Saltine Toffee Cookies

Here is the recipe for the Saltine Toffee Cookies I made for the family dinner after Tommy spoke today. They were easy and we'll be making these again! (Thanks allrecipes.com, I modified the instructions here a little with my notes.)

Ingredients:

4 oz. saltine crackers (about one sleeve)
1 cup butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups chocolate chips
Optional: chopped nuts, sprinkles, candy pieces, etc.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Then place crackers in a single layer very close together, sides touching, on the cookie sheet.
3. In a saucepan start melting the butter and add in the sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour over saltines and spread as needed to cover crackers completely.
4. Baket at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate and top with optional topping. Cool completely and break into pieces.

Apple Cake

A couple of weeks ago when my in-laws were visiting they brought a bag of apples and I have loved finding recipes to use them. Two Sundays in a row I have made apple cake last week's had cream cheese frosting and this one was a bundt cake. Mauri asked that I share the recipe so here it is. It was a combination of two recipes the cake portion of this one and the glaze portion of this one.

Here is my version all put together with my modifications:

Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups sugar, plus 1/4 cup for the apples

1 1/2 tsp. ground apple spice blend (1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg)

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. fine salt

4 large apples, cored and roughly chopped (about 5 cups)

3 large eggs

1/2 cups vegetable oil

1/2 cup sour cream

Juice from 1 orange (about 1/3 cup)

1 tbls. pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter and flour the bundt pan.

Whisk the flour, 1 1/3 cup of the sugar, 1 tsp. of pie spice, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.

Toss the apples with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp. pie spice and set aside.

Whisk the eggs and oil together in another bowl. Whisk in the sour cream, orange juice, and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined but still a bit lumpy.

Using a slotted spoon, scatter about 1/2 cup on the apples in the bottom of the bundt pan. Put about 1/3 of the batter on top. Repeat, alternating with the remaining apples and batter, ending with the batter.

Bake the cake until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and invert onto a rack placed over a baking sheet. Cool.

Glaze:

1 stick butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbls. whole milk

Combine butter, brown sugar and milk in small saucepan. Bring to a boil for five minutes. Pour over cake while sauce is hot.

(I need to get better at putting on a hot glaze, I guess something to practice.)