cinnamon toast white chocolate pretzels

This is probably the most highly addictive snack I've ever made! The combination of the salty pretzels with the sweet cinnamon and sugar, drizzled with white chocolate makes them amazingly delicious!!

I made these for FBLA at school to help with fundraising. My co-worker bought the cutest little lion bags to put them in. They were a hit; all of the kids loved them!
All I'm saying is that you need to make these ASAP!

Cinnamon Toast White Chocolate Pretzels 

Recipe adapted from: Your Home Based Mom

• 1 bag (18 oz.) small pretzels
• 1/3 C oil
• 1/4 C granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• Extra cinnamon sugar for sprinkling
• White chocolate for drizzling

In microwave safe bowl pour in pretzels.  Mix together oil, sugar and cinnamon in small bowl.  Pour over pretzels and mix well, making sure to coat pretzels.  Place in microwave for 2 minutes on high.  Check after first minute as they might burn.  Stir the mixture and continue cooking.  Microwave for 1 minute more.

When out of the microwave, stir again to make sure they are all coated.
Spread the pretzels onto two cookie sheets.  You want a single layer of pretzels.  While they are still hot sprinkle additional cinnamon sugar over the top.  Melt white chocolate and drizzle over the top of pretzels.  Once white chocolate hardens put into air tight containers.

Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Once I get into fall mode it is not stop baking for me! My first treat was an apple cake with cream cheese icing. I've actually made this cake a few times already, but haven't been able to get a picture of it. So, finally here it is! Evan literally had to make himself stop eating it the first time I made it! It's perfect of a light dessert, and even better for breakfast with a big cup of coffee. The cake is made with apple sauce, and since they are so delicious this time of year, I decided to make my own! It turned out perfect. 

Recipe adapted from Foodista.

Ingredients: 

Cake:

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups apple sauce*

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting:

8 ounces light cream cheese, room temperature

5 cups confectioner sugar, sifted
1 tsp cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a medium sized bowl, sift  together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and nutmeg. 

In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the oil and both kinds of sugar. Then add the eggs, vanilla and apple sauce. Gradually add in the flour mixture and milk and beat until smooth.
 

Grease the bottom of two 9 inch round cake pans and divide the batter among the two.

Bake for 22-25 minutes.

In a mixer, beat softened cream cheese with confectioner sugar until just incorporated.  Add vanilla and cinnamon and beat until smooth.

Cool and spread cream cheese frosting. Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Homemade Apple Sauce

Ingredients:

4 large red apples (peeled, cored, and cut into chunks)

2 cinnamon sticks

A pinch of nutmeg and salt

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

Directions: 

• Combine all ingredients in a pot and add about a half inch of water.
• Cover and bring to a boil.
• Remove cover and reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes. Apples will become very soft. Mash with a fork until you reach your desired consistency. 

Baked Apple Chips

I love apples. What I love more is the fact that you can find them year round. Since apple season is in full swing now, I've been trying to put them in anything and everything. We went to Whole Foods last Sunday and their produce section was lined with every apple variety you could imagine. So naturally I bought a ton of them. As we were checking out I saw a bag of baked apple chips and I thought these would probably be pretty easy to make...and I figured they would taste even better fresh. Boy was I right. They were DELISH. This is the perfect healthy treat, and plus they make your house (or apartment) smell amazing! :)

Apple Chips

• 2 gala or granny smith apples
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
• Don't worry about coring the apples, just slice them super thin and remove the seeds. (A mandolin would definitely be easier to slice the apples, but I didn't have one. Patience and a steady hand are key!)
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the apple slices on the sheet. 

• Sprinkle with cinnamon, sugar, and salt.
• Bake for about an hour until the apple slices are crisp. If they are still soft after an hour, continue baking for another 30 minutes to an hour. Depending on the thickness of each slice it may take a little longer.