What better way to celebrate the fall season than with apples and cheese!!!

The month of October is a beautiful time. The leaves have begun to turn orange, pumpkins are popping up on front porches, and caramel apples have once again returned. As delicious as the traditional treat of the caramel apple is, as a cheese lover I had to ask, can it be done with cheese!? I grabbed three apples, removed their cores and twisted wooden craft dowels ⅔  of the way into their cores.

Experiment equipment
Three apples
Wooden dowels (found at a craft store)
Cream
Flour
8-ounce-bag of Tillamook Medium Cheddar shreds
Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar
Jar of peanut butter
Bag of dark chocolate chips
Wax paper

Directions
My first attempt was an apple dipped in cheese. I melted down some Tillamook Medium Cheddar cheese shreds in a double boiler. I had trouble getting the cheese to stick to the glossy apple skin, and it didn’t turn out as appetizing as I’d hoped.

I’ve been hearing a lot of fan chatter about cheddar and peanut butter. An unlikely, but, delicious combination. I decided to cover my second apple in peanut butter and roll it in Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese shreds.

The third apple I made was a sweet and salty combination of chocolate and cheese. I shredded some Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar with a fine grater and set it aside in a bowl. I thought the extra sharp flavor would be a good contrast to the sweet chocolate. I melted a bag of dark chocolate chips in a double boiler, continuously stirring, and dunked my last apple on a stick into it. I rolled the bottom of the apple into my shredded Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar and set it on wax paper in the fridge for an hour to set. This was my favorite, a salty and sweet fall treat, and my cheesy alteration to the traditional caramel apple on a stick.

What Tillamook products would you dip your apple on a stick into?

By Amalya

Ring in October with this tasty German Cheese Pretzel!!!

It’s October and that means it’s time to celebrate Oktoberfest like our friends in Germany! Germans really know how to celebrate the harvest season with tasty food, and here are a couple recipes inspired by our Bavarian friends.

Don’t forget to stop by the Tillamook Shop for a special Oktoberfest deal! Use the coupon code “OKTOBER” to get your cheese for 10% off!*

German Cheese Pretzels

Ingredients
Lukewarm water
1 package active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons)
4½ cups flour
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons table salt
1 large egg, separated
4 tablespoons Tillamook Unsalted Butter, melted
2 tablespoons baking soda
Coarse salt, for sprinkling
¼ cup Tillamook Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar, shredded

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the 1½ cups water and yeast; let stand for 5 minutes.

Using a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine flour, brown sugar and table salt. Mix in the egg yolk, butter and yeast mixture on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic (5 to 7 minutes). Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

In a large, shallow baking dish, combine the baking soda with 2 cups warm water. On a work surface, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Using your hands, roll out each piece into a rope about 42 inches long; dip in the baking soda mixture for 30 seconds. Using the prepared pans as a work surface, shape each rope into a pretzel about 6” in diameter.

In a small bowl, beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the pretzels with the egg white mixture. Sprinkle with the coarse salt and bake until deep golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and melt under the broiler.

Kaesespaetzle (also known as German mac & cheese!) 

Ingredients
½ cup flour
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
½ cup Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar, shredded

Directions
Combine dry ingredients in small bowl and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, beat egg well, then alternate adding dry mixture and milk until batter is smooth. Let batter stand 30 minutes.

Boil a pot of lightly salted water. Extrude batter either through a spaetzle maker or course cheese grater into the boiling water. Let boil until spaetzle rise to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon and put in strainer or on paper towels to dry.

Add grated cheese as desired and stir together. Serve immediately.

Apple Oktoberfest Cheese Soup   

Ingredients
4 tablespoons Tillamook Salted Butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, sliced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup Oktoberfest style beer (like Widmer Okto Festival Ale)
2 cups whole milk
5 ounces Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese
3 ounces Tillamook Smoked Medium Cheddar Cheese

Directions
Add the butter to the pot and once it foams add the onion, apple, carrot, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook until the mixture is starting to become tender  (about 5 minutes) then add the dry mustard, paprika, and cayenne pepper.  Stir to combine and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender. Add in the sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add in the flour and cool for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, to cook out the raw taste of the flour.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and slowly add in the chicken stock, beer, and milk, stirring constantly to remove any lumps of flour. You may need to whisk it during this process. Once combined increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the soup comes to a boil and thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool for 3 minutes.

Working in batches, blend the soup in a blender until very smooth, about 3 minutes on the highest speed. Add the cheese, in batches, to the soup and blend until the cheese is melted. Once all the soup is blended return it to the pot, and serve.

*10% off all cheese on the Tillamook Shop. Sale is valid September 30, 2012 at 10:00 PM through October 14, 2012 at 10:00 PM. Only valid for online purchases at shop.Tillamook.com.

By Katie