National Caramel Apple Day

Mandatory Credit: Neil Conway

Yes, it is not a typo, today is also National Caramel Apple Day.  I personally prefer the caramel apple over the candy apple myself, but to each their own.

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We just recently looked at how to make the perfect candy apple.  Here is a recipe on how to make caramel apples.

Now, for a short cut, if you don’t want to make your own caramel sauce, you can go out and buy the little caramel candies and melt those down, but what fun is that.

Here is a recipe from Yahoo foods on how to make caramel apples.

"SPECIAL EQUIPMENTCandy thermometerHeatproof spatula15 sturdy wooden skewers, 6 to 8 inches long and roughly ¼ inch in diameter (available at most grocery stores), pointy ends snipped off; or 15 popsicle sticksLarge (13” x 18”) rimmed baking sheet, lined with parchmentINGREDIENTS1¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar1½ cups (12 ounces/375 g) evaporated milk⅔ cup (160 g) heavy (whipping) cream1 vanilla bean, split open and seeds scraped out, pod reserved or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (300 g) light corn syrup3 tablespoons (45 g) unsalted butter1 tablespoon (20 g) coarse sea salt15 medium-size (3-inch) tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Gala, washed well and dried thoroughly, any stems removedCombine the sugar, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and vanilla bean and seeds (if using) in a large (6- to 8-quart) saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, uncovered and without stirring. Insert the candy thermometer.Add the light corn syrup, and stir gently with the heatproof spatula until everything is mixed well. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pot, until it reaches 230°F/110°C (thread stage), about 30 minutes.Add the butter and vanilla paste or extract (if using), and fish out the vanilla bean with a slotted spoon. Stirring continuously, cook the caramel until it reaches 241°F/116°C (thread-to-soft ball stage), 15 to 20 minutes; it will be a deep tawny color and have slow, rolling bubbles in the middle. Remove the pan from the heat.Stir in the salt, mixing well so that it’s distributed evenly. Allow the caramel to sit and thicken up a bit, until it’s the consistency of pancake batter, about 10 minutes.Meanwhile, insert a skewer into the stem end of each apple, and push it down as far as you can without breaking through the bottom of the apple; you want at least 3 inches of skewer poking out of the top.Give the caramel a few stirs with the spatula to even out the temperature. Carefully dip an apple in the caramel, holding it horizontally and slowly twirling it as you lift it out (to catch any drips). Place it on the lined baking sheet. When you’re handling the apples, remember to keep the skewer horizontal at all times! It can be easy to forget how hot this caramel is and hold it up to show off to somebody— and then you have hot caramel all over your hands. Bad News Bears.Repeat with the remaining apples. Allow the caramel coating to set until it is cool and firm but yielding to the touch, about 10 minutes."

Now after the apples are covered in delicious caramel, you may not want to eat all of them right away.  This is also something that I am always looking for, how long will these last until they are no good anymore.  Fear not, the caramel apples will last for 3 days in the fridge in an air tight container.