Who doesn’t love a caramel apple?!?
My family went apple picking last weekend and have more apples than we know what to do with. We are very lucky that when we transitioned into Stage 2, apples did not cause any reactions.
My daughters enjoy decorating the apples (carefully, they are hot before the caramel sets) with approved chocolate chips and/or sprinkles.
Caramel Apples
1 cup butter
2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
1 cup light corn syrup
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla
8 to 10 medium-sized apples, (stick inserted in top)
1) Over medium-high heat, stir together the butter, sugar, corn syrup, and condensed milk in a heavy sauce pan.
2) Bring to a boil; cook about 30 to 40 minutes (don’t stir often, as you’ll risk crystallization), until the caramel darkens and thickens. It should reach the firm ball stage of candy-making. This means that, upon dropping the caramel into cold water, a firm ball forms. This ball shouldn’t flatten when you remove it from the water, but should still easily change shape when you touch it. With a candy thermometer the temperature should read 245 to 250 degrees.
3) Remove finished caramel from the heat; stir in vanilla extract.
4) Dip apples into hot caramel. In order to get as thick a caramel coating as possible, dip each apple at an angle and rotate within the caramel.
5) Pull apple out vertically and allow excess caramel to drip off. Then turn the apple right-side-up a moment (as if you were about to eat it) and let the caramel settle for a few seconds. This prevents large bare spots at the top of the apple.
6) Place apples on greased wax paper or foil.
7) Let cool to set.
Note: You can use pears instead of apples.