It’s the perfect Halloween treat: Caramel Apples! Caramel is notorious for being tricky to make but it’s oh-so-delicious. And what makes it so delicious? We’re going to explore that while we make caramel apples – join along below! Hint: The sugar is a major factor, but also the butter and cream.
When making caramel, there are two main goals. The first and most important is produing the nice brown colour through chemical reactions, then getting the right consistent, whether it’s runny or firm. Let’s find out how that all comes together!
What do I need?
Ingredients
- Cold apples
- 2 cups sugar
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter and more for greasing
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- Any toppings you might want to add: finely chopped nuts, toffee pieces, mini M&Ms, sprinkles, coconut, candy corn, crushed cookies, pretzels, cinnamon sugar, mini marshmallows and crushed candy bars.
Materials
- Wooden or bamboo sticks, ideally 13 cm (5 inches) long
- Baking sheet
- Silicone baking mat ideally, or parchment or wax paper
- Heavy saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- Whisk
- Butter knife
- Pastry brush and/or paper towel
- Candy thermometer
- Glass container
Preparations
Making caramel requires really high temperatures. Make sure that an adult is responsible during this process. Have ice water and a first aid kit on hand in case of an accident. If sugar syrup spills on your hand, immediately place the burn in ice water and proceed with standard first aid.
Line a baking sheet with silicon baking mat or grease it with butter. Parchment or wax paper could work, but caramel may end up sticking to them.
Let’s get to it!
And now, dip the apples!
- Holding the caramel apple stick, dip the apple into the warm caramel. You may need to tilt the pot to coat more of the apple.
- If the caramel is too thin to coat the apples, let it cool and thicken for 5-10 minutes more. If it’s too thick, gently heat the caramel on the stovetop over low heat while stirring.
- Lift the apple up and swirl it around or gently tap it against the side of the pot to remove any excess caramel.
- Optional: Add toppings immediately after coating the apples.
- Optional: drizzle melted chocolate over the candy apple.
- Place the coated apple on the prepared pan.
- Repeat the above for the rest of your apples.
- Let the apples set for 45-60 minutes.
Treat, please!
Enjoy the yummy Halloween treat! Store any leftover candy apples in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks. We hope they turn out great and we would love to see our final product. Tag us in a photo on social media @sci_rendezvous. Have a happy and safe Halloween!
