Caramel Apples Recipe

Caramel Apples

By Elisabeth Prueitt from Chronicle Books' Tartine

Caramel Apples

Ingredients:

10 to 12 lollipop or popsicle sticks
10 to 12 medium apples
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp blackstrap or other dark molasses
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Yields 10 to 12 candied apples

This and many other wonderful
recipes may be found in
Tartine
from Chronicle Books

This recipe makes a nice, thick caramel coating that hardens to just the right toothsome consistency-firm but yielding. These apples are irresistible in the fall, especially when made with a tart variety like Granny Smith or a tart-sweet variety like Pink Lady or McIntosh. If you've candied too many apples, you can cut them up, sauté them very quickly, and serve them over ice cream, French toast, or over bread pudding as we do at the bakery.

Kitchen Notes: Be careful not to drive the handle all the way through the apple, or the juice will soften the caramel at the point where the apple is punctured. The caramel is extremely hot, so make sure to have a bowl of ice water nearby in case you burn yourself.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and butter or oil the foil lightly, or line with a nonstick liner. Push a lollipop stick into each apple. I use the bottom of a heavy mug to "hammer" in the sticks. Set aside.

In a deep, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, cream, corn syrup, maple syrup, molasses, vanilla, and salt and place over medium-high heat. Stir gently with a wooden spoon from time to time to make sure no sugar is sticking to the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture registers 236°F on a thermometer, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the caramel cool to 180°F. One at a time, dip the apples into the hot caramel, let the excess drip off the bottom, and then set them on the prepared baking sheet. If the caramel slides off the first apple, let the mixture cool for a little longer and try again. You may need to tilt the pan to dip the last few apples (to free your hands, put a wooden spoon under one side of the pan).

Let cool completely to set the caramel. The apples will keep, uncovered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.