Look through your pantry for anything fun to add on. M&M’s, shredded coconut, any kind of nuts, sprinkles, chocolate chips, or crushed cookies are all great options. (Photo by Leslie Milby)
Back-to-school season comes with a lot of apple paraphernalia with a side of pencils and books.
If you fast forward just a pinch, it starts to get more delicious with a side of caramel and crunchy chocolate.
While thought to be an old-fashioned treat, I assure you, even modern day kids will set down their screens to get a bite!
My family’s revival of the treat came from a co-worker would always bring giant caramel apples from a specialty gourmet shop for Christmas. Believe me when I say I started anticipating them daily, starting in early November at the latest! As of my kids started to want “to share” my very favorite treat, we decided we had to try to make them ourselves.
There’s no caramel apple without the apple! Be sure to carefully select your apples to be the star of your show. Granny Smiths reign supreme in the world of covered apples as they are crisp, crunchy and tart. If you have a surplus of another variety you can try of course but do try to avoid those with a softer skin and less crunch. (Sorry, Red Delicious).
If your festive fall includes a trip to one of the great apple orchards near us — such as Blades Orchard in Federalsburg or Redemption Farms in Denton — and ask them which of their varieties they’d recommend.
If you were to buy a fancy gourmet apple at the store, they are usually on the larger size, to make them an irresistible, giant treat. When you are making them at home, a medium size is a little easier to work with for dipping and eating so aim for that size if possible.
Caramel apples are surprisingly easy and fast to make. And I do mean fast! As you’ll be tending to your caramel, don’t wait to set up.
Have out parchment paper, a non stick mat, or just spray a plate with non-stick spray to set them on after dipping. Have your toppings opened and ready for your sticky hands to have access to.
Look through your pantry for anything fun to add on. M & M’s, shredded coconut, any kind of nuts, sprinkles, chocolate chips, or crushed cookies are all great options! My daughter’s favorite is a S’mores combination with mini marshmallows, crushed graham crackers and chocolate chips.
The easiest way to do caramel apples is using caramel pieces melted over the stovetop with some heavy cream. Pay attention when you buy to grab unwrapped caramels if you can. (Or if you are looking for jobs for bigger-little helpers, buy them wrapped to keep fingers busy — though the tight cellophane wrappers are kind of a pain!) Slowly melting in 30 second intervals in the microwave or even using your crockpot are both options but no matter the method, you’ll need to keep your stirring hands nearby and ready!
Prep your apples by twisting the stems off and giving them a good wipe. If you feel a waxy coating, often the case for organic, dip them quickly in boiling water to remove it. Otherwise, the caramel won’t stick as well.
Stick in a wooden skewer if you have them, or a popsicle stick works, though they can be a little short!
Caramel from scratch is a pinch more intimidating but with a trusty candy thermometer to keep an eye on your heavy cream, corn syrup, butter and sugar, you will easily be up for the challenge!
When we make ours from scratch, I pour the caramel into a wide bowl so the kids can assist me without having to worry about them touching the hot pot.
After your caramel is concocted, quickly dip and spin your apples. If you like your caramel thicker (or if you are going for a fancier look) let the first layer firm up for a few minutes and redip before topping. We always find that the first dip is sweet enough for us!
While the caramel is still warm, sprinkle on toppings. If you want a covered look like sprinkles or mini chocolate chips, you can roll your apples to get them nice and coated.
If you’d like to add a drizzle of chocolate, this is the time for that!
When you are done, pop them in the refrigerator to set for an hour or so. They should last a few days, not that ours ever do!
As with anything, there are a few twists you can put on your recipe.
For party or mini bites, do buy those large apples and use a melon baller to make small rounds You can also use an apple slicer or chop them into flat pieces. Place them on skewers, dip and top.
Another way of arranging them is to create an assemble-your-own charcuterie board. Create smaller pieces and keep your sauces dippable by putting caramel (and chocolate too!) into mason jars in a water-bath in your crockpot.
Slice or ball some chunks and lay out a bunch of toppings to sprinkle on. When we have caramel leftover, we often dip in pretzels so try to think of items that could also be dipped.
If you have an hour free after dinner or on the weekend, enjoy this fun fall treat you didn’t know you were craving!
