Caramel Apples

 

My Mom happens to make the most amazing Christmas caramels and I had this bag of orchard apples....hmmmmm.  What to do with all of this?  Make Caramel Apples!!!  

This batch will make approximately 12-18 apples and will vary with the size of apples used and the temperature of your caramel.  Cooler caramel will be thicker on apples and warmer caramel will be thinner.

Metal grilling skewers work nicely for dipping if you don't have sticks, or don't wish to use sticks.  Remove skewer when  you're ready to set the caramel apple down.  Place caramel apples on a baking mat or a well butter pan.  Skip the well buttered wax paper...it most likely will stick anyways from the heat of the caramel.   To eat, cut the apple by cutting to the right and left of the core on all four sides, then slice.  

Caramel Apples

12-18 of your favorite apples

1 pound brown sugar

1 cup butter

pinch of salt

1 cup corn syrup

14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

Wash (scrub) apples in warm water and thoroughly dry them.  If your apples have a wax coating, you'll want to wash that off.  The wax and moisture won't allow caramel to stick properly.  Refrigerate for several hours so apples are completely cold.  

Melt in a heavy saucepan, butter, brown sugar and salt.  Stir in corn syrup until combined.  Add sweetened condensed milk to mixture and begin stirring constantly.  Cook and stir over medium heat for 12-15 minutes.  Cook until firm ball stage, 248 degrees. Remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla.  {If you were making caramels, you would pour caramel into a greased dish or pan and allow them to cool before cutting.}  

For caramel apples, allow temperature to cool to just under 200 degrees.  200 degrees is still pretty hot and caramel will tend to drip more, 180 degrees is a better temperature to work with, but the cold apples will begin to cool the caramel rapidly and then things start to get pretty sticky.  Working quickly, dip apple and rotate sideways while some excess drips back into the pot, allowing caramel to slightly cool and set.  Place on baking mat.  Dip in candy or nuts as desired.  Apples can be set out at room temperature, but refrigerate if keeping for several days.  

*Calibrate your candy thermometer before making caramel.  Your thermometer should read 100 degrees C or 212 degrees F when water boils.  Adjust your final temperature accordingly.

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