Caramel Apples Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 caramel apples.
You can easily double the recipe, if you do, use a 4-quart pot to make the caramel sauce.
If you don't have access to molasses, you can substitute the one cup of white sugar and tablespoon of molasses with one cup and one tablespoon of dark brown sugar, packed.
Why the corn syrup? Corn syrup is an "invert sugar" that will help prevent the sugar in the caramel from crystallizing. It also helps to soften the caramel.
Apples from the store often have a wax coating on them which should be removed before attempting to coat them in caramel. To remove you can dip the apples in boiling water mixed with a splash of vinegar for a few seconds, remove and thoroughly dry.
1 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1 Tbsp dark molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
6 sturdy lollipop sticks or chopsticks
6 medium apples (rinsed and patted dry, room temperature)
Assorted decorations (such as chopped nuts, chopped raisins, mini candy sprinkles)
Equipment needed one accurate candy thermometer.
Method
combine caramel ingredients and heat on medium low until melted brush down sides with pastry brush.
1 Place sugar, butter, cream, corn syrup, molasses, vanilla, and salt (omit if using salted butter) in a thick-bottomed 3-4 quart saucepan. Heat on medium to medium low heat and stir slowly with a wooden spoon until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. If you see sugar crystals on the edge of the pan, brush them down with a wet pastry brush.
Bring to a rolling boil Pour hot caramel sauce into metal bowl
2 Let the caramel mixture come to a rolling boil, adjusting the heat so that the caramel doesn't boil over the pan. Continue to stir in a slow figure-eight pattern with a wooden spoon. Monitor the temperature of the caramel with a candy thermometer. When the temperature of the mixture reaches 240°F (after about 15 minutes or so of boiling), remove from heat and pour into a metal bowl.
Let the hot caramel mixture sit in the bowl until the temperature cools to just below 200°F, at which point you are ready to dip the apples.
Push sticks into apples through core Sticks in apples, ready to dip into caramel sauce
3 While the caramel sauce is cooking and cooling, line a baking sheet with either Silpat or buttered aluminum foil. Insert the sticks (either lollipop sticks, thick wooden skewers, or chopsticks) into the center of the apples through the stem end.
dip apple in caramel sauce swirl the apple in the caramel sauce and pull out, letting the excess sauce drip off.
4 When the caramel sauce has cooled sufficiently, working one at a time, dip the apples into the sauce. Swirl each apple around in the sauce so that the caramel sauce completely coats the apple, except for the very top near the stick. Pull the apple up from the sauce and let the excess caramel gently drip back into the bowl. Place the coated apple onto the lined baking sheet. Some caramel sauce will form a little pool at the base of each apple. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Caramel apples cooling fold the caramel that has pooled at the bottom of the apples back onto the apples.
5 Once the caramel has chilled a few minutes, remove from the refrigerator and press the caramel that has pooled at the bottom of the apples up against the side of the apples. If you are using coatings such as sprinkles or chopped nuts, roll the caramel apples in them now. Then return the apples to the refrigerator and chill for at least another hour.
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