Southern Plate

Chocolate Caramel Apples

Oh so sweet and delicious, these chocolate caramel apples make the perfect treat for you or a loved one

By Christy Jordan @ southernplate.com

II’m going to show you how to make Chocolate caramel apples that will make your sweet tooth jump for joy! But before we get started with the apples, I’m gonna chat with you a little bit about what to do when you find yourself bobbing along in water that is obviously over your head.

Have You Ever Felt Overwhelmed?

If you are the sort of individual who breathes oxygen, you have likely found yourself overwhelmed at some point in your life. If you are like me, this happens on a regular basis.

Like when the sun shines or the sky is blue.

Between the technical ins and outs of running a website, photographing and writing new posts, working on a book, trying to answer comments on SouthernPlate and Facebook, business calls and emails, speaking requests and appointments, I also am trying to be a Mama – which is most important. In addition to that like you I am trying to keep up with the house, cooking, cleaning and making sure whatever handyman or work person is needed that day arrives on time, it is safe to say that I can feel pretty overwhelmed at times.

I am likely just like you. I have no staff. There is no housekeeper. Supper at the end of the day is cooked by me or not

cooked at all.

I often find myself feeling as if I’m running on empty and can’t go another step.

That’s when I step back and, rather than look at how ill equipped I am to handle everything, I look at the tools that I do have.

This is a list I made last night in my journal…

I have: The ability to love people Family Laughter Sleep (sometimes) Peace Inner joy God’s grace. and when it comes down to it what else could I possibly need?

What DO you have?

And after making out a list of what I do have, I see that I have all I need to do what I am called to do. And if I do not have what I need to fulfill my calling, then I know that God will give it to me as long as I am open to receiving it and make some room for it to appear.

So I encourage you to step back today and make a list. Rather than focus on what you don’t have, list what you do.

How are you equipped? Be honest, be open minded.

When you feel yourself sinking, if you step back and look at the big picture, you’ll realize that for every body of water you must cross, there is a bridge.

Now, for the chocolate caramel apples!

Let me first admit that these chocolate caramel apples will be easy as can be for you to make if you follow this tutorial, because I have made every mistake I could possibly make with them in advance so that you don’t have to! Seriously though, these are as easy as melting some stuff in the microwave, dipping some apples, and letting them get cold. Sound good?

These gourmet caramel apples make for a fun addition to your next party or prepare a batch to give to friends or family. No one can say no to a crunchy apple drizzled in caramel or chocolate.

The best part about this recipe for chocolate caramel apples is you can let your imagination run wild. Be traditional and stick with caramel, or dip them in chocolate, candy, crushed Oreo cookies, cinnamon, mini marshmallows, or chopped nuts. The choice is yours!

Recipe Ingredients

• 5-7 small to medium apples washed, dried and refrigerated • popsicle sticks • 12 ounce bag of dark or milk chocolate chips about a cup and a half

• 14 ounce bag Kraft caramels unwrapped • sprinkles chopped nuts or candies of your choice (optional) • Waxed paper and cooking spray

The night before, wash apples, remove any stickers, and place them in a bowl in the refrigerator to get cold. Make sure your COLD apples are clean and dry, then put a popsicle stick in each one.

Unwrap enough caramel candy to fill up a 2-cup measuring cup 3/4 of the way. Add one tablespoon of water.

Microwave for one minute. Stir. Microwave for one more minute and then stir again until smooth.

Please note: I am hesitant to post recipes involving the microwave because they vary so widely in how they heat. If your microwave tends to be hot or higher-powered, check your caramels after 30-45 seconds and stir them. If, after two minutes, the caramels are not melted fully, cook them in 30-second intervals until they are.

Now, baptize the apple in the melted caramel!

Note: You can skip the caramel and just dip them in chocolate if you like. My kids prefer these without the caramel.

Place all of those on a waxed paper-lined tray and MAKE SURE you spray that baking sheet with cooking spray BEFORE you put your apples on it. Otherwise, they will absolutely not separate from it when you pull them off and you’ll end up with caramel apples bonded to waxed paper on the bottom.

At this point, you need to place these apples in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, until they are good and cold. An hour or more is even better.

Now we need to melt our chocolate.

You can use any type of chocolate chips you like for this. I prefer dark chocolate for these apples, even though I am normally a milk chocolate person. The dark chocolate complements the apple really well.

Fill a 2-cup measuring cup 3/4 of the way with chocolate chips. Microwave this at 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until completely melted.

Set up a station with some toppings and sprinkles you might want to add. Make sure those apples are cold and then dip apples in chocolate! Let it drip off a bit before dipping the bottoms in toppings and then returning to greased waxed paper. Refrigerate apples until chocolate has hardened.

Once your chocolate caramel apples are hardened fully, you can wrap them in plastic for gift giving. If you are going to keep them for more than a few hours, I recommend storing them in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Tips

Store your caramel apples in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days. Any longer and your apple will probably brown.

If your caramel apple coating is too thin, it’s probably too hot. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool before dipping your apple. On the other hand, if your coating isn’t sticking to your apple, it’s probably too cool, so heat it further.

If you don’t want to dig into a large apple on a stick, wait until they’re set and cut your apple into slices. Alternatively, buy some smaller apples to make “lollipops”.

Make sure you wash your apples properly to remove any waxy residue. The easiest way to do this is to mix 1 cup of boiling water with 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar. Briefly dip each apple in the mixture and then dry them thoroughly.

Another topping option is to add melted white chocolate streamers to the top of your apples. Place white chocolate chips in a measuring cup and microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted. Allow to cool for a minute or two, then spoon into a zipper seal plastic bag. Poke a toothpick in the end corner and go to town.

What are the best apples for caramel apples?

I recommend tart apples like Granny Smith, Fiji, or Honeycrisp apples. They balance out the sweet caramel and chocolate flavors.

What is the best caramel for caramel apples?

I recommend melting caramel candies for this caramel apple recipe, as the consistency of homemade caramel sauce is typically too thin.

For more about Southern Plate, check out their website at www.southernplate.com and follow them on social media.