Creamy, sweet, and oh-so-delicious. The perfect Friday night treat to make with your and your loved ones.
While most of us are at home more often than usual, it can be a little challenging to come up with creative activities to do around the house. This Friday night, get the family together and have fun making these decked-out caramel apples. They're easy-to-make and can be decorated however you'd like! It's a ton of fun for the entire family and will be gone just as quickly as you made them!
Easy Caramel Apples
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8
INGREDIENTS
8 apples, chilled
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 cup light corn syrup
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Toppings:
Chopped walnuts
Chopped peanuts
Crushed Oreos
Melted white chocolate
Melted milk chocolate
DIRECTIONS
1. Rinse apples well and dry completely. You want to make sure you do this step so the wax will be removed from the apple, allowing the caramel to stick better. Twist the apple stem off and stick the caramel apple stick about halfway down into the apple.
2. Spray a baking sheet well. You can also butter it down - just make sure to do an extra coating. Don't use wax paper.
3. To make the caramel, heat a saucepan over medium heat. Mix in the corn syrup, butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt. Stir constantly. Allow the butter to melt. Using a moistened pastry brush, brush down the sides of the pot to remove an excess caramel. Attach a candy thermometer to the pot. It's important to ensure the thermometer isn't touching the bottom of the pot.
(*Note: You can use a meat thermometer in lieu of the candy thermometer. You just need to ensure it has a high enough range in temperature to go up to at least 240 degrees).
4. Stop stirring. Let the sauce cook and boil until it reaches 240 degrees (about 15 minutes). The time varies depending on your stove, so just make sure to keep an eye on the caramel.
5. Once it's reached 240 degrees, remove from heat and add vanilla. Do not over mix as this will cause air bubbles. Allow caramel to cool for at least 15 minutes, or until is slightly thick.
6. Dip the apples in the caramel. To do this, tip the saucepan slightly with one hand as you lift the apple up and swirl around in the pan to coat with caramel. If you desire toppings, immediately roll the caramel apples in the chopped nuts or Oreos. Allow apple to set completely before drizzling chocolate. (*To drizzle chocolate, use a piping bag and squeeze chocolate onto apple moving the piping bag in back and forth motions turning the apple while doing so.)
7. To serve, place on wax paper as even cooled caramel will stick to plates. Enjoy your delicious caramel apples!
*This recipe was inspired by Sally's Baking Addiction. You can find her recipe here.