Category: Seasonal Sundays – holiday and seasonal recipes

Caramel Apple Salad

Mmmmm…..can this really be a salad?
Does it have some green? Yes.
Does it have fruit? Yes
…..ok then, it has to be a salad! I like this method of deciding whether it’s a salad or not, don’t you? This recipe is perfect for a Halloween themed meal or any fall table. I found this in my Recipe Hall of Fame’s Quick and Easy book.

4-6 Snickers candy bars, frozen
4-6 Granny Smith apples, chopped
1 (8 oz.) carton Cool Whip
1 (3 oz.) package dry instant vanilla pudding

Smash the frozen candy bars in wrappers with a hammer. (Or unwrap the candy, place in a ziplock, and hammer away.) Reserve some of the broken Snicker pieces for garnish.

Stir the Cool Whip and the pudding mix together. Add the apples and broken candy bars and combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with the remaining candy.
Serves 6-8


Cooking the books, ya’ll!

Pumpkin Muffins

This recipe is out of Katie Lee’s first cookbook, The Comfort Table. I have been making these simple muffins for years and they are a definite family favorite especially of my son, Creed. When fall arrives, this is the first recipe that comes out of hiding after the hot Texas summers! As Katie suggests, the leftovers are best enjoyed split (I use a quick spritz of cooking spray here), toasted under the broiler, and spread with cream cheese. Oh wow!

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (a must, I think!)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 (15 oz.) can pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12- cup muffin pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, fresh nutmeg, and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the pumpkin puree and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.

Pour the batter into the muffin pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the Muffin pan cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, before removing the muffins.

I get about 18 of them with my muffin pan.


What to use for fresh grated nutmeg


Cooking the books, y’all!

Laurel’s Caramel Brownies

I always think of caramel brownies when fall arrives and football season is in full swing. Perfect for parties, tailgating, a cure for ailments, and well, there is just always a good reason to make these beauties! These are best served with an icy, cold glass of milk.

1 (12 oz) bag of caramels
2/3 cup evaporated milk, divided
1 box German chocolate cake mix with pudding
1/2 cup melted butter
6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
chopped walnuts (optional)

Melt the caramels with 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk in a small saucepan.

Combine the rest of the milk, cake mix, and melted butter in a medium bowl. This can be done with a wooden spoon.

Press half of the cake mixture into a 9 by 13 greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes.

Sprinkle the walnuts, if using, and the chocolate chips on top. Then pour the melted caramels over it. Looks like this:

These look ready to eat in my book! But the next step is to add the remaining cake mixture as the top layer. Press the remaining cake mix out into pieces and lay on top of the caramel.

Bake for 20 minutes more.