Pounded Cheese with Port Syrup and Walnuts

For the past several weeks I have been preoccupied with making shades of gray color decisions for a bathroom remodeling project, a project that was supposed to be a simple one. When will I learn that no remodeling project in a seventy year old house is simple? Probably never. But that probably isn't the right question anyway, however, the answer would still be the same. Laboring over color decisions is due in part to once selecting a bedroom wall color that took on very different hues during the day and at night. After three coats of a relatively expensive wall paint painstakingly applied in a relatively large room, I woke up one morning to a bedroom that felt like it was lined with harvest gold refrigerators. Let's just say that wasn't a good feeling on so many different levels. If it was possible for someone to be burned at the stake for spending an unnecessary fortune on paint and making someone spend countless hours painting (and repainting), that someone would have been me. 

It wasn't much of shock (at least to myself) when I decided to make a recipe out of Amy Thielen's "The New Midwestern Table" cookbook. Her recipe for a pounded cheese with a port syrup appealed to me for a variety of reasons. In her book, Amy shared pounded cheese recipes have been found in 'books of early American cookery'. Having an affinity for centuries old things, making a century old recipe was one I couldn't resist. In addition to antiques, I also love wine and especially port. My sister, the wine expert in the family, introduced me (or should I say permanently spoiled me) to the Cabernet Sauvignon Port from Napa Valley's Schweiger Vineyards years ago. While it was probably unnecessary to use a port with such depth of flavor in this recipe, I thought it might make a incredible port syrup (it exceeded even my expectations). And lastly, a recipe calling for an aged Wisconsin cheddar cheese (one at least three years old) was also irresistible. The state of Wisconsin holds a special place in my heart as it was the place of my childhood family vacations. Thankfully I had a sorority sister friend on a girl's weekend  trip in Lake Geneva brought me back a great aged Wisconsin cheddar (it is great to have friends, even greater to have friends on Facebook who read my pleas and posts).

The Pounded Cheese with Port Syrup and Walnuts is one that epitomizes Throwback Thursday. Why? Because it sort of visually reminds one of those cheese spreads they would serve in the restaurants way back when. Only the flavor in this one is in a league of its' own. Maybe I should have waited to post and share this recipe on Thursday, but it would have been a crime (maybe not a burning at the stakes kind of crime) to delay sharing it with you.

This is one of those recipes using simple, quality ingredients and having simple, non-complicated 'invest hours in' directions. If there was ever a dish where its' flavor and beauty in presentation rivaled its' simplicity, this would be the one. If you live within a hundred mile radius of Wisconsin, it would be worth the drive to buy the aged cheddar cheese, unless of course you lucky enough have friends who are there frequently and are willing to do some of your grocery shopping. And if neither of those are practical options, it is likely you can find at least a three year aged cheddar at your favorite cheese shop (or in the cheese section at Whole Foods). Does the aged cheese absolutely need to be from Wisconsin? No, it doesn't. There are some amazing cheeses coming out of Vermont and the Hudson Valley. The only deal breaker in this recipe in the age of the cheese. Just remember, buy one that is at least three years old.

The modern convenience of a food processor makes making this pounded cheese incredibly easy. Imagine the arm strength that went into pounding the cheese with a wooden spoon in a wooden bowl more than a century ago!  After the softened cheddar cheese is processed until pureed, the (salted) butter, dijon mustard, Aleppo pepper and black pepper are added. Scraping the bowl several times, all of the ingredients are processed until reaching a smooth and creamy consistency. If you are not serving the cheese immediately, it can be refrigerated but needs to be brought back to room temperature before serving. I found that whipping it with a hand mixer just before serving restored it back to the right consistency.

The original recipe for the port syrup called for simmering 1/2 cup of port and one tablespoon of light brown sugar for approximately three minutes. Whether I did something wrong here or not, my mixture was not maple syrupy in consistency after three minutes. Not wanting to waste the Schweiger port (this would be a real crime), I increased the tablespoons of light brown sugar to two and simmered for about 15 minutes. The result was a velvety, intense-in-flavor port syrup. The syrup can be made early in the day or the day before as it should be at least room temperature or chilled before drizzling over the pounded cheese. Note: This port syrup would be also perfect served over a beef tenderloin.

No throwback 'deconstructed cheese ball' recipe would be truly throwback unless it was served with Ritz crackers (a cracker first introduced in 1934). The pounded cheese seems to call for a buttery cracker or sliced pretzel rolls. Choose whichever crackers or breads are your favorites. And oh, lest I forget, the Pounded Cheese with Port Syrup and Walnuts pairs well with wine, beer or martinis.

If only choosing paint colors was as easy as making the big life decisions or deciding which recipes to try. I think I will need to remind myself of this thought when I labor over what to make when having some friends over for dinner in a couple of weeks. But at least I already which know which appetizer I will be making. You get one guess.

Recipe
Pounded Cheese with Port Syrup and Walnuts (very slight adaption to Amy Thielen's Old-Fashioned Pounded Cheese with Walnuts and Port Syrup recipe shared in her book The New Midwestern Table)

Ingredients
Port Syrup
1/2 cup port wine (recommend Schweiger's. But choose a port you really like to drink, one that's a good quality but won't break the bank)
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar

Cheese
7 ounces of at least 3 year old aged Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese, at room temperature 
6 ounces (3/4 cup) salted butter, cool but not cold
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (recommend Maille)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of Aleppo pepper (or can use cayenne pepper)

1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted
Crackers (recommend Ritz ,Townhouse, or other good buttery crackers, or ) and/or sliced Pretzel Rolls

Directions
1. For the syrup, combine port and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar has melted. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened to the consistency of a maple syrup (approximately 12-15 minutes). Remove from heat, allow to cool to room temperature. If not using immediately, cover and place in the refrigerator.
2. For the cheese, cut the cheddar cheese into chunks, place in food processor and process until pureed. Add butter, mustard, Aleppo pepper, and black pepper and process until whipped and smooth (scrape down sides of bowl several times during the processing).
3. Arrange cheese on a shallow dish, drizzle port syrup over top and sprinkle with toasted walnuts. Serve with crackers or sliced pretzel rolls.

Note: Pounded cheese and syrup can be made one day ahead (wrapped separately). To serve, bring cheese to room temperature and whip with hand beaters to restore to its' creamy consistency before serving.

Chocolate Dipped Sea Salted Caramels

When I read in an email from my favorite local cooking store they were looking for volunteers for their baking or cooking demonstration days, I thought 'this could be a fun first'. Then I thought 'or maybe not'. Sharing my love of cooking and baking in the relative anonymity of a foodblog and sharing it in a large professional kitchen with a live audience; making a mess in my own kitchen and baking and making a mess in someone's kitchen (with an audience); and, baking in my oven versus in an unfamiliar oven for the first time were just some of the rambling variables spinning in my head as I debated over whether or not to volunteer. Having a tendency to just 'do' rather than spending time 'thinking through it', this whole decision making process took less than a couple of minutes (I think fast). As the days to my afternoon as a guest baker got closer, I thought 'what was I thinking?'.

My life is filled with sleepless nights. Add a little anxiousness into the mix and I am lucky to get the equivalent of a power nap in. On the morning of the demonstration the butterflies in my stomach (not a bad thing) turned into a stomach on a high speed roller coaster (not a good thing). Fortunately most of this subsided by the time I got to the store and started setting up. Even a batch of White Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread cookies (aka Amy's Cookies) over baked because the timer wasn't set and a small bowl of white chocolate burned in the microwave didn't unnerve me (another 'first' of the day, not being unnerved that is). All in all it was an exhilarating, exhausting, energizing experience, one I may not have had if I allowed myself to overanalyze and over think it.

All of the good exhaustion from baking and talking for three hours allowed me to get five solid hours of sleep and get my creative energies going. Making caramels is one of my 'fall as soon as the weather turns less humid, cooler' rituals.  For years I have been making the Sea Salted Caramels, always wrapping them in cellophone (the most tedious part of making them).  On their own, these caramels are insanely delicious. But if I 'wrapped' them in chocolate, they would be? Better than the all caramel Milky Way bar? A candy to die for? Almost too beautiful to eat? The answers are yes, yes, yes. Only it would be a crime if you didn't eat them.

Making caramels is easy as long as you have a reliable candy thermometer, a deep heavy saucepan, a long handled whisk or wooden spoon, and use a quality unsalted butter. When buying the butter for these caramels look for an unsalted made with at least 82% butterfat. In a New York Times article, Dorie Greenspan explains butterfat affect a 'butter's flavor, texture, and workability' and why every 'little bit counts'. American butters must contain at least 80% butterfat, however, European butters contain at least 82% butterfat. When making caramels, candies and sauces, the extra 2% of butterfat makes a significant difference.

In addition to the generous pinch of sea salt that goes into the caramels themselves, I like to lightly sprinkle the finished caramels with additional sea salt to further intensify the flavor of the caramel. Just like all butters are not created equal, neither are sea salts. My current favorites are the french Fleur de Sel and Maldon sea salt.

After the caramels were cut, I chilled them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before dipping them in the melted chocolate. This made the dipping process easier and it also 'set' the chocolate faster. If you want the sea salt on the chocolate instead of the caramel, you will need to add the sea salt onto each piece immediately after it is dipped. Otherwise if you wait until you dipped several, the chocolate will have already 'set' and the salt will not adhere.

In spite of the burning of the white chocolate in the microwave hiccup in my baking demonstration (the store's microwave was significantly more powerful than mine at home), I still prefer the melting in the microwave over the double-boiler/simmering water method. Considering the amount of caramels to be dipped, I divided the chocolate in half, melting one bowl at a time, in order to ensure my melted chocolate had the same consistency throughout the dipping process.

Why I did not start dipping these caramels years ago I can't understand. Fear of failure? Fear of the unknown? Fear of what? The worst thing that could have happened was that I would have ruined some chocolate and a batch of caramels. Not the end of the world things. 

After all of the caramels were dipped, I used a fork to drizzle the remaining chocolate over the caramels, trying not to make too much of mess or let too much of my inner "Pig-Pen" come out.

There are some chocolate combinations that work better than others. (Disclaimer: This is totally based on my palate's biases and preferences.) Dark chocolate is my current preference for dipping cashews, milk chocolate for dipping macadamia nuts, dark chocolate for coating coconut balls, and milk chocolate for dipping caramels. A month from now this may all change and I might be dipping these caramels in dark chocolate. Unless of course, I decide to over think it.

"It's impossible," said pride. "It's risky," said experience. "It's pointless," said reason. "Give it a try," whispered the heart. If you have never made chocolate dipped caramels before, just try. And if for any reason your caramels aren't perfect the first time or the dipping isn't as perfect as you would like, keep trying. These chocolate dipped sea salted caramels will be worth your time, energy and effort.  Because is there anything better than caramel and chocolate?

Recipe
Chocolate Dipped Sea Salted Caramels

Ingredients

1 pound light brown sugar

1 pound unsalted butter (recommend unsalted Kerrygold, any European style butter, or any butter with at least an 82% butterfat content)

1 cup light corn syrup

1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla

generous pinch of Kosher or sea salt (about a 1/4 teaspoon)

sea salt for finishing (recommend Maldon sea salt)

1 to 1 1/2 pounds of milk chocolate, chopped, melted (divided) Or a combination of milk and dark chocolate

Optional: 1 cup of roasted, chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Melt butter in a heavy medium sized saucepan over low to medium heat.

2. Add brown sugar and pinch of Kosher or sea salt whisking so no lumps remain.

3. Add corn syrup whisking until blended.

4. Add sweetened condensed milk whisking until blended.

5. On medium heat cook mixture until it reaches 248 degrees (F) on a candy thermometer. Immediately remove from heat when it reaches this temperature.

6. Add vanilla and stir with a wooden spoon. (Note: If you like your caramels with nuts in them, stir in after you have added the vanilla. Remember to toast and chop them before adding to the caramel mixture.)

7. Pour mixture into 9" x 12" inch pan lined with parchment paper.

8. Allow to set for 5 minutes and lightly sprinkle with sea salt 

9. Allow to cool. Optional: Continue cooling in refrigerator to firm up as it makes cutting them easier or let them cool for several hours or overnight.

10. Remove from the refrigerator. Using a long sharp knife, cut caramels into 1 inch squares. Return caramels to refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Note: If caramels are too firm to cut after refrigeration, let them sit out for about an hour.

11. Melt milk chocolate (microwaving or over simmering water melting methods).

12. Dip each caramel in the melted chocolate, place on a large cutting board or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

13. With remaining chocolate, drizzle melted chocolate over caramels using a fork.

14. Allow to set. Place in small paper cups. Store in a covered container set in a cool place.

Early on in our life we often hear the words 'clean up your mess'. Little do we know or realize when asked to clean our rooms or the mess we made in the house these words would become applicable to cleaning up messes we make in our lives. We all make them, intentionally or unintentionally, as they are sometimes the way we learn about ourselves, our strengths, and our shortcomings. And sometimes we become temporarily paralyzed when trying to figure out to clean up a mess we have made. Ironically, this actually takes more energy than just doing something about it. The state of semi-paralysis has consequences, usually not good ones. Whenever I have ignored one of the 'messes' I have created or have been a party to, it often turns into something bigger, something harder to do, something harder to repair. Never a good life lesson, never a good way to feel good about yourself, and almost never good feelings left with anyone else either.

As I left my baking demonstration, my 'sous chef' said 'one of the best parts of the day is that you don't have to clean up'. While it was nice to not have to clean up the bowls, pans and utensils I used, I sort of missed having the 'closure' to this experience. For me, nothing is worse than not having closure (the proverbial hanging chads in one's life). This need for closure may drive some those around me a little crazy at times because I like to talk through things whenever there is a 'mess'. Because isn't that how we grow and how friendships and relationships grow? For me the answers are yes and yes. Things are always better when you talk though them, when there is closure, no matter if the closure is or isn't what you thought or wanted it to be.

Lemony Potato Salad

In a couple of weeks the Farmer's Market will be closing here, temporarily changing my Saturday morning routine until the spring. With no shortage of things to fill the soon to be available time, the void of the availability of freshly harvested seasonal fruits and vegetables caused by the closing of the market isn't so easily filled. Which meant at this week's market I had to fill up my bag with as many things as it was possible to cook or bake with over the next several weeks (nothing is worse that seeing beautiful fruits and vegetables go to waste). It was almost dizzying walking around and around the market as I tried to remember all of the recipes I have made (and wanted to make again) as well as all of the recipes I haven't (but wanted to). When I came upon a bushel of the most beautiful baby red potatoes, the first decision was made. And no, I did not buy the entire bushel.

If there was ever a chameleon like food it would be potato salad. It refuses to be a dish pigeonholed into a single meal, event or holiday. Showing up at the summer barbeque, the picnic, a tailgating party, the graduation party or the side dish to the baked ham on the table at Easter, potato salad always seems to compliment the meal and food differently. Up until recently I thought my potato salad (the one laden with hard boiled eggs, lots of mayonnaise, diced sweet gherkins, finely chopped onions and celery) was the proverbial 'best' potato salad (ever). Okay, maybe it wasn't the 'best' ever but it was my most favorite, the one that made me turn away from any other potato salad served on a buffet, table or in a restaurant. I have been singularly locked in to eating only one potato salad. Make that 'had' been locked in.

When my sister said she was making a Lemony Potato Salad to go with steaks on the grill (or rather the 'green egg') I thought 'oh no, seriously, lemon and potatoes, no heavily mayonnaise laded potato and egg salad, this can't be good, will I have to be polite and take at least a bite?'. When she said this Lemony Potato Salad was made with only a half cup of mayonnaise, I thought 'three pounds of potatoes and a half cup of mayonnaise, this healthier eating kick she is on is going a little too far, couldn't she just not serve dessert instead?' Having been married to the heavily laded mayonnaise potato salad for so long I wasn't certain I could handle such a radical change.

As we made our plates I took the 'polite, don't want to hurt my sister's feelings' small scoop of the potato salad. After the first bite, I looked over at the bowl making sure there was more than enough for me to go back to have seconds as the little polite scoop of the potato salad wasn't going to be enough. The flavor combination of the baby red potatoes, lemon, mayonnaise, celery and chives was both surprisingly and immediately addictive. Whoever came up with creating a potato salad using these ingredients was genius. If I could be so bold and immodest for a moment, this is what Food52 might call a genius recipe, the kind of recipe that always delivers, should be a staple, made of simple ingredients yielding complex flavors, and maybe even be the 'best' version.

This is a potato salad that doesn't take hours to come together. Bringing a pot of three pounds of baby red potatoes covered with water to a boil and simmering for 10-12 minutes until easily pierced with a sharp knife takes less than 20-25 minutes. After draining and cooling the potatoes, they are chopped into quarters (or halves if you like a really chunky potato salad). And there is no peeling required! 

The celery, lemons and chives are what give this potato salad its' incredible flavor.

Depending on the size of your celery stalk you will need 4 to 5 stalks for one cup of chopped celery. I like my chopped celery on the small size but not too small that the 'crunch' factor gets lost. The chives are more finely chopped. The package of chives you find in the produce section of the grocery store is more than adequate as you only need 1/4 cup of them (finely chopped). Save a few of the longer pieces of chives for layering on top of the finished potato salad.

One lemon will give you the one teaspoon of zest and two tablespoons of lemon juice needed for the dressing. Just remember, zest first, squeeze second.

While the potatoes are cooling you can make the dressing. The mayonnaise (have developed a new love for Duke's mayonnaise, but Hellman's will work as well), celery, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper are mixed together in a medium to large sized bowl.

The potatoes were still a little warm, but cool enough to cut. This is a potato salad served chilled or at room temperature. But when I tasted the Lemony Potato Salad after mixing the dressing with the slightly warm potatoes, I thought 'okay, I surrender, no more heavily laden with mayonnaise potato and egg salad for me ever again'. 

Henry David Thoreau once said,  'It is never too late to give up your prejudices'. In this spirit of open-mindedness, being a 'polite' guest and putting any sibling rivalry aside when my sister served this lemony potato salad turned out to be all good things. If, like me, the ingredients in this potato salad seem to push the limits of your comfort zone, all I can say is 'push yourself, push hard'.

Recipe
Lemony Potato Salad (inspired by Gourmet's 2009 Lemony Potato Salad recipe)

Ingredients
3 pounds small red potatoes 
1 cup chopped celery (about 4 to 5 ribs)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (recommend Duke's mayonnaise)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
1. Place potatoes in large pot, cover completely with water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10-12 minutes or until just tender (do not overcook). To test doneness pierce with a sharp knife. Drain and allow to cool before cutting into quarters.
2. Blend the mayonnaise, celery, chives, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, salt and pepper in medium to large sized bowl.
3. Mix the cooled, quartered potatoes with the mayonnaise mixture until potatoes are coated.
4. Serve immediately or chill covered in the refrigerator. Note: Bring to room temperature before serving.

After months and months of listing to one of my friends say more than once 'you need to make some business cards for your blog', I decided maybe it was time to do something about this. My initial responses were usually 'yeah, yeah, yeah' but I still did not move forward with having some cards made even though I felt like I was saying 'supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' every time I shared the name of the blog (guess I wasn't thinking short and sweet). But the real reason for my procrastination was I really didn't know what I wanted the cards to look like. All I kept thinking was business cards for foodblogs should not look the same as the business cards for 'business'. But I didn't know what 'not the same' should look like. The day I came across glossy square photo on one side, words on the other side business card was the day I set about creating the card as I finally knew what it should look like. In creative moments I experience a kind of euphoria that makes me want to burst with joy.

On the days when I am working on a blog posting that I really, really like I can hardly wait until it goes from the draft to publishing stage. It is a feeling similar to waking up on Christmas morning, to the butterflies in your stomach when you are in the company of someone you are smitten with feeling, to the feeling of completing one's dissertation and handing it off for publishing. It is sort of like being drunk (in the best of way) in euphoria.

My new foodblog cards will be away for me to connect with others having an interest in or passion for food. And don't we all thrive on and grow from the connections we make? However, the comment section on the each blog posting is another opportunity for me to connect with you and vice versa. In the early stages of the blog, I don't think I had the comment section 'comment friendly'. But I think that is now fixed (it has been quite the discover and learn process). Just saying, your comments are welcome and I would love to hear from you! Really I would!

Caramel Apple Dutch Baby ala Mode

Have you wanted to order something from a menu because its' description had your mouth watering making you even more ravenous than you were before being seated? And then you notice the asterisk next the item. The asterisk which brings your eyes down to the fine print. The asterisk which causes your heart to sink as you learn there will be at least a twenty minute wait time for the menu item. Suddenly your perception of twenty minutes shifts, momentarily making you wonder if you have the stamina to wait that long for the only thing you wanted to order. Going out to eat changes from simply satisfying your hunger to the slightly more complicated test of your patience (and oh let's not forget the test of patience of everyone else you went out to eat with). 

It has been said 'some things are worth waiting for' (whoever said that must have had the patience of a saint). Dutch babies, particularly the Apple Dutch Babies, are one of those foods where the reward is actually worth the wait time. But rather than endure the stares of people waiting in line for a table or worse yet the incredulous looks of your meal companions when they hear you order a dutch baby, you can make them in the comfort of your own home. Once you make your family or friends a dutch baby, they might begin to understand why you make going out to breakfast an event. However, if you make them a Caramel Apple Dutch Baby, you will never again be subjected to the sighs or the crinkled forehead looks you get when you order a dutch baby at a restaurant. Because they will completely understand why breakfast as an event can be a good thing.

A Caramel Apple Dutch Baby is a dutch baby and a caramel apple combined into a single insanely delicious dish. If the combination of those two flavors isn't enough to entice you into making this (am speaking to those of you who take great pride in their ability to maintain self-control and have an off the charts score on the 'marshmallow test') the addition of vanilla ice cream and a sprinkle of pecan pralines should (will) push you over the edge. Whether you make it for breakfast, for brunch, for dinner or for dessert doesn't matter. You just really need to make it. If I say you haven't lived until you have had a Caramel Apple Dutch Baby ala Mode some of you might think I am being overly dramatic. I'm not.

After making the caramel sauce (or warming up your favorite store bought caramel sauce), the process of making the Caramel Apple Dutch Baby begins with making the egg, (whole) milk, all-purpose flour, vanilla, salt and cinnamon batter. After the batter is whisked until it is smooth, you set it aside while you peel and sauté the apple.

The choices of apples for the Caramel Apple Dutch Baby include Golden Delicious, Cortland, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith. My personal favorite is the Granny Smith as I like its' tartness as well as how it holds up when sautéed. And I like the Granny Smith so much I haven't been able to bring myself to make it with any other apple.

You need only one apple, one large apple, for this recipe. If your apples are small, you will want to use two of them.

The Dutch Baby is made in one pan, preferably a 10 inch cast iron pan. If you don't have a cast iron pan, use a pan you know can hold up in a 425 degree oven. The 1/4 inch sliced apples are sautéed in two Tablespoons of butter, 1/2 teaspoon of Saigon cinnamon and one tablespoon of light brown sugar until softened (approximately 4 minutes of cooking time). The apples are transferred to a plate, the pan is wipe out and then placed in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes (recommend letting it sit in the preheated oven for 10 minutes). 

Once heated, the pan is removed from the oven. Working quickly two tablespoons of butter added to the pan and swirled until melted. After placing the sautéed apples in the center of the pan the batter is poured over them. Returning the pan to the oven the dutch baby bakes for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are puffed and golden brown and the center is set but slightly custardy. Note: My baking time was closer to 15 minutes.

If you are faint of heart, the apple dutch baby can be simply sprinkled with confectionary sugar. But I urge you to keep going and top with the caramel sauce, slightly softened vanilla ice cream and some chopped pecan pralines. 

You can make your own caramel sauce (recipe below) or buy your favorite one. The caramel sauce recipe yields more than you need for the Caramel Apple Dutch Baby but it stores well in the refrigerator. It is great over ice cream, brownies, for dipping apples into, or served over apple pie. The possibilities are endless. If you don't want to make a caramel sauce, the goat's milk caramel sauce from Fat Toad Farm is amazing as is the Fleur de Sel caramel sauce from Trader Joe's is also really delicious. 

Now back living in the midwest, Ben and Jerry's vanilla is my go-to favorite ice cream. If I was on the east coast Bliss ice cream is my hands down favorite. Whichever vanilla ice cream you choose, choose the creamiest one you can find.

If I had to come up with my 'last meal' list, the Caramel Apple Dutch Baby ala Mode would be on it. However, I wouldn't want to wait until my last meal to indulge in its' deliciousness (I would fail this 'marshmallow test'). Any dish that combines a love of pancakes, a love of caramel apples, and a love for vanilla ice cream is one simply too good to wait to enjoy. There are times in one's life when you need to live with reckless abandon, when you need to take a leap of faith, or when you need satisfy your needs. It might be a stretch to say that making and eating the Caramel Apple Dutch Baby ala Mode would be the one thing that pushes you to move outside of your comfort zone, but it is a pretty good place to start.

Recipe
Caramel Apple Dutch Baby ala Mode (slight adaption to Bon Appetit's Apple Dutch Baby recipe and slight adaption to Averie Cook's Salted Caramel Sauce recipe)

Ingredients
Caramel Sauce
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup heavy cream (recommend Organic Valley's heavy whipping cream)
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut up into pieces
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt

Dutch Baby
3 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon, divided
1 large Granny Smith apple,peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

Confectionary sugar for dusting
Vanilla Ice Cream (recommend Ben and Jerry's)
Pecan Pralines or Candied Pecans (homemade or store-bought)

Directions
Sea Salted Caramel Sauce
1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan on low heat, combine granulated sugar and water. Stir until sugar has dissolved.
2. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to boil until mixture is a deep amber color (about 5-8 minutes). Note: Do not stir mixture while boiling.
3. Remove from heat and whisk in 1/3 of the cream (it will seize and bubble up) and then immediately whisk in the remaining cream and vanilla.
4. Stir in butter and sea salt. Mix until butter has melted and caramel is well blended.
5. Use immediately or transfer to heatproof jar with lid. Store unused caramel sauce in the refrigerator.

Dutch Baby
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F).
2. Whisk eggs and milk together in a large pouring bowl. Whisk in four, vanilla, salt and 1/2 teaspoon of Saigon cinnamon until batter is smooth. Set aside.
3. Melt 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter in a 10 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add apple slices, sprinkle with brown sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of Saigon cinnamon. Sauté apples until softened (approximately 4 minutes). Transfer cooked apples to a plate.
4. Wipe out skillet and return to oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully remove from oven and add in remaining 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, swirling pan until butter has melted and coats sides and bottom of pan.
5. Place sautéed apples in center of pan, pour batter over top.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the dutch baby is golden brown, puffed around the edges and has a set but slightly custardy center. Note: My baking time was 15 minutes.
7. Sift confectionary sugar over baked dutch baby, top with several scoops of vanilla ice cream, drizzle with warm caramel sauce and sprinkle on candied pecans or praline pecans. Serve immediately.

On both of my recent trips I was able to check all of the 'must do' things on my list. This list usually includes eating at a great restaurant or local dive (love new food experiences); walking or hiking through a beautiful open space (love taking in the beauty of my surroundings); browsing through an antique shop (love bringing back found treasures); and, finding a piece of jewelry (love being reminded of places I have been). It is one thing to indulge in all of these things when you are traveling alone, it is another when you are traveling or visiting with a friend. So when you have a friend that enjoys these same things or maybe even more important, enjoys seeing the joy these things bring to you, you know you have a really great friend. And when you have a friend who loves you for all of your quirks and obsessions (this time it was hunting for a handpainted Day of the Dead platter), this is a friend you feel lucky is in your life, someone you want to remain in your life, and someone where time and distance are variables not affecting the friendship. This is a real friend. The kind you feel safe with, the kind you want to share your ideas and thoughts with, the kind you aren't afraid to be around when your flaws are revealed, the kind where differences don't matter, the kind who has patience with you, the kind who is both effusive with their compliments yet gentle with their advice, and the kind that sometimes pushes you outside of your comfort zone. This is a friend who helps you grow as well as grows as a result as being with you.

As I look at the treasures brought back on this recent trip, I don't just see them as things. I see them as more as memories created with a great, real friend. Because for me making memories just makes for a stronger, more enduring friendship.