October 23, 2016 44 Comments

Caramel Apples

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October is just so pretty! The leaves finally start changing colours and the weather is still warm enough for just a comfy sweater and a cute scarf. And let’s not forget that October is home to the funnest holiday of the year… Halloween! I love baking fun treats this time of the year because let’s be real, Halloween is really all about the candy and dessert. This year I decided to make some good old-fashioned caramel apples!

But, what is Halloween without a little bit of dress-up? You can make these caramel apples as is, or decorate them, obviously! I played around with milk chocolate, white chocolate and crushed walnuts. I also added some orange food colouring to the white chocolate to make some of them orange… you know, in line with the Halloween theme.

But there are soo many other possibilities! You can also use m & m’s, marshmallows and sprinkles to decorate. The list is pretty much endless, so go wild!

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How to tell when Caramel is done

Temperature check: The caramel will be done when your candy thermometer reads 235 °F.
Soft Ball method: You can also test the caramel to see if it forms a “soft ball”. This means that if you drop the caramel into cold water and then remove it from the water and roll into a ball, the caramel should keep its shape.

Now all that is missing to this perfect Halloween is my costume! This year I am a little stuck on what to be especially because my hubby and I want to do a couples costume and we are stumped on ideas. Help, please! 🙂

Caramel Apples

★★★★★ 4.9 from 12 reviews

Author: Sam | Ahead of Thyme
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 8-10
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Description

Nothing says Halloween better than a classic and traditional fall treat. Learn how to make your own homemade caramel apples today!

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup maple syrup (or light corn syrup)
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 medium apples, stems removed (I recommend Granny Smith apples)
8 hard lollipop sticks or popsicle sticks

Toppings (optional):

1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
food colouring
crushed walnuts

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.
Whisk in the sugars, syrup, condensed milk and vanilla. Stir regularly and cook until the mixture beings to boil.
Increase heat to medium heat and cook caramel for about 15 minutes, stirring constantly but slowly, until the caramel thickens and the temperature on a candy thermometer reads 235 °F. You can also test the caramel to see if it forms a “soft ball”. This means that if you drop the caramel into cold water and then remove it from the water and roll into a ball, the caramel should keep its shape.
Remove saucepan from the heat. Let the caramel cool for a few minutes.
Wash and dry the apples and insert sticks.
Dip the apples into the hot caramel and twirl to fully coat and to let any excess drip off. Place onto greased parchment paper (or greased aluminum foil) and let caramel set for 15 minutes.
The caramel will have pooled on the foil. Lift the apple and using your hand, shape the pooled caramel around the apple. Place apples back on parchment paper and leave it for another 30 minutes to allow it to fully set.
Once fully set, you can start decorating your apples!!

Decorate (optional):

Melt the milk chocolate. Dip the caramel apples into the chocolate. Sprinkle on some crushed walnuts. Set aside to cool.
Repeat with the white chocolate. If you want different colours, add food colouring. Note that if you are using liquid food colouring, you may need to add some oil to regain a smooth consistency.
Using a piping bag and round tip to drizzle some chocolate on top.
Set aside to let toppings harden fully.

Tips:

I used Wilton’s bamboo lollipop sticks for my candy apples. They are sturdier than regular lollipop sticks and definitely sturdier than cake pop sticks. I highly recommend them.
Click here for instructions on how to melt chocolate. You will have to scroll down in the post until you see the “How to Melt Chocolate” heading.