The Cutest Little Caramel Apples
Being from Washington, we have access to so many amazing apple farms right in our back yard. It's such a fun tradition to take the kids out to the farm and pick apples. I love teaching our kids about the farm to table experience, and what better way than via hand-picked apples turned into yummy treats. To make the caramel apples unique, my kids love picking out fun toppings (all kinds of candy and cookies) to make these apples one of a kind!
There are a few important steps that I feel not everyone knows about the candy apple making process. Don't worry; I'll help you get the perfect apples every time… I got you girl!!
Start by using sticks for your caramel Apples. I think this is a fun touch. It also gives me 30+ minutes of quiet-time when I send the kids outside to find them! It’s a win-win. The first and most important step is you need to boil the wax off your apples. I know, mind blown...right!! How did you live this long and not know that fun little fact. Taking the wax residue off the apples will help your caramel sick to the apples. Bring a pot to boil and spin your apples in the water for 5-10 seconds (enough for it to melt the wax). Once they cool, they will look funny, almost like you did not get the wax off completely (shown below). It ok, that’s what they are supposed to look like!
Next we start in on the Caramel Sauce:
12 Apples (most people use Granny Smith apples and yes I did here mostly for the color. But I prefer something a little sweeter like a Honeycrisp.)
1/2 cup Butter
2 cups Brown Sugar
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup Corn Syrup
10 large Marshmallows
1/2 cup Granular Sugar
In a medium pan combine butter, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk and corn syrup.
Bring that mixture to a boil stirring constantly.
Boil until it has reached the hard ball stage or 235 degrees.
Side Note: One way to test the hardness of your candy is get a glass full of ice. Add a little water to the glass to cover the ice. with a spoon drop small amounts of the caramel into the ice water. Let it sit for a few seconds to cool then pull it out of the glass and roll it in your fingers to see how soft the caramel is and if it has reached the hard ball phase.
Once it has reached the hardball stage, remove it from the heat, and mix in your marshmallows until it’s all combined and creamy.
Now you are ready to dip them bad boys!!
After I dip my apples, I like to dip the bottoms of them in to a bowl of granulated sugar. It will help stop the Caramel from sticking and spreading. Plus it tastes delish.
One by one, I coat my apples until I have them all done. I will add my extras such as candy, nuts, cookies, etc., to each apple before the caramel cools. Once done, if I have any caramel left over, I will dump the caramel onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and spread it out. Once cooled, you can cut it into small bit size pieces and wrap in wax paper for the perfect little treat
Let your apples sit for an hour to harden then they are ready to serve. I’m not going to lie; these don’t last long at our house. I count caramel apples as a healthy snack, right?? Have fun, and try not to burn yourself!
Cheers Babes
XOXO
