Caramel Apples 2.0
With all the abundance of apples in autumn, it's hard to not think about making caramel apples! There is just something so perfect about the combination of a crunchy tart apple and creamy sweet caramel. I love them! And they are perfect for fall- a tasty treat to use up the apples from your tree that also goes great with any fall party color scheme! They are definitely the perfect treat for this time of year!
However, there are two things I don't like about caramel apples. One- they are really hard to eat. You have to really bite into the apple to get the caramel and apple combination, but you usually end up being a sticky mess before you've reached your third bite. Sometimes it's worth it;), but there are times I would rather not look like a gooey toddler as I happily devour my treat. The other thing I don't like about caramel apples- there is not enough caramel for how much apple there is! ;) I've got nothing against apples- but I sure love caramel, and the more caramel, the happier I am!
Now, a simple way to solve this problem of course is to dip apple slices in a caramel dip. Basic, but tasty! But what if you want a little something more? Or even something that just looks a little fancier?
Luckily, there are plenty of people in the world who are more creative than I. In searching for some alternative ways to eat caramel apples, I found a couple great ideas for ways to fix that caramel apple craving without breaking a tooth or gooing up your face like a caramel-loving fool (guilty;) ).
One idea is to use a melon scoop to carve out mini-apples that you can then dip in caramel with lollipop sticks or whatever you have on hand to create tiny caramel apple bites. I love this idea! It's a much easier way to eat a caramel apple; and this would be such a cute and tasty addition to any harvest or Halloween party you may have going on! And it makes your apples go a lot further;). You could make this into a fun activity for kids as well; they could easily help with dipping the mini apples in the caramel sauce, and you could have a variety of toppings (sprinkles, chopped Oreos or nuts, cinnamon sugar, etc.) available for dipping. I think adults would enjoy this one as well!
Another idea I saw was to cut an apple in half, carve out the core, and pour caramel in its place. Once it's cooled, cut into slices and serve. Not much different than dipping apple slices into caramel, but much cuter and probably a lot less messy to serve! And by the looks of the picture, it's a sneaky way to get a little more caramel with your apple- my kind of thinking!
Another idea is to do caramel apple nachos. Still messy, but at least you are getting the mess on your fingers and not as much on your face;). These just look heavenly to me! (But then again you are adding chocolate to the mixture, and that's never a bad thing in my book!).
One last idea I saw was Apple Pie Apples. In addition to your apple and caramel, you add white chocolate, brown sugar and cinnamon and cut the apple in 9 pieces so you have a delicious and basically non-messy way to enjoy it!
What are some of your favorite ways to enjoy caramel apples? Does your family have any favorite toppings? Share in the comments below!
Apple Pie Apple
Ingredients:
| 1 | apple, washed and dried |
| 10 | caramels |
| 2 (1-pound 2.3-oz) packages | candy melts, white |
| 1 1/2 tablespoons | light brown sugar |
| 3 dashes | cinnamon |
| 1 teaspoon | water |
Directions:
Remove the apple stem if necessary and insert a popsicle stick down the core. Put the apple in the freezer for at least 5 minutes but no more than 15 minutes to chill.
Unwrap the caramels and put them in a small microwave-safe bowl along with 1 teaspoon of water. Melt the caramel in the microwave at 50% power for one minute. Remove from microwave and stir. If the caramel is not completely melted, microwave again at 50% power for another 20 seconds.
Dip the apple into the melted caramel, using a spoon if necessary to get the caramel up the sides. Once the apple is covered, place on a greased plate and return to the freezer to chill.
In another small microwave-safe bowl, melt the white candy melts in the microwave using the defrost option. Remove from microwave and stir. If not completely melted, return to microwave and defrost for another 30 seconds.
On a small plate, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon, making sure to crumble any lumps.
Once the caramel on the apple is not sticky anymore (but before it is frozen!), remove from the freezer. If necessary, try to push any caramel that has pooled to the bottom back onto the apple. Dip in the white candy melts, using a spoon if necessary to get the candy up the sides.
Before the white candy sets, roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place the apple in the refrigerator for a few minutes to allow the white candy to harden.
To serve, make 2 parallel slices almost all the way down both sides of the core, leaving the bottom 1/4" intact. Rotate 90 degrees and make 2 more similar parallel slices to give you 8 slices you can break off and the core in the middle.
If you don't have a popsicle stick, you can probably get away without using one, but it's a lot easier to manipulate the apple in the caramel, melted white candy, and cinnamon sugar mixture if you have one.
- https://sodapopave.com/soda-pop-ave/2013/9/12/gourmet-caramel-apples
- https://www.kissrecipe.com/2013/11/mini-caramel-apples-recipe.html
- https://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/da/62/5b/da625b4b414b787752ecc7c661e4ff6d.jpg
- https://anightowlblog.com/2014/08/easy-caramel-apple-nachos.html
- https://the-cooking-of-joy.blogspot.com/2009/04/apple-pie-apple.html
Camille Hoffmann
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
Email the author! camille@dvo.com
