I make these every year, so I thought I'd share.
Carmel Apples are more of a Christmas treat in Germany, but here in the US,
they are a Halloween thing.
Honey Caramel is easy to make, and much better than the hard red sugar candy
often found on candy apples.
These are a special treat only for kids that know you well, given the
paranoia of the times.
Honey Candy Apples
35 - 40 mins per batch
Ingredients
=========
6 apples
1 cup honey
3/4 cup heavy cream (Which still weighs LESS than 3/4 cup of "light cream",
go figure!)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
Red food dye (optional)
1/2 cup crushed pecans (optional)
6 sticks (used popsicle sticks are considered gauche)
Gear
====
Thermometer (Target has a decent digital one for $4)
4-cup Saucepan
Whisk
High-Temp spatula
Shallow bowl for nuts
Large mixing bowl with ice
Smaller mixing bowl to fit inside large ice bowl above
Waxed paper or parchment paper for hot apples (NOT Saran-wrap! NOT Paper
towels)
Saran Wrap for wrapping cooled apples
Instructions
==========
Combine honey, salt, butter and cream on medium heat and whisk until bubbles
start, then reduce the heat.
Stir in food coloring, to get a brownish-red, if you use food coloring.
Whisk every few mins to avoid scorching and to stop it from bubbling up over
the edge of the pan.
(A high-temperature silicon spatula is also a big help here, as it cleanly
moves the caramel off the bottom of the pan before it burns.)
Continue to cook and whisk until the mix reaches a temperature of 260 F (20
mins).
The bubbles should be small and uniformly distributed over the surface of
the pan and the mix should be significantly thicker.
If using a candy thermometer, some have phrases rather than numbers . 260 F
is halfway between "Hard Ball" (250 F) and "Soft Crack" (270 F).
Do NOT heat the mix up to "Caramelize", as although you are making caramel,
"Caramelize" means burning the stuff.
Put ice in large bowl.
Pour caramel into the smaller bowl and put that bowl in the ice bowl.
Don't get water in the caramel!
Stir the caramel until it starts to thicken.
Impale apples with sticks and roll each in caramel until nicely coated.
Creative types will use BIC razor handles rather than sticks, but the pun
will elude most.
Optionally roll the apples in chopped pecans for those who do not claim to
have "nut allergies".
Put finished apples on waxed paper or parchment paper to cool.
When cool, wrap those that will be taken home by trick-or-treaters.
Lay in a supply of Mars, Milky Way, and Snickers bars (full size bars! Yes,
be THAT guy!) for those who don't like apples.
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