Rolo Turtle Pretzels

Image and recipe via Hostess with the Mostess

I've seen this done with varying kinds of Hershey kisses with m&m's smooshed on top (the white striped mint ones are delicious with this!), but this is a new combo for me. You could probably come up with all sorts of combinations for this.

Ingredients:

Rolo chocolate candies
Mini pretzels
Nuts - toasted pecans/almonds/hazelnuts/walnuts

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350

1. Upwrap your Rolos. Place pretzels on baking sheet. Top with a Rolo.

2. Bake in oven for 3-5 minutes, until the chocolate just begins to melt. The Rolo should be soft but not completely melted.

3. Remove from oven, place on cooling rack and immediately squish the chocolate with a nut.

Upside-Down Apple Pie

We love this. It gives your apple pie a subtle, caramel-nut topping and it is delicious.

9 inch double pie crust, well-chilled

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup pecan halves or pieces
1/2 cup brown sugar
pinch salt

approx.5 large tart apples, peeled ,cored and sliced to equal about 6 cups
1 tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tlbs. flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
pinch salt

Prepare pie crust, and let chill while preparing the following:
Prepare apples, toss with lemon juice, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. You can make this spicier if you want.

Spread butter evenly on bottom and sides of 9 inch pie tin. I think metal works better than glass with this pie. Press nuts, rounded side down, into butter on bottom of plate, or scatter pieces on butter. You can do this as fancy or as simply as you want. Pat the brown sugar evenly over nuts. Sprinkle with salt. Roll out pie crust. Place bottom crust in pie tin on top of brown sugar, add apples, place top crust, and make slits pie plate over sugar.

Bake on middle rack at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, then move to the bottom rack for approx. 25-30 more minutes, tenting pie with foil to prevent over-browning, if necessary. Do not over bake or your apples will be mushy. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Place serving plate on top of pie and invert. Carefully remove pie tin. If you discover that your caramel is still a little grainy, invert it back into pie tin and bake on bottom rack a little longer. I've had to do this, the pie still turns out delicious. You might have to experiment with time and placement with your oven.

LADYBUG COOKIES

We made these cookies for Anna's birthday party and a couple of people have asked for the recipe so here it is . . .

I love this sugar cookie recipe. It is so yummy.
Cream: 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, and 4 eggs
Add: 1 tsp. almond extract, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 1 cup sour cream
Sift : 1 tsp. backing powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, and 5-6 cups flour

Refrigerate overnight
Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes

(My dough is still kind of sticky when I put it in the fridge. Then when I take it out of the fridge and roll out the dough with flour it seems like the dough ends up just perfect!)

We made 2 circles: one for the body and then we cut the other one in half for the wings. We frosted one brown and once red. Then we put black m&m's on the red cookie and then put it on top of the brown cookie. We then put a bite size Oreo for the head with licorice string for the antennas.

The kids loved making these. Happy Cookie making!!