Caramel Apple Tea Doughnuts

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored in conjunction with Flavors of Fall Week . I received complimentary product from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the Flavors of Fall Week recipes. All opinions are mine alone. 

A true sign of fall: school starts today!

While there is no “normal” for most school kids this year, we’re trying to keep things as normal as possible – which definitely means first-day treats for us!

The kids love doughnuts – and so do I! – so these caramel apple tea doughnuts would be the perfect way to kick off our fall learning season!

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Dark Chocolate & Caramel Dipped Pears

Caramel apples are so fun – and synonymous, for me at least, with fairs and being outside in the fall. Dark Chocolate and Caramel Dipped Pears are their classier cousin – a little more refined and perfect for your holiday table.

Caramel Pears 1

I’ll willingly confess that for years I’ve wanted to be the person that could easily whip up something chocolate dipped. I always thought there was some huge secret I was missing out on – and it turns out there was… good chocolate.

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Caramel Cranberry Pear Tart

Pies are a Thanksgiving staple, but sometimes can be tedious to make. When I want the flavors of a pie without all the work, I opt for a free-form tart, like this beauty.

Caramel Cranberry Pear Tart 1

This is a really simple dessert, but taking the time to cut the pears into fancy fans makes it a showstopper.

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Caramel Nut Chex Mix

improvchallenge

The latest round of the Improv Cooking Challenge was Nuts and Caramel – so perfect as we’re going into the holiday season! I decided on a fun dish that could be either an appetizer or dessert – perfect for a holiday potluck or to make and give to friends and family.

CaramelNutChexMix

This snack mix is a super easy thing to make, even when you’re pressed for time. I added red and green M&Ms to make it festive for a holiday, but you could switch up the colors for any special occasion!

You can see the other Nuts and Caramel dishes bloggers cooked up here:

Caramel Nut Chex Mix
(from Butter With a Side of Bread)

3/4 cup corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 box corn Chex
2 cups salted mixed nuts
2 cups M&Ms

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Combine the corn syrup, brown sugar and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 1 minute intervals until the butter is melted. Whisk to combine.

In a roasting pan, combine the Chex and mixed nuts. Pour the sugar mixture over and stir to coat.

Bake for 1 hour, stirring every fifteen minutes. Remove from the oven and stir as it cools – don’t let it just sit, it’ll become one big block! When cool, stir in M&Ms.

Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.