Making Caramel Apples (Epic Fail)

Caramel apples are a staple treat of the Fall season. They are delicious and come in a variety of different flavors. One can be very creative when making them at home and choose ingredients that suit their taste! After looking over a few recipes online, my husband and I decided to try our hand at making some Rocky Road caramel apples. It looked rather simple, but after reading some comments about the store bought caramel being too soft and sliding off the apples, we came to the conclusion that it would be best to try making the caramel from scratch using a suggested recipe. We got some very surprising results...

CHEWY CARAMEL

PREP TIME: 10 Min
COOK TIME: 30 Min
READY IN: 40 Min
SERVING SIZE: 32 (1 lb)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter or margarine
1 pound light brown sugar
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup light corn syrup
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface. Cook for 2 minutes at that temperature. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla.

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ROCKY ROAD CARAMEL APPLES
SERVING SIZE: 6

INGREDIENTS:

6 Granny Smith apples
6 wooden sticks
1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted (we used chopped nuts)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips


DIRECTIONS:

1. Insert wooden sticks 3/4 of the way into the stem end of each apple. Place apples on a cookie sheet covered with lightly greased aluminum foil.


2. Combine caramels and water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring often, until caramel melts and is smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Dip each apple into the caramel and gently run apples around insides of saucepan to scrape off some of the caramel. Scrape excess caramel from the apple bottoms using the side of the saucepan.

Pretty messy at this point, but tastes great!

3. Combine the miniature marshmallows and pecans on a dinner plate. Roll the apples in the mixture to coat. Place on the aluminum foil and chill.


4. Put the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Drizzle over the apples and return them to the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Here is what I got (SAD)

Here is what it was supposed to look like (YUM)

Despite making the caramel from scratch, it was still too soft and did not stick to the apple at all! I don't know if it was due to not cooking it long enough or from not letting it cool down long enough. Sadly, all the toppings slid off and formed a gooey mess around the base of the apple. I must admit though, it may not have been aesthetically pleasing, but it was delicious just the same! Oh well, there's always next year and what matters most is that we had fun. Gotta be able to laugh at yourself once in a while!

I've learned my lesson. Next time I'll go this route