CARAMEL APPLES {Recipe}

Ok, so I’ve been a really bad blogger.  I am sorry.  I guess its just not at the top of my priority list lately.  I have been super busy with just life and kids and friends and family and church and housework.  I’ve been doing a lot of things, but it takes so much more time to photograph the things that I do that I just haven’t wanted to do it.  Plus, I am not a very good photographer and I don’t have a lot of good light in my house.  I have a hard time getting any decent pictures unless it’s the perfect time of day.  It is frustrating.  But I don’t want to just let this blog go.  So, I am going to try to get 2 to 3 posts up each week.

I love Halloween.  I love the colors and the foods and PUMPKINS!  I ADORE the fall.  It is my favorite season.  I love when the weather starts to cool and we finally get some relief from the inferno that is Las Vegas summer.  I love the crisp air in the mornings.  I just live for fall!  And Halloween is a big part of that.

So, I am going to be posting some Halloween things over the next couple weeks.  I hope you like them!

Today I am going to tell you how to make the most delicious caramel apples.  I make the every year and they are always a big hit.  They really are not too difficult.  And they are so much yummier than making them from premade caramel candies. (cheaper, too). 

You MUST, and I repeat MUST, have a candy thermometer.  I have bought the glass ones at the grocery store many times and they always break.  So, if you can afford it, invest in a better thermometer.  If not, pick up one at Wal-Mart or the grocery store.

Once you have your thermometer you have to test it to ensure its accuracy.  First you need to know what temperature water boils at where you live.  So, do a little online reasearch to figure that out.  At sea leve it boils at 212 degress.  Where I live it boils at 203.  Once you know this number, put a pot of water on and bring it to a full rolling boil.  Then test the temperature.  If your thermometer doesn't read the same number that water boils at where you are, then you need to take that into account when making caramel.  So, for example, if water boils at 210 where you live and your thermometer reads 205, then your thermometer is 5 degrees too low.  So when you are making candy and you are trying to get to 240, you would really need to get your thermometer to 235.  Does that Make sense?  You need to test your thermometer every time you are going to use it to make candy.  When making candy its very important to have the correct temperature reading because the consistency of the candy depends upon how hot you heat it.  Hard candy is heated to a much higher temperature than a chewy caramel candy.  Basically, the hotter it gets the harder it gets.  SO, if you don’t want your caramel to crack your teeth when you try to bite into it, you have to make sure you don’t get it hotter than you should.  And if its not hot enough it will slide right off the apples.

I like to dip mine in caramel and then in something else, like chopped nuts, cookie crumbs, candies, mini chocolate chips, chopped candy bars, or sprinkles.  Then I like to drizzle them with melted chocolate or white chocolate or both.  Granny Smith apples are the traditional choice, but you can use any firm non-overripe apple you like. 

You can use traditional popsicle sticks, or something more creative like these wooden dowels you can buy at the craft store.  You could also use some kind of natural twig if you had that growing in your yard.  Not sure what type of wood would be ok but I’ve seen it done. 

Here is my recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

14 small tart apples (or fewer bigger ones.  I like to use small ones.)
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 14-oz. can sweetened, condensed milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
14  sticks

DIRECTIONS: Wash and dry the apples and then refrigerate at least overnight.  I like to soak them in a bowl of cold water with 1/4 cup vinegar.  This helps remove the wax.  Then i scrub them with a rough towel or vegetable brush.  Refrigerate the apples until chilled.  The apples should be cold when you dip them. Insert a wooden craft stick or a large lollipop stick into the core of each apple.
Combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and condensed milk in a large heavey bottomed pot.  Be sure it is twice as big as the amount of liquid because it will bubble up ALOT.

 Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until 240 degrees (firm ball stage) , taking into account any discrepancy in your thermometer.

Remove mixture from heat and add the vanilla. Dip each apple in the caramel, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl.   You may have to use a spoon to get the tops or tilt your pan with one hand and dip with the other, depending on how wide of a pot you used.  (I use the back of my wooden spoon to kinda wipe the bottoms a little so there isn’t a big pool of caramel under each apple.  Place on a well greased sheet of aluminum foil to cool. If dipping or rolling in other ingredients, do so immediately.  Once the caramel is cooled you can drizzle with melted chocolate if desired.  To do that, melt chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl stirring every 15 seconds.  The chips will start to melt and you will see they will melt more as you stir.  Do not overheat.  Place the melted chocolate in a gallon or quart sized zipper bag and snip a bit off the corner to make a hole.  Drizzle the chocolate over the apples.

These make a great gift wrapped in cellophane and tied with a cute ribbon.  Who doesn’t like a caramel apple?  Enjoy everybody!