Fully Loaded Caramel Apples Recipes

LOADED CARAMEL APPLES

Steps:

• Melt caramels as directed on package.
• Coat apples with caramel as directed on package. Do not refrigerate.
• Add your choice of toppings. (See tips.) Refrigerate 1 hour or until caramel is firm.

THE BEST CARAMEL APPLES

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Dip apples in boiling water for a few seconds, then dry with paper towels to remove any wax from the peels. Set apples aside; when completely cool, insert a wooden chopstick firmly into the bottom of each apple for a handle.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Stir butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk together in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and reduce heat to medium. Cook until a candy thermometer reads 248 degrees F (120 degrees C), 25 to 30 minutes; stir constantly to prevent burning. A teaspoon of the syrup, dropped in a glass of cold water, should form a firm ball. Remove caramel from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
• Working quickly, dip each apple into the hot caramel to completely coat the apple and about 1/2 inch of the wooden handle. Sprinkle apples with any desired toppings while still hot. Let caramel apples cool on the parchment paper. Use caution, caramel is very hot.

CARAMEL APPLES

Steps:

• Remove the stems from the apples and scrub them under warm water and dry them. Insert a chopstick through the top of the apple all the way to the top and line a baking sheet with waxed paper, set aside.
• Put the sugar, maple syrup, corn syrup, and cream in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, swirling the pan but not stirring, until the mixture reaches 250 degrees F (firm ball stage) on a candy thermometer. Pull pan from the heat and stir in the butter. Tilt the saucepan and dip and spin each apple into the caramel, covering about 3/4 of the apple. Place on the prepared baking sheet until set.
• If using a topping spread the topping out on a sheet pan or wax paper and immediately roll the caramel coated apples in the topping. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet until set.
• Topping 1:
• 2 cups chocolate wafers, graham crackers, or vanilla wafers
• Put the wafers or cracker of choice in a plastic storage bag and smash until coarse.
• Topping 2:
• 2 cups walnuts or pecans, toasted
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant and brown, about 8 minutes. Pulse the nuts, cranberries, and ginger in a food processor until mixture resembles very coarse sand.

LOADED CARAMEL APPLE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with pastry for 1 1/2 pie shells, cutting the pastry to fit and filling gaps as necessary.
• Stir apples, sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a large bowl to coat the apple slices. Layer apple mixture over pie crust. Arrange caramels and butter slices on top of apple mixture.
• Cut remaining pie pastry into 1- to 2-inch pieces; arrange atop the caramels and butter.
• Bake in preheated oven until just beginning to brown, about 1 hour.
• Cool in baking dish on a wire rack for 30 minutes, cut into bars.
• Beat milk and confectioner's sugar together in a small bowl; drizzle over bars.

CARAMEL APPLES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or a piece of lightly greased parchment paper. Place the apples onto the prepared baking sheet, and press a treat stick firmly into the stem end, into the center of each apple.
• In a medium pot, combine the sugar, corn syrup and 1/3 cup water. Stir the mixture with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges. Once it begins to bubble, stop stirring.
• Cook the mixture (without stirring) until it begins to turn a medium amber color, 10 to 12 minutes. When the desired caramel color is reached, stir in the salt, cream, vanilla and butter - the mixture will bubble up vigorously - stir until it's combined and smooth.
• Continue to cook the caramel over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reads 245 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, another 8 to 10 minutes. Leave the syrup mixture in the pot, and allow to cool to 200 degrees. (If the mixture cools too much, it can be reheated until fluid.)
• Working quickly, dip 3/4 of an apple into the caramel, tilting the pot as needed to coat. Hold the apple over the caramel, letting the excess drip off, then transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining apples, reheating the caramel as necessary. Cool completely before serving.