"Real" Carmel Apples

Okay, so I know that most of us have made carmel apples before of some sort. I really wanted to do it this year, so I went and bought the Kraft caramels. Most of us have done this, right! Then the caramel is too runny and it doesn't stick and it just isn't that great. So the other day at work our principal made caramel apples and they were to die for. When I asked her how come her caramel was so good, she proceeded to tell me that it was because she made the caramel...just like when making it for candy making. You cook it a little higher in temperature than what your recipe calls for, let it cool a little then dip the apples. Any caramel recipe that you make for candy making will work. I was amazed at the difference between just using the normal Kraft caramels and making your own batch of caramel. I know that this is simple and that some of you have probably already thought that, but by making your caramel, the caramel apple is just a lot more sinfully good! Enjoy.

I like to use a variety of apples when I try this, but Granny Smith and Honeycrisp and Jonagolds are my favorites because they are a tart apple. One of the hardest times I had was getting the caramel to stick to the apple. You will notice the consistency is a little runny. My principal said you have to let the caramel cool, and I did that and had a hard time getting the caramel to stick at all. She also mentioned that you have to twirl and wave them around. I tried to dunk one into ice water, but that didn't work so well. I also left one in the hot caramel too long and it kind of made the apple go weird (I was experimenting on the best ways to get it to stick), but all in all, a little patience and some twirling, and my first batch of caramel apples was actually the best batch I've ever experimented with!

These are the final, upclose results!

What a sticky, gooey mess! Yum!

(Should probably only make once a year! :-))