There are a couple of ways to make Caramel Apples, and I tried them both.The first way—”from scratch”—is to make it in a saucepan, first by melting the sugar in a saucepan. Then, you need a candy thermometer to make sure the heat gets just right before you add heavy whipping cream. I had fun with this method since I had a lil helper with me.
Unfortunately, the “from scratch” method didn’t return the results I had intended. The caramel turned out very thin and wouldn’t stick to the apple. It was also drippy. (See the photo below.)
Gah! What a mess. Not deterred, I tried again—this time the easy way. I took a bunch of store-bought caramels, unwrapped them and simply heated them up.
Much easier!
I also made sure I did one extra step, which probably made a huge difference the second time around. I parboiled the apple. Just for a few seconds, but enough to melt off any fruit wax that the grocery store may have added.
I placed in cold water to stop the heating process.
And then the fun began.
If you have kids that are in middle school, you’ve probably heard about and/or watched at least one ASMR video on YouTube. I didn’t understand the interest until I started dunking the apples in the caramel sauce.
So! Satisfying!
It’s that simple! You can enjoy your caramel as is, or you can do one more step…roll your apple in a topping of your choice. I like pretzels and coconut.
After you’ve dunked your apples and rolled in a topping of your choice, simply set on a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator to cool and harden.
The recipe is for 12 apples, but depending on the size of the apple and how much you coat them, you might have between 10-12.
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Ingredients
- 1 lb package of caramels
- 12 7- inch pointed candy apple skewers
- 10-12 tart medium-sized apples like Granny Smith
- optional 3 cups toppings of your choice, such as crumbled pretzels, shredded coconut, or mini chocolate chips, or chopped nuts
Instructions
- Unwrap the caramels and place in a bowl.
- If using topping prepare them now and place in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper and then lightly grease with spray oil. Set aside.
- Heat water up in a 4-quart heavy saucepan. When it is almost boiling, use tongs or a large slotted spoon to place the apple in the boiling water for about 2 seconds. Remove and immediately place in a large bowl of water. Repeat for each apple.
- Using a vegetable wash, wash the apples so the last of the wax is removed. Thoroughly dry the apples.
- Pierce the tops of the apples with the candy apple skewers. Set aside.
- When ready to make, move the caramels to a 2-quart sauce pan. Heat over medium heat until caramels are completely melted.
- Remove the caramel from the flame and gently dip the apples into the sauce, rotating to evenly coat.
- Next, if using toppings, gently roll the coated apple in the toppings.
- Place on the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat steps for each apple.
- Let cool in the refrigerator for an hour.
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