I have a slight obsession with apples. I eat at least one, every single day. When I was in Europe on vacation recently, I had withdrawals because I went two weeks without a single apple. It is kind of ridiculous but oh so true.
When my mom was in town recently we decided to make some gourmet apples. We experimented and learned a lot along the way. So here is your is chance to learn from our (multiple!) mistakes.
Tip 1: Use a crisp, tart apple. Granny Smith are the obvious choice for caramel apples, but feel free to experiment.
Tip 2: Wash and DRY apples completely before starting. The caramel cannot stick to a wet apple.
Tip 3: We highly recommend making homemade caramel. Yes, you can buy the bags of wrapped caramels and melt them down, but we found that the consistency did not make for great coverage.
Tip 4: If you choose to use the bagged caramels, be sure not to try double dipping. We were not satisfied with the coverage from a single dip, so we went for round two. The apples became so hard it was almost impossible to bite through them.
Tip 5: And one more note about bagged caramels; make sure to add the correct amount of water. As we had happen with our double dipping, we tried a bag without water for a thicker coverage and the knife could barely cut through it! Don’t skip out on the water!
Tip 6: Use apples that are cold. We brought each apple directly from the fridge to be dipped. If your apple is cold, the caramel will set up easier and quicker.
Tip 7: Make sure to butter wax paper to set your apples on to cool and harden. If you don’t butter the paper, you will lose a frightening amount of your toppings when you pull it off.
Tip 8: Have a variety of toppings to choose from. Variety is the spice of life, right? Chopped nuts, candies and even marshmallows are great choices. And you can layer on as many added yummies as you like!
Tip 9: Let the caramel cool down a bit on the apple (but not completely) before dipping it into the toppings. If you dip it while still hot and fresh, it will most likely cause all of the caramel and toppings to drip right off.
Tip 10: My mother learned this one the hard way, but the caramel is extremely hot and if it gets on your skin it will stick. It’s not like boiling water that will sting for a moment and be done. You can’t get the caramel off fast enough to save yourself from a painful burn. So be careful and make sure that little helpers stay clear of the caramel.
Do you have any tips of your own for making gourmet apples? What’s your favorite flavor combo?
Kristen,
Thanks for learning all the lessons for us! I want to make these to give to the neighbors.
Do you have a caramel recipe to sub the store bought caramels?
Julianne, I don’t have a recipe of my own, but there are tons that you can find online. I bet your neighbors will love you!