Caramel Apples
Posted by bibliomom Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:27:00 GMT
Fall’s here (for the second or third round) and the fruit stands are flush with new crop apples. Know what that means? Caramel apple time!
Even since I first saw those giant caramel apples in the gourmet food magazines, I realized there was almost no limit to the stuff you can stick on the side of an apple.
My current favorite (and easy) caramel recipe is from honey.com:
Caramel Honey Apples
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup honey
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅓ cup chopped nuts
6 small apples with sticks
Combine all ingredients except apples and nuts in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat to 265°F; stir constantly. Remove from heat. Cool 5 minutes.
Holding apple by stick, roll in hot honey mixture to coat; roll bottom of apple in nuts if desired. Place on waxed paper squares to cool. Repeat with remaining apples.
Now it won’t make as many giant apples, but it’s not a bad amount of caramel. The cinnamon is best for just plain caramel – I leave it out when I roll my apples into toasted, chopped TJ’s pecans and my favorite Callebaut chocolate chips. You can also do the Rocky Road style by adding mini-marshmallows, or pretty much anything else you can think of – white chocolate, sprinkles, chopped up toffee bars, etc. Just remember that the caramel is hot, and the stuff you stick on it might melt a bit – I have to let the ones with chocolate on them sit for quite a while until the chocolate firms back up.
Hey – it’s fairly quick and easy, the kids love them and I get my gourmet apples for way less than $25 a piece.
Oh – and by the way – though the recipe says “wax paper squares”, I think they’re smoking something. Putting hot caramel anything onto waxed paper tends to lead to a permanent situation – and caramel flavored wax paper tastes nasty. Ask me how I know. Anyway, use parchment paper or a silpat – you’ll be much happier.
