Homemade chocolate cake makes me swoon. Homemade chocolate cake with cherries… well, that’s a whole other rodeo.

Make this tempting Chocolate Cherry Cake in a Bundt pan so that when you cut into it at the table… voilà! Beautiful cherries will come spilling out. The cherry pie filling (please, don’t judge) keeps the cake moist.

Oh, and this cake has a secret ingredient: I used freshly brewed coffee to really punch-up the dark chocolate taste.

This is really an easy cake to pull together. Melting the chocolate is probably the most difficult part of this “dump” cake recipe.

So make this recipe tomorrow after you buy the ingredients today… and then saddle-up for the rodeo.

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If you’re obsessed with Cherry Pie Filling like me, you’ll love these recipes:

Cherry Pie Ice Cream 

Cherry Pie with Vodka Crust

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So you’re ready to make caramel apples, eh? Well knowledge is power, so here are some ways to guarantee success.

10 TIPS FOR MAKING CARAMEL APPLES

1. BUY INDIVIDUAL APPLES. You don’t know what you are getting if you buy apples in a bag. Yes, buying the bag is cheaper, but you want to bite into a hard, crisp apple… not one that’s soft with bruises.

2. WASH THE APPLES. Apples produce their own wax naturally. Many growers (even organic) also add another layer of USDA-approved wax to give them shine and retain moisture. You’ll want to remove this wax so the caramel will stick. Simply place the apples in a colander and pour on boiling water. Dry completely to remove the white film.

3. USE FOOD-SAFE STICKS. Chopsticks, craft sticks or pop sticks are perfect for holding the apples. It’s very Pinteresty to use sticks you’ve gathered outside. Unless you’re going to boil these twigs and let them dry out thoroughly, pass up this idea. Do you really want to use something that a squirrel sat on earlier in the day?

4. CHILL YOUR APPLES. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, put the sticks in the apples and then put the apples on the tray. Refrigerate until ready to dip. This will help the caramel stick!

5. USE THE RIGHT POT. Use a heavy pot. A heavier pot distributes the heat evenly so you won’t get “hotspots” and burn the caramel.

6. GET A THERMOMETER. A candy thermometer is absolutely essential. Many recipes give you visual clues, but what I may consider “dark amber” someone else may find to be “already burned.” Don’t risk it.

7. USE A SILICONE SPATULA. A heat-resistant spatula allows you to really scrape the sides of the pot so the caramel doesn’t overcook and burn.

8. HAVE THE DECORATIONS READY. This goes back to basic mise en place; have everything in place before you begin. You want the decorations on plates and ready to go before the caramel on the dipped apples cools too much.

9. DECORATION PERFECTION. When decorating the caramel-covered apples, roll the apples in the decorations (nuts, candy, whatever) or put the decorations in your palm and press them gently into the apple. If you try to sprinkle on the decorations, they will just fall off. Get ‘em to stick the first time.

10. HAVE PATIENCE. Making caramel apples takes lots of patience. Waiting for the caramel to reach the right temperature. Waiting for the caramel to cool before decorating the apples. Waiting for the decorated apples to set before you can dive in and finally eat them…

Now that you’re armed with these 10 Tips for Making Caramel Apples, click here to find the Perfect Caramel Apples Recipe. And if, by chance, you have any leftover caramel… pop some popcorn and pour it on top. Now that’s enchantment!

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Have you ever made Homemade Caramel Apples?

I’m not talking about Caramel Apples made with those cute little candy squares that you buy in packages.

I’m talking about REAL honest-to-God Caramel Apples that you make from scratch from REAL HOMEMADE Caramel. This is the Perfect Caramel Apples Recipe.

You absolutely need a candy thermometer for this recipe. A lot of recipes will give you visual cues, but using a thermometer will guarantee that you’ll get it right the first time (yep, I learned the hard way).

If you’re wondering what kind of apples to buy, get what you like to eat out of hand. Honey Crisps are delicious but HUGE! Granny Smiths are tart, but balance out the sweetness of the caramel. Red Delicious are pretty bland, but tend to be uniform in shape.

Decorate the apples or leave them plain… they’ll be delicious no matter what you do!

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Beautiful, golden brown, garlicky croutons are one of those things that I can eat until the cows come home.

I pop one or two in my mouth with no guilt. Then I eat a third and fourth and think: “That’s it! No more until dinner!” Of course… I have a couple more. This is about the time someone wanders into the kitchen and snags one off the tray and I yell, “Stop eating all the croutons! They’re for dinner!”

These croutons are so good, I bet even my Paleo friends would succumb to one or two.

Here’s how to make croutons that’ll venture off the salad plate and into soups such as Gazpacho or Cucumber (make the croutons small or you won’t be able to see the soup!). Croutons also like to sit on grilled vegetables and eggs (no need to make toast… it’s on top!) and casseroles.

Some recipes tell you to use stale bread. I like day old or two-day old bread… otherwise the croutons taste a little tired. I prefer to use baguettes, but really, any bread will do. As you know, I’m big on contrasting colors. Once, I mixed pumpernickel bread with white bread (I even flavored them differently, but that was one of those rare occasions when I had a little extra time).

Give them a little sex appeal with a dash of cayenne pepper… or even a curry or Moroccan spice blend.

The beauty of croutons is that you can make a whole tray of them and they will keep for a week in a tightly sealed container or re-sealable plastic bag… assuming they survive the crouton bandits and snacking masses!

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