Caramel and Chocolate Dipped Apples

This perfectly wonderful Fall time treat is one of my very favorite things. Ever.

Luckily, I like making them also! It's a tradition.

In my neck of the woods, there is a store called Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Are those everywhere? Well, they make dipped apples just like these and one year I decided to make some just like them! They turned out fantastic and we've made them every year since! We've also gotten much faster at it. My sister in law, Angie and I get together each Fall to do some dippin, and are normally accompanied by at least 2-4 kiddos. This year, my brother's girlfriend, Alicia joined us and it was a party!

So, how do we make these you ask? Let's get to it!

All sizes of apples work. It's completely up to you what you use! I kind of like the large apples, because they are perfect to share once their cut. But it you're going to bag them, you have to use a bread bag because they get HUGE! So, I'd say medium to large apples. These are Honeycrisps and Johnathon's. 

***One important thing I've learned (the hard way) this time around: Apples from Costco are waxed or polished and even after being washed, the caramel WILL NOT stick to the apple. It will stay for a little while and then slowly slip off the apple. In the end, you will have an apple with hollow shell of chocolate and a puddle of caramel at the bottom. Not to mention a waste of some great ingredients! So go to your local produce stand during the season and buy a box of fresh yummy apples.

 First, prep your apples. Wash em, dry em (well!), and get take out the stem.

 I got in trouble for using my husbands needle nose pliers in the kitchen. Something about getting junk on his tools? I washed them before and after! Ah well, I used them anyway. This helps get the stem all the way out to make room for the stick.

 See?

Once the apples are prepped and dry, place them on parchment paper on baking pans.  My kitchen is small, so I have to be able to move the pans around the kitchen at different stages of dipping. Also, the caramel seems to stick to most other products besides the parchment paper. Once it's set up, it will come right off and the pans stay clean.

I use a hammer to get the sticks in. My hands aren't strong enough to get them in without it! Getting the sticks in well is important. You are going to hold these sticks to dip twice. You are going shake and twist with that stick and you don't want it to come out!

Make sure you:

1. Hammer them right into the core of the apple, 

2. Trying to keep them standing straight up and down 

3. Don't push the stick all the way through the apple. That will release the juices from the apple and will allow the caramel to slowly slide down once its set up. About 2/3 to 3/4 the way in will be perfect.

4. Also, use the correct sticks! In the grocery stores you'll see kits for making apples and they come with popsicle sticks. THOSE STICKS WILL NOT WORK. Buy caramel apple sticks with a point on the end!

Is that enough to remember? 

Recap: Carefully. hammer. stick. into. apple. :)

 Ya gotta have the right kind of dipping caramel and dipping chocolate. This makes this process much faster and much easier. I get this at a little store in Orem, UT called Funfinity. It's a toy store, but they also sell chocolate and caramel... it's very annoying to bring your kids to the 'toy store' to buy caramel! It takes 30 minutes to leave! They also sell it at the Bosch store here.
The 5lb block of this caramel, does an average of 20-27 medium sized apples.

 This is the beautiful log of caramel. Try not to take a big bite out of it. Cut it into chunks and pile it high in a microwavable bowl. Try to make your bowl more narrow and deep, rather than wide and shallow. For dipping purposes of course. Put the bowl of caramel in the microwave and start melting it for about 3 minutes. Check it every couple minutes and stir.

I like to get my decorations ready while the caramel is melting. I've done all sorts, but have narrowed it down to my favorites to keep it simple. Butterfinger, Heath, and Cinnamon Sugar. I use foil pie tins for easy clean up!

Now back to the caramel action!

The most important part about heating the caramel, is to get it thin enough without getting it TOO THIN. I'll often to a couple apples and think, that is super super thick! I'm wasting expensive caramel! So I'll heat it a little more, however, you don't want it to get too boiled/thin because the caramel is SO good!

So the way I think about is, you want to be able to turn the apple in the caramel and cover it well, if it hurts your hand to turn it and barely anything runs off, it's too thick. But if you're just dunking it and a TON runs off, its too thin.

Dip 3 or 4 apples, and then reheat the caramel for another 30 seconds or so.

 One little trick that may be helpful, is wiping the bottom of the apple with a stick before setting it down. See all that caramel dripping down? Keep one of the apple sticks in your hand while dipping and once most the excess caramel has run off, swipe all the caramel off the bottom of the apple and THEN SOME. About 1/8 the way up the apple. Once you set it on the parchment paper, it will continue to come down and settle on the paper. But you don't want to waste all the caramel and have a huge pile for the apple to sit on.

  Just a small pile of caramel. Like this. If theres too much, just use scissors to snip it off before dipping in the chocolate and reuse the caramel.

 Chocolate Dipping:

Once your caramel phase is completed, you heat your chocolate. 

I don't use a double broiler for this process, I think it's a pain and takes too long. I use the A'peels dipping chocolates. I pour them in a bowl, heat them in the microwave on medium-high heat. The most important part about melting the chocolate, is to NOT over melt it. It will not set up well and it may set up with that chalky white base. (it will still taste good). 

The way you do this is do a few 1-2 minute cycles in the microwave, stirring in between. Once the chocolate is about 2/3 the way melted, take it out, and stir it until all the chocolate is smooth. Then it is perfect for dipping. 

You know you've over heated, when the chocolate pulls apart and sets up weird, like the below apple. It will also not hold onto the chocolate or decorations on the outside. Which is very frustrating! So let it cool for a bit while stirring it.

 I do about half my apples in milk chocolate and half in white chocolate. Sprinkling the top layer treats on as I go.

A few of our favorites are:

Apple Pie (white chocolate with cinnamon sugar)

 Butterfinger, with both white and milk chocolate.

 Mini chocolate chips, drizzled with opposite chocolate!

A new found favorite from my friend Alicia, is drizzling chocolate straight onto the caramel! Isn't that beautiful! It's all about creativity. Do it how you like them!

 Hello Beauties!! 

 Last but not least, cutting a dipped apple. You may be disappointed it you bit into one of these. It's messy, and you don't always get the full effect. Set the apple down on a hard surface and cut the apple on all four sides of the core. You'll have 8 perfect pieces to share! 

Chocolate and Caramel Dipped Apples How-To

-I like to use medium sized apples. Often I use Honeycrisps and Johnathon's. The large apples are HUGE by the time you get all the layers of goodies on it, and they don't fit well into treat bags. You have to use bread bags.

-First, prep your apples. Wash them, dry them well, use needle nose pliers to take out the stem. This makes room for the stick.

-Once the apples are prepped and dry, place them on parchment paper on baking pans.  

-I use a hammer to get the sticks in. My hands aren't strong enough to get them in without it! Getting the sticks in well is important. You are going to hold these sticks to dip twice. You are going shake and twist with that stick and you don't want it to come out!

Make sure you:

1. Hammer them right into the core of the apple,

2. Trying to keep them standing straight up and down

3. Don't push the stick all the way through the apple. That will release the juices from the apple and will allow the caramel to slowly slide down once its set up. About 2/3 to 3/4 the way in will be perfect.

4. Also, use the correct sticks! In the grocery stores you'll see kits for making apples and they come with popsicle sticks. THOSE STICKS WILL NOT WORK. Buy caramel apple sticks with a point on the end!

Is that enough to remember?

Recap: Carefully. hammer. stick. into. apple. :)

-Cut your caramel log into chunks and place in a deep microwavable bowl. Put the bowl of caramel in the microwave and start melting it for about 3 minutes. Check it every couple minutes and stir with one of the apple sticks.

-Prepare your yummy top layer decorations while the caramel is heating. I've done all sorts, but have narrowed it down to my favorites to keep it simple. Butterfinger, Heath, mini chocolate chips and Cinnamon Sugar. I use foil pie tins for easy clean up!

-The most important part about heating the caramel, is to get it THIN enough. It will get thinner than you think!! I'll often do a couple apples and think, that is super thick! I'm wasting expensive caramel! So I'll heat it a little more. The caramel with be VERY HOT, don't touch it!

-One little trick that may be helpful, is wiping the bottom of the apple with a stick before setting it down. See all that caramel dripping down? Keep one of the apple sticks in your hand while dipping and once most the excess caramel has run off, swipe all the caramel off the bottom of the apple and THEN SOME. About 1/8 the way up the apple. Once you set it on the parchment paper, it will continue to come down and settle on the paper. But you don't want to waste all the caramel and have a huge pile for the apple to sit on.

-If there's too much, just use scissors to snip it off before dipping in the chocolate and reuse the caramel.

Chocolate Dipping:

-Once your caramel phase is completed, you heat your chocolate.

I don't use a double broiler for this process, I think it's a pain and takes too long. I use the A 'peels dipping chocolates. I pour them in a bowl, heat them in the microwave on medium-high heat. The most important part about melting the chocolate, is to NOT over melt it. It will not set up well and it may set up with that chalky white base. (it will still taste good).

-The way you do this is do a few 1-2 minute cycles in the microwave, stirring in between. Once the chocolate is about 2/3 the way melted, take it out, and stir it until all the chocolate is smooth. Then it is perfect for dipping.

You know you've over heated, when the chocolate pulls apart and sets up very slowly.  It will also not hold onto the chocolate or decorations on the outside. Which is very frustrating! So let it cool for a bit while stirring it.

-I do about half my apples in milk chocolate and half in white chocolate. Decorating as I go.

-A few of our favorites are:

Apple Pie (white chocolate with cinnamon sugar)

Last but not least, cutting a dipped apple. You may be disappointed it you bit into one of these. It's messy, and you don't always get the full effect. Set the apple down on a hard surface and cut the apple on all four sides of the core. You'll have 8 perfect pieces to share!

-Place apples in bags with twisty ties. And give to all your friends, they will love you forever!

Grocery List

apples

apple sticks

parchment paper

Peter's caramel log

dipping chocolates

treat bags/twist ties/or ribbon

top layer yummies ideas:

mini chocolates

butterfingers

heath bar

cinnamon sugar

mini m&ms/mini reeses pieces

sprinkles