To some children (and some adults), eating a raw apple can be a frightening as running into a zombie on Halloween night. Cover said apples in layers of sweet, smooth milk chocolate and rich caramel sauce though, and things get a lot less scary.
Whether you eat your daily intake of fruit or not, virtually everyone out there loves a quality caramel apple. Interestingly enough, the caramel apple has Halloween roots as it was allegedly invented post-holiday thanks to a surplus of caramels at the Kraft Foods factory back in the 1950s.
The more ya know!
In his debut cookbook Chocolate All Day, Vancouver chef and Food Network Canada personality Steven Hodge offers up many creative chocolatey recipes, but aims to up the ante of this classic treat with this recipe for milk-chocolate-covered caramel apples.
"Your kids will go crazy over these caramel apples. I like to use a firmer apple, for added crunch. Granny Smith apples are great because they have a tartness that complements the sweetness of the caramel and chocolate. Have fun, get creative with the kids, and let their imagination take over," says chef Steven Hodge in the introduction to this recipe for chocolate-caramel apples in his new cookbook.
Milk chocolate-covered caramel apples
Ingredients
8 Granny Smith apples
1¾ cups (425 ml) heavy cream
1¼ cups (250 g) light brown sugar
¾ cup (245 g) corn syrup
¾ cup (175 g) unsalted butter
28 oz (800 g) milk chocolate, tempered
Suggested Toppings (optional)
Crushed cookies
Mini candies
Chopped nuts
Sparkles
Mini marshmallows
Crushed pretzels
Toasted coconut
Making the milk chocolate-covered caramel apples
Wash and dry the apples. Insert 7-inch wooden skewers into the tops, through the middle of the core. Place in the fridge to get cold.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
To make the caramel, combine the cream, brown sugar, corn syrup and butter in a pot. Place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the temperature reaches 240°F on a candy thermometer, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stirring will prevent it from burning on the bottom of the pot.
Remove the pot from the heat and strain the caramel into a bowl that’s deep enough to fully submerge the apples. Allow the caramel to cool for 10 minutes.
Remove the apples from the fridge. One at a time, dip an apple into the caramel until fully submerged. Pull it out by twisting the stick to help the excess caramel drip off. Allow the caramel to set for 20 seconds, then dip one more time, again swirling to remove excess caramel. Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat this process with all the apples.
Set the apples aside for 20 minutes to allow them to cool fully.
Place the tempered chocolate in a bowl that’s deep enough to fully submerge the apples.
Dip each apple once into the chocolate, using the same swirling motion as before to remove excess chocolate.
If you are adding a topping, do so immediately after the apple comes out of the chocolate. You have to move quickly or the chocolate will set. You can spread your desired topping out in a shallow bowl and roll the apple overtop, or use your hands to pat the topping on. Have fun with it!
Once the apples are topped, return them to the baking sheet to set before enjoying.
- Yield:
- 8 chocolate-caramel apples
- Prep Time:
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time:
- 20 minutes
