Recipes – Page 4

A Dorm-Friendly Super Bowl Snack: Chex Mix Treats

Published on January 30, 2015January 30, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Caroline Gentile ’17

I don’t know about you, but for me, the Super Bowl is about much more than just football. If my beloved Packers had made it this year, perhaps I would care more about the football aspect, but still, commercials, puppies, and of course, food, always play a major role in my Super Bowl Sunday experience.

Perhaps one of my favorite snacks while watching the game (or, let’s be honest, the tear-jerkingly adorable Budweiser puppy commercials) is Chex Mix. Deliciously salty and crunchy, there isn’t much more that one could want out of a snack. But wait! What if Chex Mix could be sweet, too? It seems too good to be true, but such a snack exists in the form of Chex Mix treats, an improved version of the classic Rice Krispie treats!

A harmonious trilogy of flavors—sweet, salty, and crunchy—is what makes these Chex Mix treats so dangerously addicting. Seriously. I made these at home over break, and the whole pan was gone in a day. But you don’t have to have access to a real kitchen like you would at home in order to make Chex Mix treats. All you really need in terms of cooking equipment is a microwave, a large heatproof bowl, and a 9X13 inch pan.

Now, for the recipe, courtesy of the Food Network magazine.

You’ll need:

4 TB unsalted butter

1 bag (usually 10 oz) of mini marshmallows

1 15 oz. bag of Chex Mix

Instructions:

If you are using a stove, melt the butter and marshmallows in a small saucepan, stirring constantly. If using a microwave, melt the butter and marshmallows in a large heatproof bowl at high heat for 1 minute. Stir, then continue microwaving in 30-second increments, stirring between each increment, until everything has melted.

Once the marshmallows and butter are melted together, pour the Chex Mix into the bowl and combine, either with a wooden spoon, spatula, or even your bare (clean!) hands. Make sure that all of the Chex Mix gets coated in melted marshmallows and butter. Once combined, press the mixture into a 9X13 pan. Allow it to set for one hour at room temperature before cutting the treats into squares. Enjoy!

Why Did the Turkey Stop Eating? He Was Stuffed!

Published on December 2, 2014December 2, 2014 by Orlea MillerLeave a comment

By Orlea Miller ‘16

Thanksgiving is easily a foodie’s favorite holiday of the year. While my day-to-day life revolves around the foods I’m eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Thanksgiving is the one time of year when everyone else does the same. We begin looking into airline fares months ahead of time when making our holiday plans, and then spend at least a week or two carefully selecting Thanksgiving recipes and entering the grocery store madness just to eat together as a family.

My family sticks to the traditional foods for this annual event: turkey, stuffing, rolls, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and green beans (and a countless number of pies and other treats). Unfortunately, they don’t like straying from the recipes they’re used to either. However, after years of box-made stuffing, I decided to try out a new recipe for Thanksgiving this time around.

I found the recipe for “Save-the-Day Stuffing” online (a.k.a. homemade stuffing with a few healthy swaps) to lighten everyone’s plates this year. I used the typical veggies but included light bread and liquid egg substitute, and ended up with a pretty tasty addition to our household’s Thanksgiving repertoire.

Ingredients
(MAKES 5 SERVINGS)

6 slices light bread

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 cup fat-free chicken broth, room temperature

1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute

1 tbsp. light buttery spread

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, to taste

1 oz dried cranberries (if desired)

Directions:

Leave bread uncovered at room temperature overnight. Otherwise, begin by lightly toasting bread.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Spray a medium baking dish with nonstick spray, and place bread cubes evenly along the bottom of the dish.

Chop up the celery and onion to prepare it for the stuffing.

In a medium pot, combine broth, celery, and onion. Cook for 8 minutes over medium heat.

Remove pot from heat, and add mushrooms and garlic. Season mixture to taste with salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Let cool for several minutes.

Add egg substitute and butter to veggie/broth mixture and stir. Pour mixture into the baking pan, evenly covering bread cubes. Mix gently with a fork. Bread cubes should be moist, but not saturated (if necessary, add 1 – 2 tbsp. water, and then mix again).

If desired, throw in the dried cranberries to add a sweet kick to your stuffing!

Cover with foil, and cook dish in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove foil, and fluff and rearrange stuffing. Return dish to oven (uncovered), and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

After comparing my homemade stuffing to the boxed one we have had at our Thanksgiving table in years past, I was impressed. This version had more flavor and texture, though I admittedly added in more chicken broth than the recipe called for after noticing it looked dry before putting it in the oven.

I found the stuffing recipe, along with quite a few other holiday dishes at www.hungry-girl.com, one of my go-to websites for healthy sides, entrees, and desserts that are just as tasty as the original version, yet far more nutritious and lower in calories and fat.

DIY Ice Cream Cake

Published on November 21, 2014December 26, 2014 by The Crimson Crave2 Comments

By Caroline Gentile ’17

My go-to birthday present for my friends is food. More specifically, I like to give people ice cream cake. To me, there is no better food combination than ice cream and cake! While JP Licks offers delicious ice cream cakes, they tend to be on the more expensive side. Behold, a recipe for an ice cream cake for which the ingredients can all be purchased at CVS and that can be made in your very own dorm room!

You’ll need:

2 boxes of vanilla ice cream sandwiches (12 bars)

Cool whip

Oreos

Any cookie of your choice (I use Chips Ahoy)

Hershey’s chocolate sauce

A plate that will fit in your sad little dorm room freezer

A knife

Assembly:

Lay three ice cream bars next to each other on the plate. Using your knife, spread a nice, thick layer of Cool Whip over all three of the bars. The Cool Whip may be a bit hard to spread, so let it sit out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes until it becomes more spreadable. Then, on top of the cool whip, layer crumbles of Oreos and/or other cookies of your choice.

Now, for the next layer: three more ice cream bars on top of the Cool Whip/cookie crumbles. Then another layer of Cool Whip and cookie crumbles. Repeat with three more ice cream bars. Your cake should have three layers, with 9 ice cream bars. You can attempt to make a four layer cake, but this is very ambitious, and such cakes tend not to fit in the typical, Harvard-approved freezers.

Once you have assembled all of your layers, cover the whole cake in Cool Whip. On top of the cake, decorate with cookies and drizzle with chocolate sauce. Enjoy!!

Indulge in a Fall Favorite: Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Published on November 15, 2014November 15, 2014 by Orlea MillerLeave a comment

By Orlea Miller ‘16

By the time November rolls around in Cambridge, winter has arrived, ready or not. But at least the fall foods can continue, giving me the opportunity to indulge in all of the rich, creamy, delicious pumpkin treats fathomable: scones, cookies, pumpkin bars, pumpkin bread, and most importantly pumpkin pie.

With all of the holiday cooking, and the continuous eating that takes place from October through December, I like to bake healthy versions of my favorite desserts when I have the chance. If I’m sneaky enough, my family members might even enjoy the sweets I’ve made without realizing what’s inside.

I also try to find recipes with ingredients I’m likely to use in the future, preferably with items that are already at home. One of my favorites is ChocolateCoveredKatie.com, a dessert blog full of healthy pies, cakes, cookies, and single-serving desserts that can satisfy even the pickiest sweet tooth!

Last fall, I selected a healthy pumpkin pie from the blog during holiday season, and decided to replicate the mouthwatering treat a second time around. My plan is to bring the pie back to school, freeze it, and top a slice with whipped cream whenever I crave the delectable fall flavor while I’m away from a kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup xylitol or brown sugar

pinch uncut stevia or 2 extra tbsp. brown sugar

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree

¾ cup plus 2 tbsp milk

2 tbsp oil, or omit and increase milk to 1 cup

1 tsp ener-g powder or 1 tbsp ground flax

2 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F, and grease a 10-inch round pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine first 7 ingredients, and stir very well.

In a separate bowl, combine all liquid ingredients with the ener-g or flax, and whisk.

Pour wet into dry, stir to combine, then pour into the pan and bake 35 minutes. (It’ll still be gooey after baking, but that’s okay.)

Allow to cool completely before transferring uncovered to the fridge to “set” for at least 6 hours before trying to slice. Each slice of this healthy take on pumpkin pie came out to about 55 calories (with an additional 25 calories per slice if the optional oil is included).

I like to take a slice out of the freezer every few days, heat it up, and top it with whipped cream or chocolate chips! My only problem is making the eight slices last until I’m home to bake again…

Golden Bars of Heaven: Pumpkin Streusel Snack Cake

Published on November 14, 2014June 8, 2015 by Victoria PiccioneLeave a comment

by Victoria Piccione

These days, one is considered “basic” if she (or he) admits to being pumpkin-obsessed. But I would argue that there is nothing basic about pumpkin. If anything, it’s one of the season’s richest flavors. It has an earthy warmth that’s just begging to be paired with chocolate. It adds spice to one’s life and eases the cruel transition out of Daylight Savings Time. And this snack cake or, more fittingly, golden bars of heaven are certainly not basic.

Last year, I made pumpkin bread nearly every three weeks, starting in October and ending in April, not because it was finally no longer winter but because I’d run out of canned pumpkin. I consider this pumpkin bread pretty much unbeatable: it’s the perfect breakfast, perfect afternoon snack, perfect dessert, perfect bedtime treat, and perfect post-exam pity food. But as someone who regularly and genuinely laments that there are far, far more recipes that exist than I can possibly try in a lifetime, I’m always aware of the need to explore new options, and an email from one of my favorite blogs instructed me on exactly where I ought to go adventuring.

When an email titled “Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Streusel Cake” arrives in your inbox, full of mouthwatering, tantalizing photos, you don’t just let it pass. You don’t simply archive it and let it disappear into the depths of cyberspace. You struggle not to lose your head until you try your hand at creating it yourself. Or at least I do. I couldn’t wait. It had started to invade my dreams.
These bars are dense. They are rich. And they are moist. They’re perfectly studded with chocolate chips, and the spices are subtle but balanced. I had some salted caramel sauce on hand from these divine apple crumb bars, so naturally I couldn’t resist adding some to the pumpkin. And inspired by the pumpkin bread that I can never get off my mind, I threw in a handful of butterscotch chips, for they bring pumpkin to the next level, in some inexplicable way.

There’s nothing particularly fancy about the cake. It’s simple, and it’s easy to whip together. While I’d still have no shame in eating a piece for breakfast, there’s definitely something about the cake that’s distinctly more dessert-like. Pumpkin pie can be polarizing – it’s sort of a love-it-or-hate-it food – but these bars fall entirely on the love-it end of the spectrum.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Streusel Cake

Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

For the cake:

2 cups flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.

¾ granulated sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 cup pumpkin puree*

1 cup chocolate chips

⅓ cup butterscotch chips

For the streusel:

⅔ cup flour

½ cup brown sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

6 Tbs. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

½ cup chocolate chips

Optional: salted caramel sauce

*When I first made this recipe, I didn’t realize it called for 1 cup of pumpkin puree rather than 1 can of pumpkin puree. The bars were still delicious (though a bit wet), but could’ve used some more spice. For a more cake-y consistency, stick to the 1 cup of pumpkin puree. I think that 1 can (which is nearly 2 cups) makes for a tasty, moist bar if you just add a dash more of cinnamon and nutmeg.

1) Preheat oven to 350°F, and butter and grease a 9” x 13” cake pan.

2) In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3) In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Add the pumpkin puree, reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Evenly spread the batter in the prepared pan.

4) Pour about a half-cup of salted caramel sauce over the batter, swirling it into the batter. Smooth over with a rubber spatula.

5) For the streusel, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Using your fingertips or a fork, add the butter, working it into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the cake, then top with chocolate chips and drizzle with salted caramel sauce.

6) Bake in the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the sides pull away from the pan and a toothpick comes out clean – there may be some streaks of melted chocolate. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy – serving with an additional drizzle of salted caramel sauce to be extra indulgent!

On the Wok

Published on November 6, 2014 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

By Faye Zhang ’17

From the time I first peered over the stove at my mother’s hand deftly flipping eggs, tomatoes, and rice, to a year spent living and cooking solo on meager means, I’ve grown to appreciate—nay, love—the wonders of the wok.

The wok, an English label, is a misnomer. In Mandarin Chinese, the wok is known as a “guō”. In Indonesia it is known as a “penggorengan” or “wajan”. In Malaysia a small wok is called a “kuali”, and a big wok “kawah”. In the Philippines it is known as a “kawali” or a “wadjang”. In Japan, “chūkanabe”. In India, ”cheena chatti” (literally, “Chinese pot”) or “karahi”.

No matter its name, size, or country of origin, the wok varies little: a round-bottomed, cast iron pan attached to a long wooden handle. According to legend, woks originated during Chinese military marches, when soldiers gave their war helmets a double role as cooking vessels over campfires. Perhaps “double” is too limiting. The wok serves nearly any purpose: boiling, braising, deep-frying, roasting, smoking, searing, steaming, stewing, and its most well known use, stir-frying.

With a wok, one never struggles to remove charred bits of food that stick to the bottom of a pan and refuse to budge. The cast iron material and round shape allows a spatula, or traditionally, a set of long wooden chopsticks, to chase down every particle and douse it with seasoning. Food sticking to the pan is no matter at all: the wise cook prizes the caramelized layers of past flavors, each of them lending mysterious savor to each new dish.

With a flick of a chopstick, the sizzling food slides over a steaming bed of rice to finish the dish. In my case, food often never left the wok—the round pan serves as a perfect, albeit hot, bowl. No use complaining, though. The wok was built for heat; perfect for cooking over a traditional pit-style stove filled with smoldering coal or wood. Fire would lick the iron rim, creating 180 degrees of perfect thermal conduction.

Modern stovetops, such as flat electric stovetop surfaces, have led to the creation of frying pans attempting to pass as flat-bottomed woks. Heavy cast iron has been substituted for lightweight stainless steel. Wooden handles have been replaced by smooth rubber. The Presto 5900, a stainless steel electric automatic wok, essentially cooks by itself.

And yet, food made in these modern contraptions somehow tastes off. Broccoli has no bite, meat is tepid, stews lack depth. Perhaps it’s the relentless cleanliness and efficiency; modern woks scrubbed clean after each use never get the chance to accumulate flavor history. There is a Chinese dish called “guō-tie”, potstickers—a clever use for leftover dumplings made in huge and un-finishable quantities during holidays. To make them, day-old dumplings are dumped into a hot wok, doused with oil, and left to sizzle. They’re called potstickers because, while the innards simmer, the thin dumpling skin sticks to the wok and fries to a crispy, salty-sweet crust.

Guō-tie is impossible to get right on stainless steel. One bite proves why: the blackened dumpling rim which envelopes a release of savory juice can only be created by a properly aged wok—the kind passed down from ancestors, full of browned, crusty memories.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

Published on November 1, 2014November 1, 2014 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

By Danielle Leavitt ’17

China has the fuzzy kiwi, England has its apple, and even Mexico has its avocado. But America? No national fruit. Well, if you were to ask me, my vote would be the pumpkin. Yes, the majestic, bright orange oval that has become a symbol of Halloween and Thanksgiving is indeed a fruit! Pumpkins are amazingly versatile plants, boasting flowers, seeds and a firm flesh that is not only delicious, but also rich in vitamins A and B, high in fiber, potassium, protein, and iron.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I am really looking forward to heading home for an amazing, well worth the wait, dinner. In years past, my feast was somewhat boring, (just turkey and green beans for me) because the stuffing and pumpkin pie were unfortunately not gluten free. What’s a Thanksgiving feast without dessert? Luckily, all that has changed in the last few years, as more and more gluten-free products and recipes have been added to our table—like this pumpkin bread recipe. While there are quite a few ingredients, they are all easily found in most grocery stores, and the recipe itself is very easy. With a perfect cinnamon-nutmeg taste, gluten free pumpking bread will totally satisfy your craving for a Thanksgiving dessert.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

Ingredients for Pumpkin Bread 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan

1 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 1/2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree
3/4-cup buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pan.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla.
With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add pumpkin and buttermilk and beat until just combined.
Transfer batter to pan, smooth top, and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour 15 minutes (cover with foil if overbrowning). Let cool in pan on a wire rack, 15 minutes. Turn out onto rack and let cool completely. Enjoy!

I can only imagine what wonderful pumpkin-treats were at the first Thanksgiving feast. And now with gluten-free flour, dessert this Thanksgiving can be a treat that all feasters, even gluten-free lovers, can look forward to. Final Pumpkin Bread

Recipe from: http://www.marthastewart.com/945741/pumpkin-bread

Salted Caramel Candy Corn Bark

Published on October 26, 2014October 26, 2014 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Caroline Gentile ’17

For me, bark is usually something that I don’t make until Christmas. It makes a great gift, and is always a quick and easy treat to whip up at the last minute during all of the holiday craziness. Melt some chocolate, let it set, sprinkle on toppings. That’s all it takes. Perhaps the best thing about bark, besides the fact that it is delicious and easy to make, is how versatile it is. Basically, you can make bark with any kind of chocolate and whatever toppings your heart desires.

I love salted caramel and I love candy corn, but I couldn’t think of a way to combine the two. And then it dawned on me- bark! Make it into bark! So I did, and the result was perfection. I used milk chocolate for the bottom layer, homemade salted caramel for the middle layer, and of course, candy corn on top. The sweetness of the candy corn was offset by the saltiness of the caramel, and the smooth milk chocolate layer balanced out the chewy caramel and crunchy candy corn. This bark is definitely my new favorite Halloween treat.

For the chocolate layer:

1lb milk chocolate, chopped (or dark chocolate, depending on your preference)

For the salted caramel layer (adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction):

1 cup granulated sugar

6 T salted butter, cut into 6 pieces

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp salt

For the candy corn layer:

1 bag of candy corn

Line a 9×13 baking dish with aluminum foil. Make sure that foil is hanging over the sides. Set aside. Melt all but 3/4 cup of the chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. Stir using a wooden spoon until melted, heating in intervals of 10 seconds on the heat and 20 seconds off. This may take time, but you really want to make sure that you do not burn the chocolate.

Once it is all melted, remove from heat and add the remaining chocolate into the melted chocolate. Stir until all of the chocolate is melted. Pour all of the chocolate onto the foil in the baking dish. Using a spatula, spread out the chocolate across the bottom of the dish. Allow to set for 30 minutes at room temperature. Do not cheat and put it in the refrigerator! This will cause the chocolate to become too hard. During this time, make the salted caramel!

Heat granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon to ensure that the sugar does not burn. The sugar will eventually form clumps and turn into an amber-colored liquid as you stir.

Once the sugar is entirely melted, add the butter immediately. Be careful! The melted sugar will boil rapidly once the butter is added.

Stir the butter into the sugar until it is completely melted, about 2-3 minutes.

Very, very slowly, add the heavy cream. Again, the mixture will bubble vigorously and may splatter, so be extra careful. Allow to boil for 1 minute. The mixture will rise in the pan as it boils.

Remove from heat and add the salt. Stir. Allow to cool before using.

Once the salted caramel is cool, pour over the hardened chocolate layer (make sure that the chocolate layer is hardened before adding the caramel!) Immediately sprinkle the candy corn over the salted caramel, pressing each individual corn into the caramel. Allow the bark to set for 30 minutes to an hour. Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars

Published on October 22, 2014October 22, 2014 by Victoria Piccione1 Comment

By Victoria Piccione ’16

As a native New Englander, the end of September and the whole of October have always had a special place in my heart. As much as I love watching the leaves turn and feeling a bit of a nip in the air – at last, an excuse to don cozy sweaters and curl up in soft blankets! – I think it’s really all of the desserts that make fall my favorite time of the year.

I can’t remember a single year growing up when we didn’t pile into the car in late September for our annual apple picking trip. As kids, we used to eat our weight in apples, but the real treat was always the fresh cider doughnuts that followed. A perk of having two younger siblings is that the childhood activities don’t stop even when you cease to be a kid. So last year, once again I piled into the car with my family, we ate (maybe half) our weight in apples, finished the day with cinnamon sugar cider doughnuts, and left with not one, but two half-bushel bags of freshly picked apples.

During the glory days of living in DeWolfe, baking was a weekly occurrence, so it seemed reasonable to bring back a half-bushel of apples for my own use at school. In the beginning, though, I thought I’d been blinded by ambition. Even after making two different kinds of apple crisps and an apple cobbler, it seemed like I hadn’t even begun to make a dent in the apples. Things were going to have to get creative, so I searched my favorite baking blogs for interesting alternatives to the standard apple pie, apple crisp, and baked apples. And thus began my beautiful love affair with salted caramel apple crumb bars.

I only had to make salted caramel sauce once to become completely obsessed. Chocolate chip cookie bars, buttercream frosting, pumpkin bread, I find an excuse to put caramel on and in everything. In these bars, the cinnamon-y, perfectly sweetened apple filling combined with the buttery crust and crumb topping are divine on their own, but the toasty saltiness of the caramel cuts through the apples and makes for a mouthwatering combination.

Though the recipe has three major steps – making the shortbread-like dough, preparing the apple filling, and making the salted caramel – it’s fairly straightforward, and the shortbread is used for both the crust and the crumble on top. Additionally, store-bought caramel would serve just as well. Preparing the caramel first gives it time to cool and thicken, and then preparing the apples gives them time to soak up all the sugary cinnamon-y goodness. The best part of this recipe? Apples are plentiful in the dining hall year-round, so even if you didn’t go apple picking or even if it’s the middle of February, these delicious salted caramel apple crumb bars are only ever a few dhall apples away!

Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars

Recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Salted Caramel Sauce

2 cups granulated sugar

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces*

1 cup heavy cream, room temperature*

1 tablespoon fleur de sel or kosher salt

(1) Before starting, make sure all of the ingredients are measured and ready to use so that once the caramel reaches the appropriate stage you can add them without hesitation. *Also, it’s essential that the butter and cream be at room temperature; if they are not, when you add them to the melted sugar, the sugar may harden rapidly into a nearly unusable mess that should be delicious caramel sauce.

(2) Heat the sugar over medium-high heat in the bottom of a heavy (relatively big) saucepan. When the sugar starts to melt, start whisking the sugar. The sugar will clump; just keep mixing. Once the sugar is melted, stop mixing and swirl the pan vigorously.

(3) Continue cooking the sugar until it reaches a deep amber color. Watch the pan closely so that you don’t overcook the caramel. If you have a candy thermometer on hand, cook the caramel until it reaches 350°F.

(4) Once the caramel reaches the right temperature/color, carefully add the butter. I’ll usually add one piece at a time and continue whisking vigorously until it’s fully combined. Just keep whisking. Be aggressive with the whisking.

(5) Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour in the heavy cream, whisking as you pour. Whisk until the cream is incorporated and the caramel is smooth. Whisk in the fleur de sel or kosher salt.

(6) Let the caramel sauce cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes.

Note: this recipe makes a lot of caramel sauce! It can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for the next time you make cookie bars or decide to indulge in an ice cream sundae.

For the Apple Filling:

5 cups peeled and diced apples (I use Cortland or Granny Smith)
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the crust:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the Apple Crumb Bars:

(1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

(2) Place the apples in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour over the apples and mix until the apples are coated entirely. Set aside.

(3) In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Use your fingertips to incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients until a few small chunks of butter remain.

(4) In a separate bowl, mix the egg and vanilla together. Add into the flour and butter mixture and stir to combine. The dough will be crumbly and a little dry.

(5) Pat half of the dough into the prepared pan. Spread the apple mixture evenly over the bottom crust.

(6) Generously drizzle salted caramel sauce over the apple filling, at least ¾ cup. Crumble the remaining dough over the apple caramel layer and pat gently.

(7) Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Cool completely. Cut into squares and drizzle salted caramel sauce.

Note: You can also find cinnamon and nutmeg where they keep spices in the dhall!

Gluten-Free Halloween Treats

Published on October 18, 2014October 19, 2014 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Danielle Leavitt ’17

Yes, it’s that time of the year again. Fall leaves, apple cider, donuts…and Halloween! To those who eat gluten-free, Halloween may, at first glance, seem like a trick. With so many delectable candy options, how can one know which are gluten-free? You would be very surprised to find out that something that does not look like it has gluten in it— like Twizzlers, for example—actually contains gluten. To make things easier, I have found two lists with the latest updates on Halloween candy on reputable websites. However, remember to use these lists only as a guide as ingredients and formulas can change at any time, and as always, make sure to read labels.

Complete 2014 list of Gluten-Free Halloween Candy:

http://celiac.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/2014-Halloween-Treat-List.compressed.pdf (Celiac.org)

Quick list of Gluten-Free Halloween Candy, including CVS brand items:

http://surefoodsliving.com/2014/10/gluten-free-halloween-candy-quick-list-2014/ (Surefoodsliving.com)

For the “stay at home trick-or-treater,” or for a festive Halloween party, here is a simple recipe for caramel apples that is easy to make, requires very little time, tastes amazing, and is, of course, gluten-free!

Ingredients

3 medium apples, washed, well dried
1 bag (14 oz.) Kraft Caramels* (Kraft Caramels are gluten-free)
2 tablespoons water
Popsicle sticks

Directions

Insert one wooden Popsicle stick into stem end of each apple. Cover a large plate with waxed paper; spray with cooking spray.

Set aside. Place caramels in medium saucepan. Add water; cook on medium-low heat 3 minutes, or until caramels are completely melted; stirring constantly.

Dip apples into melted caramel until evenly coated, spooning caramel over apples if necessary. Allow excess caramel to drop off. Scrape bottoms of apples; place on prepared plate. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving. Store any leftover apples in refrigerator.

You can roll freshly dipped caramel apples in toppings like chopped peanuts if you’d like. Or melt 2 squares Baker’s Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate and drizzle the chocolate over freshly dipped apples before setting them aside to cool.

Halloween can truly be a frightening holiday, but with gluten-free candy guidelines and great make at home gluten-free Halloween recipes, you will still have a ghoulish time!!