caramel – The Pajama Chef

These mini apple doughnuts are dipped in an easy sweet caramel sauce for the ultimate easy fall treat!

For this month’s Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Cookaholic Wife, a blog written by Nichole. Nichole has SO many delicious recipes on her site. I had such a hard time deciding what to make! In the end, I chose these cute lil mini caramel apple doughnuts because they seemed so seasonally appropriate. I do love pumpkin but wanted to show apple some love. 🙂 Recipe runner ups included this Apple-Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Pork that Nichole just posted last week, Hawaiian Burgers, Caramel Grapes, and Coconut Lime Cookie Bars. If it was summer, those cookie bars would’ve definitely won! Aside from being into pretty much every one of Nichole’s recipes, I think the two of us could be BFFs. We’re the same age, both have two cats, and ideally would either be baking or reading on the beach. Yup, sounds about right. 🙂 While I have a 30 before 30 challenge, Nichole had a 28 before 28 challenge. How fun! [And speaking of fun, read this post about Nichole’s mom and her burning water habit. Hilarious!]

Anyways, I was psyched to see this recipe because I a) love caramel apples but hate biting into one, b) have a mini doughnut pan that I never use, and c) they just sounded AMAZING! And that they were. These mini doughnuts were a little bite of fall, perfect for dessert or breakfast. One word of caution though–the caramel sauce is super hot, so don’t take a bite until it’s cooled down a bit. The roof of your mouth will thank you! 🙂 [I learned that from Nichole’s first hand experience.]

Since I only have one doughnut pan, and wasn’t about to mess with letting the pan cool down in between batches, I used half the batter in my mini muffin pan for some adorable doughnut holes. So if you don’t have a doughnut pan, try that out! You may just need some additional caramel sauce for dipping since they’re a tiny bit bigger. Hope you enjoy! Thanks, Nichole for the great recipe! 🙂

one year ago: Baked Strawberry French Toast with Strawberry Maple Syrup
three years ago: Pumpkin Spread
four years ago: Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal

Baked Caramel Apple Mini Doughnuts

Servings: 24 doughnuts
Time: 60 minutes
Print

from Cookaholic Wife
Ingredients:

2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup apple, minced
1 cup chewy caramel candies – I used Kraft caramels, the ones they advertise for making caramel apples
1 tablespoon milk

Directions:

Grease mini doughnut pan(s) or mini muffin pan(s) with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. In a measuring cup, whisk together egg, sugars, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and stir until combined. Fold in apples.

Spoon batter into prepared pans, filling about halfway.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove to a wire rack to cool for 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place caramels and milk in a microwave safe small bowl. Microwave for 30 second increments on 50% power, stirring after each burst. Repeat until a caramel sauce comes together.

Dip doughnuts into caramel sauce then return to wire rack to set. Serve warm! Enjoy within a couple days, but they are definitely best the first day.

Be sure to check out other recipes from the Secret Recipe Club today!

So, it’s only February, but it’s practically tropical outside. At least by Indiana winter standards. I mean, I noticed after my run today that my running tan lines are already starting to set in. In February. I guess that’s what happens after days upon days of temperatures in the 50s. It’s so exciting!

Not that running tan lines are cool or anything… but running outside in shorts sure is. Especially since right now we should be piling on the Under Armour to even venture outside, let alone go run outside comfortably.

And so… [yes! semi-awkward transition!] to celebrate a taste of summer early, meet Caramel S’more Cups.

Normally I hate S’more themed desserts, because they aren’t as good as the real thing. But this one is different.

Caramel S’more Cups aren’t trying to be the real thing. There’s no blah graham cracker crust or 70s layered dessert feel. This kind of different is more like over the top awesome.

First, you take a chocolate chip cookie. Then you put it in a mini muffin cup [since mini anything=cute=so much better]. Next, add a Rolo caramel, then, some marshmallows, and finally, more chocolate. Can you say gooey?? Especially warm out of the oven, or nuked for 5 seconds. Yes, please.

And if that doesn’t make you happy no matter the weather, then I don’t know what will.

Is anyone else in the mood for summer food now that the weather is clearly indicating an early spring? What are you most looking forward to about warm weather?

Happy weekend!

Caramel S'more Cups

Servings: 48 cookie cups
Time: 25 minutes
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cookie recipe from from Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook, 1996; rest from Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips, divided
48 Rolo caramels, unwrapped
approximately 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Directions:

Line two mini muffin tins with paper liners. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream together sugars, butter, and egg. Mix in flour and baking soda, then fold in 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place in muffin cups.

Bake for 8-9 minutes, or until just cooked around the edges. Remove from oven and place Rolo in center of cookie, pressing down hard. Top with 2-3 marshmallows. Bake for an additional 3-4 minutes or until marshmallows are puffed and golden. Top with a chocolate chip or two.

Note: Original recipe called for 1 pouch [1 lb 1.5 oz] packaged chocolate chip cookie mix, 1 egg, and 1/2 cup butter in place of homemade chocolate chip cookie dough, so you can use that instead if you want.