Make Caramel Apples

Caramel apples make a wonderful treat for Halloween. You can find them in grocery stores during the Fall, but why buy them when you can make your own? Nothing beats the taste of homemade caramel apples. Better yet, you can customize them to your heart's content with chopped nuts and chocolate.

Ingredients

Basic Caramel Apples[1]

  • 14 ounces (396 grams) caramel candies
  • 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) water
  • 6 apples

Gourmet Caramel Apples[2]

  • 1 cup (240 milliliters) heavy cream, divided
  • ¾ cup (180 milliliters) light corn syrup
  • ½ cup (115 grams) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (225 grams) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) vanilla extract
  • 8 apples
  • 1 cup (125 grams) chopped nuts (optional)

Steps

Making Basic Caramel Apples

  1. Wash the apples and pull the stems off. Some apples come waxed, which can keep the caramel from sticking. If your apples came waxed, wash them using some baking soda and water.[3]
  2. Insert a wooden stick into each stem hole, and place the apples in the fridge. This will cool the apples down, and help the caramel coating harden faster.[3] If the stick doesn't enter the apple easily, you can make a shallow slit using a sharp knife first. Make sure that the apples are secure on their sticks.
  3. Cover a baking sheet with wax paper. The baking sheet needs to be large enough to fit all of the apples without touching. If you don't have wax paper, lightly coat the baking sheet with some cooking spray instead. This will keep the caramel apples from sticking to the sheet.
  4. Melt the caramel candies in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring with a rubber spatula until smooth. This will take some time. If you are in a hurry, heat the caramel and water in the microwave instead. Place both into a microwave-safe bowl, and heat for about 3 minutes, stirring after each minute.[3]
    • The melted caramel should be thin enough to drip off of a spoon.
  5. Remove the saucepan from heat, and dip an apple into the caramel. As you lift the apple out of the sauce, give it a twist. This will help the caramel coat the apple more evenly. It will also help get rid of any excess caramel.
    • You can dip the apple into the sauce all the way, or only ¾ of the way.[4]
  6. Scrape the bottom of the apple with a spoon or knife. This will keep the caramel from pooling too much at the bottom of the apple.[4]
  7. Place the apple on the baking sheet and continue dipping the other apples into the caramel. As soon as you finish dipping one apple, and scraping the bottom, set it down onto the baking sheet and move onto the next. Work quickly, as the wax will start to harden.
    • Remember to leave a little space between each apple on the backing sheet, or they will stick.
    • If the caramel sauce starts to harden, simply place the double-boiler back onto the stove, and heat it back up again.
  8. Refrigerate the apples for 1 to 2 hours. Once the caramel hardens, you can serve the apples. Some people prefer to leave the apples on the counter for about 15 minutes, so that they won't be too cold.
  9. Finished.

Making Gourmet Caramel Apples

  1. Wash the apples and pull the stems off. If your apples came waxed, the caramel will not stick. In this case, you'll want to wash them using water and baking soda.
  2. Insert a wooden stick into the top of each apple, and place the apples in the fridge. If you find the sticks difficult to insert, make a shallow slit in the apple first using a sharp knife. Make sure that the apples are secure on the sticks.
    • The caramel coating will harden faster on cold apples than room-temperature ones.
  3. Line a large baking sheet with wax paper. If you don't have wax paper, lightly coat the baking sheet with cooking spray. This will prevent the apples from sticking to it. Also, make sure that the baking sheet is large enough to fit all the apples without them touching.
  4. Fill a saucepan with corn syrup, butter, sugar, and ¾ cups (180 milliliters) of heavy cream. Save the remaining ¼ cup (60 milliliters) of heavy cream for later. To help the butter melt faster, cut it into small cubes first.
  5. Heat the ingredients over medium to high heat until they reach 246°F (118.9°C), stirring occasionally. Use a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature. As the ingredients cook, they will turn a golden color. This will take about 8 to 10 minutes.[5]
  6. Remove the saucepan from heat, and swirl in the vanilla extract and the rest of the heavy cream. Avoid stirring too much. Stir just enough to mix the cream and vanilla into the caramel. You want the color and texture to be even and consistent, with not streaks or swirls.
  7. Let the caramel cool a little before dipping an apple into it. Once the caramel cools, take your first apple and dip it into the sauce. As you lift it out, give the stick a twist. This will help the caramel coat the apple more evenly. It will also get rid of any excess caramel.
    • You can dip the apple into the caramel all the way, or only ¾ of the way.
    • You want the caramel to still be liquid enough to drip off the back of the spoon.
  8. Scrape the bottom of the apple with a spoon or knife. This will get rid of excess caramel, and prevent caramel puddles from forming on your baking sheet.
  9. Consider dipping the apple into a bowl filled with chopped nuts. This will give the apple some extra texture. After dipping the apple, be sure to scrape the bottom again with your knife or spoon. This will allow the apple to sit more evenly on your baking sheet.
    • You can use any type of chopped nuts, but popular choices include peanuts, walnuts/pecans, or pistachios.
    • If you don't like nuts, you can use other goodies, such as sprinkles, chocolate chips, or crushed candy.
  10. Place the apple onto the baking sheet, and immediately move onto the next apple. Keep dipping the apples into the caramel sauce and setting them down onto the wax paper until you have none left. Remember to leave some space between each apple so that they don't stick together.
    • If the caramel sauce starts to harden, simply place the saucepan back onto the stove, and heat it back up again.
  11. Refrigerate the apples for 1 to 2 hours. Once the caramel hardens, you can serve the apples. Some people like to leave the apples on the counter for about 15 minutes so they won't be as cold.
    • If you'd like extra-gourmet apples, drizzle some melted chocolate over the top of each apple.[3]
  12. Finished.

Tips

  • Store the apples in the fridge, and eat within one week. If you wrapped the apples in plastic bags, however, leave them on the counter.[3]
  • While the caramel is still hot, consider rolling the apples in delicious toppings, such as chopped nuts, sprinkles, or mini marshmallows (cut in half).[3]
  • For extra-gourmet caramel apples, wait until the caramel sets, then dip apple half-way into melted chocolate.[6] You can then dip the apples, while the chocolate is still warm, into chopped nuts.
  • After the caramel sets, drizzle some melted chocolate over the apples for extra texture.
  • If you have caramel sauce left over, pour it into a greased baking sheet. Wait for the caramel to harden, then cut it into bite-sized bricks. You now have little caramel candies to enjoy.[7]

Warnings

  • Handle the hot caramel sauce with care. Be careful to not burn yourself.
  • Work quickly when dipping the apples. The caramel will start to harden fast.

Things You'll Need

Basic Caramel Apples

  • 6 wooden sticks
  • Waxed paper or cooking spray
  • Baking Sheet
  • Saucepan
  • Rubber spatula
  • Knife or spoon

Gourmet Caramel Apples

  • 8 wooden sticks
  • Waxed paper or cooking spray
  • Baking Sheet
  • Saucepan
  • Rubber spatula
  • Knife or spoon

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/caramel-apples
  2. ↑ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/caramel-apples-recipe.html
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 http://www.theyummylife.com/Gourmet_Caramel_Apples
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/how-to-make-caramel-applesapple-pie-caramel-apples/
  5. ↑ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/perfect-caramel-apples-recipe.html
  6. ↑ http://blog.kitchenaid.com/double-dipped-chocolate-caramel-apples/
  7. ↑ http://www.tipsfromatypicalmomblog.com/2014/10/homemade-caramel-apples-recipe.html

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