Homemade caramel apples are wonderful gifts, especially in autumn when apples are in season and the weather starts getting chillier, making everyone long for a sweet treat. Coated in layers of sweets, a gourmet caramel apple can be a feast of a holiday treat, perfect for a Halloween or football party.
How to Make Caramel Apples
Ingredients You Will Need:
8 Granny Smith apples
8 popsicle sticks
Pot of boiling water, bowl of cold water
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 quarts heavy cream
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 tablespoons marshmallow crème
Wash and dry apples thoroughly. Remove stems. Insert stick into heart of apple, where stem used to be. Quickly dip each apple into the boiling water for a few seconds, and then place it in a bowl of ice cold water to cool. Rub wax coating off each apple so caramel will stick better.
In a saucepan, combine both kinds of sugar and heavy cream, and stir over medium heat. Heat until caramel reaches 238 degrees on your candy thermometer, stirring continuously. When candy reaches desired temperature, turn off burner, and stir in butter, vanilla and marshmallow crème. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
Let the caramel cool for five minutes. Dip each apple into caramel to coat, and then let the caramel apple cool on a sheet of waxed paper. For a thicker coating, dip apples a second time.
Variations of Caramel Dipped Apples
Try adding to the easy caramel apple recipe listed above by layering more ingredients onto your apple. Use a combination of dipping, rolling and drizzling toppings onto your apple, and make sure you have a sheet of wax paper ready to catch the drippings as you make that apple heavier and heavier with the coats of toppings.
Chocolate Covered Caramel Apples: These gourmet chocolate caramel apples are easy to make and impressive to serve. After you have applied the layer of caramel, dip the apple into a bowl of melted chocolate wafers. Place it on a sheet of wax paper, and allow it to harden.
Rocky Road Caramel Apples: After you get the caramel layer on, stick miniature marshmallows all over the caramel, and then top with drizzles of melted chocolate (to help keep the marshmallows on). Top with a sprinkling of crushed nuts before the apple dries completely.
Nutty Caramel Apples: After the first coating of caramel, roll your apple in a bowl of crushed nuts. You can use crushed walnuts or peanuts or pecans for a yummy apple caramel nut treat.
Decorative Gourmet Caramel Apples
Use a combination of melted chocolate wafers or almond bark (the kind used to make chocolate candies that will harden when it cools) in icing tubes, and drizzle lines, squiggles or designs on the caramel apple. You can make lines of white and dark chocolate, turning the apple into an ornament of sorts, or you can make zig-zagging designs all over the apple for a dizzying dessert. Try rolling the caramel apple in pretty coatings such as Nerds or other edible cake decorations such as edible glitter, pearls, jimmies, and sparkles.
 | Candy making can be fun for beginners, and the many varieties of homemade candies make it an ongoing challenge for the veteran. Christmas is the time of year most people try their hand at old-fashioned candies, such as divinity, peanut brittle, chocolate fudge, logs and southern pralines. Year round, these goodies can bring a smile of delight to the sweets lover. Valentine's Day is the perfect time for making gourmet candies like truffles, butter toffee and lollipops. Halloween calls for caramel, peanut clusters and popcorn balls. |
 | Making chocolate candy bars is not an easy or cheap task. It can be a time-consuming and tedious process. But chocolate made from scratch, without the added waxes and unnecessary flavors, is worth the extra work. |
 | If you're looking for a holiday gift that's inexpensive and homey, consider learning how to make caramel. Buttery and sweet, milk caramels are easy to make and fun to eat. Once you try these recipes, you'll be hooked, and a holiday tradition will be in place. |
If you want to impress your guests, try making these easy homemade marshmallows. They're perfect for topping off a cup of hot chocolate or for simply popping into your mouth as a quick treat. Making marshmallows is simple, and you'll savor the light, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth sweetness so much more. |
Easy homemade vegan candy like nut brittles and fruit glace can be a great addition to your kitchen repertoire. Vegans and non-vegans alike are sure to smile when they catch a glimpse, a whiff, or a taste of homemade candy. |
