little caramels.)
After much cooking and tasting and deliberating we chose our winners. It wasn’t easy—you all sent in so many amazing recipes! We’ll be posting the winners throughout the week (in no particular order) and those women will each receive one of our favorite cookbooks.
So, without further ado, our first winner is Kristy Wigginton with her recipe “Divine Decadence.” This one is rich (but not to rich for me!) It’s easy to make and an elegant dessert to serve on a special occasion.
DIVINE DECADENCE
Step 1:
2 cups pecans, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted margarine
Combine and press into a greased 9” pie pan. Bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes. Cool completely.
Step 2:
1 (14 oz) bag of caramels
1/2 cup whipping cream
Melt two ingredients in a microwave safe bowl, stirring every 1 1/2 minutes. When well combined, pour into the crust.
Step 3:
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Bring cream and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips. Combine until all chips are melted and smooth. Pour over caramel. Refrigerate at least four hours or overnight. Cut into wedges or bite-sized pieces. You definitely need to eat this with a big glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee!
Rebecca sent us this week’s Friday Funny which is sure to make you laugh. Caramel contest winners coming up next week! Signing off for now…
Nicole for the girltalkers
A friend of mine has four little kids and lives across the street from a school. She was busy with the youngest child last week when she got a call from the school secretary - “Do you know where your children are?” She admitted she had lost track of two. The secretary informed her that they were on the playground of the school, after crossing the street themselves. My friend apologized, and said she’d be right over to get them. “Well,” the secretary hesitated, “we don’t really mind them playing here. But they’re naked.”
I’m back with the second and third principles for surviving those extra busy times. (I’m also happy to report that my laundry is out of the dryer and slowly making its way to drawers.)
2) Simplify the really-do-matter items where possible. Examine your essential to-do list and ask, “How can I make these tasks easier?” Take your husband’s dress shirts to the dry cleaners. Use paper products at mealtime. Order pizza for dinner.
3) Size up our limitations. As Dad likes to remind us, “Only God gets his to-do list done each day. We are not God. We are finite creatures with serious limitations.” Only God accomplishes everything he needs to do, in exactly the way he intends, in precisely the right amount of time. Only God! This truth helps us see the arrogant absurdity of expecting to complete our own to-do list. It frees us to humble ourselves and draw upon God’s strength to simply do what we can in busy seasons.
I trust these three thoughts will serve you in the same way they have served us, time and time again.
2008 at 4:09 pm | by Janelle Bradshaw
Kristin posted yesterday on dealing with interruptions. My life feels like one big—and wonderful—interruption at the moment. It’s a whirlwind of diapers, crying, spit-up, nursing, and laundry. There was a breakthrough this morning: my bed got made. Yeah! Although, come to think of it, I just remembered a load of laundry that is still sitting in the washer from yesterday.
Unexpected busy seasons—like a new baby, the start of the school year, final exams, travel, or a deadline at work—often leave us wondering what should and shouldn’t get done. My mom has given my sisters and me three simple principles to help us navigate really busy seasons, and I hope they will serve you too.
First of all, Separate the really-do-matter items from the really-don’t-matter items. Then take care of the really-do-matter items first. For example, when we hit hectic seasons as homemakers, Mom has taught us girls that after sitting at Jesus’ feet, we should attend to three priorities before anything else:
(1) Our husband: “What one thing would please my husband the most?”
(2) Our children: “What one issue in my child’s life needs consistent attention?”
(3) Our food and laundry: “Regardless of how dirty my house is, or how many piles of clutter have accumulated, or whether or not the beds are made—as long as my family has nourishing food to eat and clean clothes to wear, their basic needs will be taken care of.”
So if you presently find yourself in a busy season, stop for a few moments and separate; and then forget about those “really-don’t-matter” items for right now.
Tomorrow we’ll look at the second and third helpful principles for navigating busy seasons. But first I’m going to apply the “food and laundry first” idea and get that load of wet clothes into the dryer.
2008 at 5:20 pm | by Kristin Chesemore
Fall is officially here! I’m really enjoying the beautiful weather here in Maryland. It’s a balmy seventy-two degrees today. The windows are open and the kids are playing outside. It’s truly my favorite time of year.
The fall season also brings a new routine of church meetings, school, sports and the like. But the past week my routine hasn’t gone as planned. I’ve had many unexpected interruptions that have hindered me from completing my normal daily tasks. It seems that every time I turn around there’s something else for me to do that I haven’t planned for—and I want life to stop for just half an hour so I can get my laundry done!
But, as my mom reminded me the other day, God is more concerned with my heart than my laundry. She reminded me of a quote by C.S. Lewis that gave me a biblical perspective on interruptions:
“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s ‘own,’ or ‘real’ life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life—the life God is sending one day by day; what one calls one’s ‘real life’ is a phantom of one’s own imagination. This at least is what I see at moments of insight: but it’s hard to remember it all the time.” The Quotable Lewis, (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 1989), 335.
It is hard to remember! But what a difference it makes when I view interruptions not as hindrances to my routine but as “sovereign deliveries” from God, part of his good plan for my day. Then, and only then, can I truly receive them with joy.
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24
2008 at 4:27 pm | by Nicole Whitacre
Most of us are vaguely familiar with the verse in 1 John 2:15—“Do not love the world or anything in the world”—but we’re often unsure how to obey this command. Confused, and perhaps a little uncomfortable, we may ignore it altogether, sweeping it under the rug (along with other similarly difficult passages in God’s inspired Word).
But the authors of a new book, Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World
, want to remind us of the vital importance of this verse (and indeed all of Scripture), and help us understand how to apply this command to our hearts, our bank accounts, ipod playlists, dvd collections, and clothes—in short, every corner of our lives.
In the first chapter, Dad (editor and contributor), identifies with the confusion many Christians feel about this topic of worldliness:
“What does it mean for a Christian — what does it mean for me — not to love the world?
Does it mean I can’t watch MTV or go to an R-rated movie? Do I have to give up my favorite TV show? Is it OK to watch a movie as long as I fast-forward the sex scene? How much violence or language is too much?
Are certain styles of music more worldly than others? Is the rap or indie music I’m loading onto my iPod OK?
How do I know if I’m spending too much time playing games or watching YouTube clips online?
Can a Christian try to make lots of money, own a second home, drive a nice car, enjoy the luxuries of modern life?
Am I worldly if I read fashion magazines and wear trendy clothes? Do I have to be out of style in order to be godly? How short is too short? How low is too low?
How do I know if I’m guilty of the sin of worldliness?”
Worldliness seeks to address these and other tough questions. Along the way, they issue “a passionate plea to a generation for whom the dangers of worldliness are perhaps more perilous than for any that has gone before.”
This book is a sober warning to all of us who would neglect 1 John 2:15. Yet the authors (pastors, all) have first applied its truth to their own hearts and lives. They offer real-life, unflattering examples of their own sins and temptations to worldliness. Most of all, they remind us of the one place where worldliness dies, mercy lives, forgiveness is found, and holiness is possible: the cross of our Savior Jesus Christ.
I hope all our readers, and especially young people, will read and benefit from this book.
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There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. And we’ve had too much caramel. 
