Warm Taffy Apples With Cinnamon Twists Recipes

Steps:

• Sprinkle some flour onto a large piece of parchment paper on a work surface and lay out one piece of the puff pastry. Spread the apple butter over the entire surface of the pastry. Place the other piece of pastry on top.
• Flour a rolling pin and roll the pastry out until it is pressed into a flat, cohesive square sheet. A little apple butter will squeeze out; just make sure not to press it all out!
• Use a large jar lid or measuring cup to score the center of the pastry square to keep an uncut center. Make 4 cuts from the center (keeping the lid in place); there should be 4 even quadrants. Cut each quadrant into 4 equal strips, all making a sunburst pattern from the center. Twist the strips twice around, bringing the tips back to their original position.
• Transfer the parchment to a baking sheet. Remove the lid from the center and place a stencil in the center (if using). Brush the puff pastry with the egg and sprinkle it evenly with the turbinado sugar. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Remove the stencil if using. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, place all the ingredients except extracts, and gently stir them to combine. Place a candy thermometer on the side of the pan and bring to a boil, stirring only to prevent burning. Cook to hardball stage (265 to 270 degrees), remove from the heat, stir in the extracts, and pour onto a silpat-lined sheet pan or buttered sheet pan. Let it cool enough to handle then start rolling it into a log and stretching or pulling the taffy to work air in and make it white and opaque. Keep pulling and twisting until it hardens. Form long ropes of taffy, then cut them into pieces.
• Some tips when making taffy: Oil the top 1-inch of the saucepan's wall to keep the sugar from boiling over. Always use a pan bigger than you think you need to prevent boiling over. Always use a burner as big or bigger than your pan's bottom. Never scrape the bottom of the pan at the end, just pour out the syrup. Wash down the sides of the pan with a clean wet pastry brush to avoid crystallization.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment or buttered waxed paper.
• Unroll the puff pastry on a work surface. Brush the pastry generously with melted butter.
• In a small bowl, toss together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the pastry.
• Working lengthwise, cut the pastry in half and then cut each half into 6 even strips, each 3/4-inch wide. Twist the strips to make long twisted "straws".
• Transfer to the prepared pan, pushing the ends down with your thumb to help them stay in place on the pan and remain twisted. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• To make the sauce, heat the milk in a saucepan. Pour the hot milk over the chocolate and whisk to melt it. Whisk in the peanut butter until smooth. Keep sauce warm until ready to serve.
• To serve, place the twists on a tray and serve with the sauce along side for dipping.

Steps:

• Pour the water into a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast on top and stir. Let stand until foamy, 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and the salt in a large bowl. Work in the butter with your fingers until fine crumbs form. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast mixture. Stir until the mixture comes together into a shaggy dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to bring the dough together into a ball (it will still be soft and sticky).
• Coat a large bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Press the dough down, cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the red sanding sugar and the cinnamon in a bowl. Turn out the dough onto a clean surface; pat into an 8-inch square, then cut into quarters.
• Cut each dough quarter into 12 small squares. Sprinkle some of the red cinnamon sugar on the surface and roll each piece of dough in the sugar mixture into a 6- to 7-inch-long rope. Arrange 1 inch apart on the prepared pans, forming each rope into a horseshoe and crossing the ends.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are firm, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely on the pans. (These cookies are best the day they are baked.)