ISO ideas/tips for caramel apples recipe

[Janet H]

I have been 'volunteered' to bring or make caramel apples for a fairly large group of folks and think that it might be worth learning to make caramel to cut costs and possibly improve the end result as we have lots of local apples just being picked. Has anyone made caramel for apples? Any tips or recipes to share?

I need to make about 60....

 

[Addie]

There are so many recipes on the Internet. Melting Kraft's caramels is no longer considered the way to go.

I made them a couple of times when my kids were small. What I do remember is you definitely need a candy thermometer. I also remember that you have to have a deep heavy duty pan because when you add the heavy cream, the whole shebang expands up the side of the pan, and then calms down. That took me by surprise the first time I did it. You have to add the cream slowly to save yourself from a bad burn. I think the most fun part is the additions at the end. M&M's, peanuts, etc.

 

[Dawgluver]

I was partially watching Rachel Ray today, and her sous chef carmeled quartered apples with sticks in them. Sounded like a good idea to me, most little kids don't blow through a whole apple. They dipped them in all kinds of stuff. Just use the regular Kraft caramels, and melt them over a double boiler, or very low heat. The pain is unwrapping the little suckers...

One of Rachel's guys even dipped them in liquid nitrogen, which made the caramel apple slices crunchy!

 

[Cheryl J]

+1 - what Dawg said. My daughter is a teacher and every year around this time, she's asked to bring something for parent/child parties.

She's had good luck with quartering or slicing apples and skewering them, dipping them in melted Kraft caramels, and putting them in individual holiday muffin papers on trays for a nice presentation. A whole caramel apple looks pretty, but they're really hard to eat, and there would be a lot of waste with what wasn't eaten.

Dollar Tree has lots of cute holiday muffin papers, and you could sit in front of the TV during a good movie and unwrap the caramels.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I have always made the caramel apples using kraft caramels and they could become a little expensive unless you switch to small apples. In this area the stores carry them and call them "apples for small hands", just small apples with a slightly higher price per pound!

If you want to cut cost you could switch to the old red cinnamon apples or make some of each.

Halloween Cinnamon Candy Apples Recipe - Food.com


This has a few cute ideas for using cut apples.

Creative Caramel Apple Ideas | Personal Creations Blog

Good luck!

 

[Kayelle]

Personally, I've always liked the red cinnamon apples better. They would be perfect cut into wedges, and not nearly as expensive.

 

[Dawgluver]

The Humane Society here sells beautiful caramel apples covered in all sorts of stuff as a fundraiser. Chocolate, nuts, sprinkles, etc. No, not dog hair! They sell for a pretty penny, something like $13 apiece. The way they're served in the teacher's lounge is they're cut into many small wedges. The apples are huge, and they're double or triple dipped in caramel before they're decorated.

 

[larry_stewart]

This is the latest thing thats been circulating around Facebook,

Caramel apple pops.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1p6EbPGN9I

Basically, using a melon baller, making mini caramel apples, covering them in caramel, then dipping them in different toppings ( such as peanuts, chocolate chips, crushed areas...)

 

[Aunt Bea]

I realize that the time for this thread has passed.

I saw this idea for an apple nacho today and thought I would tack it onto this thread for some future inspiration.

I think it would be an easy sticky treat that could be sized to fit any group, one apple or a bushel!

Best Apple Nachos Recipe - How to Make Apple Nachos

If I was making this I would slice the apples and soak them in salty or acidulated water for a few minutes, drain and pat them dry just before assembling the dish.

 

[95Austin12]

Candy apples! Yummy.. Can't wait to try them out.