Homemade Caramel Apples

I would say that I tried out several different recipes in search of the perfect one, but actually this is the first one I tried and it turned out really good. These caramel apples were much easier to make than the candied apples that I made earlier this week. They are also, in my opinion, tastier and easier to eat. However, if you have any dental work you may want to reconsider! This recipe is rather easy to make and easy to clean up after following the easy tips that I will be including. I actually enjoyed making these!

Here is what you will need:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
 2 cups packed brown sugar
 1 cup light corn syrup
 Dash of salt
 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 popsicle sticks
8 medium apples, washed, dried, and destemmed

Destem all of the clean apples and make sure you get all the stickers off that come from the grocery store. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

So pretty much all you do here is combine all of the ingredients, except the apples and the sticks of course, and bring it to a boil over medium low heat. You'll want to use a heavy pan like stainless steel. This will need to be stirred constantly. 

Tip: If you use a stainless steel spoon to stir with, you can simply dip it into boiling water when you're finished and wipe it clean with no problem.

Using a candy thermometer, watch until the mixture comes up to 245 degrees which is softball. Make sure the thermometer does not touch the bottom of the pan. This will take about a half hour and yes you do need to stir it the whole time. As the caramel reaches the correct temperature, you will notice a change in the color. It will begin to get darker as you can see in this photo:

When the caramal is up to the correct temperature, work quickly dipping the apples and rolling them in the caramal. I don't turn the heat off until I'm almost done with only a few apples left to go. In my experience if you turn the heat off too soon the coolness of the apples will begin to cool down the caramal and you will not be able to get the last apples fully coated. Just be careful not to let the caramel burn. I used my stainless steel spoon to help coat the entire apple getting caremal up on the top part. If you want to dip these and nuts or sprinkles now is the time to do it.

When they are coated, set them on a tin foil lined baking sheet to cool. Mine turned out a little ugly. So when they were cool enough to handle, I smoothed them out with my hands covering the areas that lacked caramel and smoothing out any ugly places. (This is what you have to do with the store bought wraps anyway.)

Tip: For easy cleanup, simply boil water in the pan in which you cooked the caramel. As the water comes to a boil, grab a toothbrush and just scrub away all of the caramel as it begins to get soft. Then you just pour it out and your pan is all clean. Please note that my toothbrush has never melted in the hot water. I cannot guarantee that yours will not melt though! o_O

Now, since you have been really good and you have tried a recipe from Mel's Kitchen Adventures, you get a special treat! You get the privilege of eating any of the leftover caramel! If there's any left in the pan just lay it out onto the tin foil and let it sit for a little while. Don't let it cool off all the way just eat it as soon as it cool enough to eat. I have a guilty confession: I put a glob of leftover caramal into my cup of coffee! I then enjoyed a marvelous caramel latte! :-P

Homemade Candied Apples

No matter how easy a recipe for candied apples claims to be, I will be honest with you- they are a little bit hard to make in my opinion. I guess that's because I seriously lack the kind of patience it takes to stand at a pot for such a long time. Nevertheless they are a fun fall treat and I will probably keep making them even though they are a pain. Here is my recipe:

You will need:
6 Gala apples
6 popsicle sticks
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons red food coloring

Add the sugar, corn syrup, and water to a heavy saucepan (like stainless steel) and bring it to a boil over medium heat (I use the setting 4 on my stove dial). You must continually stir this until it begins to boil.

Tip: use a stainless steel whisk to stir this with so that when you are finished all you have to do is dip it into boiling water and all of the hardened candy will just dissolve right off.

Once it has begun to boil, put the tip of a candy thermometer into the sugar mixture. Be sure the thermometer is not touching the bottom of the pan. You want to boil this until the candy thermometer reads 285 degrees or soft crack. Don't make the mistake of walking away from this. Although you don't need to keep stirring, it does need to be monitored. This will take a while. In my experience, about 30-45 minutes depending on the depth of your saucepan. 

While you're waiting on the mixture to to achieve the correct temp, prepare your apples. Be sure and remove all stems and take off all stickers from the grocery store. Stick popsicle sticks into the center of the apples about halfway down. 

Also prepare a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil which has been greased.
When your sugar mixture reaches 285 degrees, add the cinnamon and red food coloring.

Now begin working quickly to coat the apples. Roll each apple in the mixture and then allow them to drip over the pan until the excess mixture has dripped off. Put each apple on to your greased aluminum foil lined cookie sheet.  If you want to add any nuts or sprinkles now is the time to do it. 

This recipe is easy to double, but be aware that you will have to work very quickly so that the mixture will not cool off while you are still rolling the apples. You can leave the heat on under the apples while you do the first few, but it is not advisable to leave it on the whole time because the candy could burn. Room temperature apples work best.

Tip: For easy cleanup, simply boil water in the pan you used to make the candy, and use a toothbrush to brush away any excess hardened candy as the water begins to boil. I personally have never had a toothbrush melt as I was doing this, but I cannot assure you that this would not happen! o_O

Warning: if you have dental work you are going to want to be very careful when you eat these! They do get pretty hard! Just be very careful.