Caramel Apples

Umm…apples + sugar + candy = greatest thing ever.

I wonder how many times I’ve called something the greatest thing ever?

Anyways, I made these caramel apples for Jen’s birthday a couple of weeks ago. Hi Jen!

Last year we outdid ourselves with a ridiculous scavenger hunt birthday evening around the city. It included video clues from Chicago, large pieces of pizza, lots of rain, and ultimately me practically giving away the answers to all the clues. Oops.

So this year when planning Jen’s birthday, it was pretty much hopeless from the beginning. There was no way we could top last year’s birthday. After much procrastination, lots of talking about how we should talk about Jen’s birthday, and finally one to-do list from Melissa, we managed to throw this shindig together.

As always, the party was themed (previous party themes: traffic, space, orange, Gilmore Girls). Here’s a hint to the theme this year:

Yes, the theme was BUBBLES! You see, Jen really likes bubbles. She likes bubble wrap (had it), bubbly water (had that too), champagne (yup, got it too), and had one super sketchy experience in a hostel in Italy named Bubbles. Along with some bubble gum, a Double Bubble t-shirt, and some deliciously gross Bubblicious chapstick, we were pretty much set.

So, you’re probably wondering what caramel apples have to do with all of this. Well, not much. Except they are marginally spherical (like bubbles). Mostly I just wanted to make caramel apples. I made the caramel myself which is actually surprisingly easy as long as you have a candy thermometer.

Caramel Apples

adapted from All Recipes

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 8 medium apples
• toppings: mini chocolate chips, nuts, sprinkles, etc
• 8 lollipop sticks

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, salt, and corn syrup. As the caramel boils, it expands A LOT. So make sure you use a pot a lot bigger than you think you’re going to need.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat until it’s between 234 and 240º F. This is where the candy thermometer comes in real handy. This is called the soft ball stage.

Stir in the butter and heavy cream. The mixture is going to bubble and bubble and expand. It’s pretty intense at first, but the bubbling will die down. Continue heating and stirring until the mixture heats up until about 234º F again. Make sure to keep a close eye on the caramel because the temperature can rise quickly.

Once the caramel reaches 234ºF, remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. I dipped the apples when the caramel was around 200º. Immediately dip into toppings. This worked well, but I had to dip the apples quickly, as the caramel cools quickly once removed from the heat. Place finished apples on a Silpat mat or other non-stick surface to cool.