Gourmet caramel apples

When we moseyed on over to the apple orchard over the weekend, we inevitably picked too many apples to eat on our own. Though many remedy that situation by turning them into apple-centric baked goods, I'm not the biggest fan of apple pies or tarts. I enjoy the flavor of fresh apples, and I love when that tart and crisp flavor is encased in caramel and other confections. Candied apples are the best way to eat an apple, methinks. In fact, I am the biggest fan of these cheesecake apples, and used to succumb to them so often that dear friends would give me gift certificates for them for my birthday or for Christmas. So I thought it might be fun to make candied apples. It was my first time concocting them, and they were so simple to make, and thoroughly tasty, primarily because we used the crisp and tart heirloom Winesap apples we picked, which were perfect for caramel apples. The confectionery possibilities are endless with the variety of chocolate, chopped nuts, candies, and cookies out there, but I made cheesecake apples (because they're my favorite), and chocolate Butterfinger apples (because they're the husband's favorite). The husband has declared that we shall never buy a caramel apple ever again. I served them at a dinner party over the weekend, and had enough to bestow unto friends too. To spruce up their festivity, I wrapped the sticks with baker's twine, put the caramel apples in decorative goodie bags, and decorated the packages with washi tape and personalized manila tags. These gourmet caramel apples are perfect for the upcoming holidays, especially Thanksgiving, and even today, for Halloween. Happy Halloween!

Gourmet Caramel Apples
Ingredients:
6 medium apples (Winesap or Granny Smith varieties are best)
3 pairs of wooden take-out chopsticks or 6 wooden popsicle sticks
Homemade caramel or 1 11 oz. pkg caramel bits and 2 tbsp water
Chopped nuts (e.g. toasted almonds, pecans)
Crushed cookies (I used graham crackers)
Crushed candies (I used Butterfinger)
White chocolate chips
Milk chocolate chips
Dark chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Wash apples thoroughly, remove stems, and insert sticks in through the stem end. If your apples have a natural wax coating (which most apples do), dunk them quickly in a pot of boiling water to remove the wax. Dry thoroughly and refrigerate apples overnight (which will allow the caramel to harden more quickly the next day).
2. If using caramel bits, put them in a large bowl with 2 tbsp water and microwave in 30 second increments. Stir well after each interval until melted and warm, approximately 2 1/2 minutes. If using homemade caramel, melt in the microwave in 30 second increments. Stir well after each interval until melted and warm.
3. Dunk each apple into caramel, swirling to coat the apple, and spooning caramel over the apple if necessary. Let excess caramel drape off, and scrape off excess with a spoon. Caramel will continue to pool at the bottom of the caramel, so scrape off excess as much as possible.
4. For cheesecake apples, roll caramel apples in crushed graham cracker bits. Press in with hands to help the bits set. Place on a sheet of parchment paper coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to chill and set. Melt white chocolate chips in 1 minute intervals in the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir well at each interval until melted. Spoon melted white chocolate into a Ziploc baggie. Cut a tiny corner off of the baggie. Use baggie as an icing piping bag. Drizzle white chocolate swirls all over your graham cracker caramel apple. Let candied apples dry on parchment paper and refrigerate - they will keep for up to 1 week. Enjoy!
5. For chocolate Butterfinger apples, roll caramel apples in crushed Butterfinger candies. Press in with hands to help the candy bits set. Place on a sheet of parchment paper coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to chill and set. Melt milk and/or dark chocolate chips in 30 second intervals in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir well at each interval until melted. Spoon melted chocolate into a Ziploc baggie. Cut a tiny corner off of the baggie. Use baggie as an icing piping bag. Drizzle milk and/or dark chocolate swirls all over your Butterfinger caramel apple. Let candied apples dry on parchment paper and refrigerate - they will keep for up to 1 week. Enjoy!