Caramel apples are festive and perfect for celebrating the season. I haven’t made caramel apples in a very long time, but they are fast and easy to make, and they make great gifts for kids and co-workers alike.
One of my attendings brought me a bag of apples from her back-yard and asked me if I could use them to bake with. At first I thought of all the baked goods I could make, but then decided that caramel apples are easy to give as gifts, and something my co-residents and staff would appreciate.
You can make traditional caramel apples, or mix it up by adding a chocolate coating as well. I used small red apples, but you can choose any size or type that you prefer. I even used my creativity when packaging them, and decided to add in halloween candy and a decorative bow. The caramel and chocolate covered apples are both festive and fun for any age group. Make some for this halloween, or any occasion, to add a little festivity to your life.
- Caramel:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12-15 small apples
- Chocolate:
- ½ Milk Chocolate Bark
- 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 bar dark chocolate
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- In a large saucepan, whisk together cream, corn syrup, butter, and brown sugar.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a soft-ball stage (you’ll allow it to boil for about 5-8 minutes to get it to that point.
- Stir in the vanilla then remove the caramel from the stove and allow to cool slighty.
- Press popscicle sticks/cake pop sticks into the center of each apple. (I decided not to use sticks simply because I couldn’t find any)
- Dip the apples into the warm caramel, then transfer to parchment paper lined cookie sheet, and allow to cool. **If not using sticks, use a knife to puncture the apple where the stem was.**
- I used a combination of milk/semi-sweet and dark chocolate, but you can you any type of chocolate that you prefer.
- In a microwave safe bowl, add chocolate and heavy whipping cream
- Microwave in 1 min intervals, stirring in between until chocolate is smooth and creamy. Do not over heat chocolate or it will burn.
- Once the chocolate is smooth and uniform, dip each caramel coated apple into the chocolate sauce. I found that it helped to twirl the apple back-and-forth, until the apple is completely coated in chocolate.
- Allow to cool on parchment paper.
- If you choose to add sprinkles or candies, do it while the chocolate is still warm.
- I packaged the apples in clear cellophane bags and added halloween candy. I also purchased decorative ribbon to tie a bow, which made the package even more festive. This makes great gifts for friends and family around the holidays.
Caramel Coating:
Finished product
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