

Packaged caramels fall short; anyone who's had a perfect caramel apple knows!
Once you've mastered the technique or caramelizing sugar, you can go on to make a few other great items: Chicken Salad w/Caramelized Walnuts is most popular at our deli. And a simple dessert of ice cream with freshly-made caramel sauce is always a hit at home. The ingredients are so simple: A bit of white sugar, and some cream. Perfect!
To watch a video of Jen caramelizing sugar, watch her cooking video:
There's nothing
like home-made Caramel, for sure. It
might seem intimidating to make, but it's actually quite simple. You
may waste a bit of sugar early on, until you master the technique, but
sugar's cheap! Once you've got it down, you'll love having it in your
repertoire.
Granny Smith and Pippin Apples work well for this; the tart crunchiness
goes with the gooey sweetness of the caramel. Otherwise, whatever's
available will do well enough. You can get more creative and decadent
by rolling the fresh-dipped apples in mini-chocolate chips and other
toppings. A friend says she rolls them in cinnamon-sugar. Yumm. Makes 6
to 12 apples, depending on size.
Ingredients:
Lightly oil a
sheet of wax paper, to use for setting dipped apples on. Chop finely: > 2 c. roasted, salted, skinless peanuts
(or substitute nuts of your choice)
Push
popsicle sticks firmly into stem end of apples, using: > 6 large apples, or more if smaller
Get
medium skillet (preferable iron or enamel) quite hot, then pour sugar
over its surface, shaking the pan to get sugar dispersed over any hot
spots, using: > 1 1/2 c. white sugar
Let
sugar "melt" completely, turning into a golden brown syrup. Remove from
heat, and slowly stir in (a bit at a time): > 3/4 c. heavy cream
Let caramel cool a few
minutes to get a thicker coat onto the apples. Pour into a small bowl to
dip apples into, or leave in pan, spooning caramel over apples to coat.
Roll dipped apples into chopped nuts (and any other toppings you
choose), if desired. Set on wax paper to firm up. Will keep several
days. Around our house, they last a few hours max.