Blog Posts by Southern Living

The snap of a crisp fall apple wrapped in caramel is one of the sweetest temptations this side of paradise. But apples and caramel can be so much more than the classic county-fair snack. Our September issue puts six new spins on the irresistable flavor combination, like this tasty Caramel Apple Dip. For the other recipes (like Caramel Apple-Brownie Cheesecake) see our Indulgent Caramel Apple Desserts gallery.

Caramel Apple Dip
Makes: 4 Servings

Ingredients
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Fresh apple slices

Preparation
1. Stir together first 3 ingredients just until blended. Spoon mixture into a 10-oz. ramekin; level and smooth surface with a spatula. Cover and chill 2 to 8 hours.
2. Preheat broiler with oven rack 5 inches from heat. Sprinkle granulated sugar over mixture in ramekin. Fill an 8-inch cake pan with

With the new school year in full swing and holiday season coming up just around the corner, we're going to guess you've got cookies in mind. Whether you're thinking of making them for your kiddos' bake sale, as a hostess gift, or even if you're planning ahead for a stunning cookie swap ('cause we totally are), we've got just what you need to make your cookies the talk of the town.

In order to remain stress-free and still achieve optimum results, we recommend going with a classic icebox cookie. The recipe is straightforward, customizable, and you can chill it for up to 3 days before you slice and bake you treats. Here's our Icebox Butter Cookie Recipe, followed by six of our top-ranked stir-ins (praline pecan, anyone?).

Icebox Butter Cookies
Makes: 8-10 dozen
*Test Kitchen Tip: Bake 8 minutes for a soft and chewy cookie or up to 12 minutes for a crisp cookie.

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed

Enjoying Southern food doesn't have to be a guilty pleasure. We've transformed quite a few classic Southern meals from heavy to healthy so you can indulge, guilt-free. One of our favorites is this lightened up version of Baked Potatoes. Skip the oversized scoops of butter and sour cream and bring in the good-for-you toppings!

Roasted Vegetable Loaded Potatoes

Ingredients
3 cups chopped fresh cauliflower
2 cups sliced fresh Brussels sprouts
1/2 medium-size red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Basic Baked Potatoes
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
2 tablespoons lite bottled Italian vinaigrette

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Toss together first 6 ingredients on a lightly greased 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.

2. Prepare potatoes as directed. Bake cauliflower mixture, with potatoes, 25 minutes or until cauliflower is brown,

The secret to getting dinner on the table fast during the week? No, it's not take out. It's planning! Pick out the five meals you're going to cook next week now and shop for the ingredients this weekend. Better yet, pick meals that you can prepare in less than an hour. We've got a whole Pinterest board filled with 30-minutes-or-less meals and 101 Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes online. Our favorites? Recipes like this beautiful Grilled Steaks Balsamico that not only comes together in 33 minutes but is ready with just six ingredients! You could spring for a pre-tossed salad at the market and still go through the express aisle. This way, you'll spend less time in the kitchen and more time around the table.

Grilled Steaks Balsamico

Ingredients
2/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette
1/4 cup fig preserves
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless beef chuck-eye steaks
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 (6.5-ounce) container buttery garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese

What's more Southern than canning a whole mess of produce? We've got a simple Three-Step Guide to Puttin' Up that will teach you the ropes, and recipes to make the most of your pickled veggies. This weekend is the perfect time to host a canning party, so invite all your friends over to practice this time-honored Southern tradition, and serve this Pickled Squash Quesadilla for inspiration.

Pickled Summer Squash Quesadillas

Ingredients
1/2 cup freshly shredded pepper Jack cheese
1 soft taco-size flour tortilla
2 tablespoons chopped Judy's Pickled Squash
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeño pepper
Sour cream

Preparation
Sprinkle cheese on 1 side of tortilla; top with Judy's Pickled Squash, cilantro, and jalapeño pepper. Fold in half. Cook in a lightly greased nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Cut into wedges, and serve with sour cream.

Related: 40

Watermelons are a classic summer road stand fruit that sometimes goes to waste because they're so large. We've compiled all our favorite watermelon recipes from past summers and put them on this slideshow so you can make the most of every last bite.

Our favorite? Instant Watermelon Pops. Here's the recipe:

Instant Watermelon Pops

Ingredients
Watermelon wedges
Flavored salts
Freshly ground pepper
Local honey
Fresh lime juice
Ground red pepper
Schnapps

Preparation
Cut a 1-inch slit into the rind of a just-cut watermelon wedge, and insert a wooden stick. Serve pops a variety of ways: Sprinkle with flavored salts and freshly ground pepper, drizzle with local honey and fresh lime juice, dust with red pepper, or add a splash of schnapps.

Related: 50 Fresh Summer Peach Recipes
Related: Our Best Summer Menus

See More from Southern Living:
Cook Fast, Eat Fresh
Lightened Up Pimiento Cheese
Make-Ahead Tex-Mex

One of our favorite summer traditions is having a fish fry. It's fresh and perfect for an outdoor meal, and our No-Fuss Fish Fry is so easy to pull together! Also on the menu: bean salad, peach-ginger slaw, and, of course, hush puppies.

Get started with the Beer-Battered Fried Fish, and head over to SouthernLiving.com for the rest of the recipes.

Beer-Battered Fried Fish
Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
Vegetable oil
2 pounds grouper fillets, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 (12-oz.) bottle beer
1 teaspoon hot sauce

Preparation
1. Pour oil to depth of 3 inches into a large Dutch oven; heat to 360°.
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle fish with salt and pepper.
3. Whisk together flour and next 2 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk in beer and hot sauce. Dip fish in batter, allowing excess batter to drip off.
4. Gently lower fish into hot

It's so hot outside, we find ourselves constantly craving cold sushi. The last thing anyone needs is a warm kitchen and a mouth full of piping hot food. So instead of laboring over dinner tonight, throw together a satisfying salad. This Lemon-Basil Shrimp Salad is a reader favorite and the super fun Parmesan cheese baskets that work as serving dishes will be a hit with everyone.

We've got a whole gallery where that came from, guaranteed to keep you cool until the end of the summer. Check out all our quick and delicious summer salads on SouthernLiving.com.

Lemon-Basil Shrimp Salad
Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
3 pounds unpeeled, cooked large shrimp
1 large red onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
Lemon-Basil Marinade
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
16 cups salad greens
8 Parmesan Baskets (recipe here)
Fresh Lemon Vinaigrette

Preparation
1. Peel shrimp, and devein, if desired. Place shrimp and next 4