Amy and I have found that we feed off of each other’s creativity and are often inspired by similar things. We thought it would be fun for us, and hopefully you, if we periodically collaborate with each other. We are hoping that this is a start of a monthly feature on our blogs.

This month the gorgeous weather inspired us to have a camping theme.  This is the ideal time to go camping in our corner of the Midwest because the weather has started to cool down. However, the fall months can get crazy busy and we wanted to make the charm of camping accessible without the hassle of packing. Our favorite part of camping has always been the food. So, this month we created our own spin on classic camping recipes.

For my portion, I wanted to make a grown up version of apple cider. The magic is in the salted whipped cream. I am a barista at a local coffee shop and the sweet salt that we top some of our drinks with has me mesmerized. It’s such a simple thing, sugar in the raw and coarse salt. But it’s magic.

That was my initial inspiration for the salted caramel whipped cream. Homemade whipped cream is one of my weaknesses. Amy and I were eating it by the spoonful while we were photographing the final product. Believe me, it’s good. Or don’t believe me and try it yourself.

Boozy Maple Apple Cider: Serves 2

16 ounces apple cider

6 ounces maple flavored whiskey (I used Crown Maple)

A pinch of nutmeg

A pinch of clove

A pinch of allspice

Add the apple cider and whiskey to a small pot. Sprinkle in a pinch of nutmeg, clove and allspice and let simmer. Remove from stove before it comes to a boil. Serve topped with salted caramel whipped cream.

Salted Caramel Whipped Cream: Serves 2

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons of caramel syrup (I used Hershey’s)

Sugar in the raw (or any turbinado sugar)

Coarse salt

Pour the cream and caramel syrup into your bowl. Beat on medium high until soft peaks form. I used my KitchenAid mixer on setting eight. It helps if the ingredients, the bowl and the paddle are all chilled.

Mix equal parts sugar in the raw and salt. Once you put a dollop of whipped cream on your drink, sprinkle on a little sweet salt to top it off.

For Amy’s blog she decided to create two s’mores inspired desserts. While we were photographing her finished desserts, the simple ingredients were very easy to eat. I definitely got a sugar buzz. It’s nice to get the s’mores flavor without having to mess with the leftover marshmallow ooze on your fingers. Check our her recipes for her S’mores Bars and S’mores Dipped Marshmallows on her blog, The Happy Tulip. They’re both delicious and so easy to make and eat.