A Caramel Apple a Day...Adventures in Mocky Mountain

In honor of Halloween and our dearly beloved friend the apple, I thought it would be "fun" to make caramel apples for Halloween.  I've never made them before, but decided to go all out and do my take on the apples done by the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.  If you've never been to a Rocky Mountain, don't.  You won't know what your missing and you will still be missing the 5 lbs you will gain after visiting.  Just kidding.  Not really.  The store makes fantastic fudges, chocolates, and best of all: the caramel apples.  With flavors like s'mores, apple pie, pecan bar, rocky road, snickers, and cheesecake, you'll forget you're getting a fruit serving!  Needless to say, these are off the charts in Weight Watchers points.  (I was appalled when I found out the kcal count in each apple-do your self a favor and don't look.  That goes against everything I preach about nutrition, but you're more likely to have a heart attack from the shock of discovering the mass amount of calories in each apple than from the amount of fat  clogging your arteries).  Anyways, I decided to make my own "Mocky Mountain" apples.  I pictured artisan apples perfectly coated in homemade caramel, white chocolate, and a spiced graham cracker coat.  I laughed at the thought of paying up to $10 for the same creation at Rocky Mountain.  How hard could dipping apples be?

Let me tell you, this isn't rocket science, but once I was done it left with my kitchen looking like hurricane Sandy had hit it. $10 a pop wasn't sounding too awful.  Here are some tips you should know from my mistakes:

• Use a knife straight down the apple to make it easier to push the lollipop stick through.  I kind of made an X slit if you were looking down where the stem would be.
• I decided to buy caramels and melt them instead of making my own.  Try and get unwrapped caramels if possible.  Also, melt them over a double boiler and add 2Tbsp water to thin it out.  I did not add water at first and only got 3 apples dipped from 1 bag of caramels.  Oops.
• DON'T set dipped apples on wax paper.  It will stick.
• Chill dipped caramel dipped apples before doing the white chocolate coat.  
• I set my apples in cups after doing the crumb coat, stick down.

If that didn't scare you away, here are the steps to a heart attack on a stick.  Don't feel too bad, an apple a day does keep the doctor away...


1.  Remove stems from apples.  Wash well, dry, and chill.  It is important that the apples are washed well so the caramel sticks.  Store- bought apples usually have a wax layer that won't let anything stick.  This goes without saying since you're washing, but take the stickers off too.  No one wants a bite of that.

2.  Use a knife to make a pilot slit for your lollipop stick.  Insert stick.  I guess you can do this before you chill the apples.

3.  Melt the caramels + 2 Tbsp of water together using a microwave or double boiler.  I like the double boiler because it melts slowly and you are less likely to burn them.  If using the microwave, do it in phases.  Melt over the double boiler until it becomes smooth. Remove from heat.

4.  Dip the apples in the caramel.  You can dip the apple in as far as you like.  Try and get the excess off, especially the bottom.  Set down on a plate and chill.

5.  In a food processor, crush 6 graham crackers until  fine and sand-like.  I added in cinnamon (kind of a lot) and brown sugar and pulsed to mix.  Pour into a bowl for dipping.

6.  Melt the white chocolate.  I do this in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring each time.  It may sound annoying, but it's not as obnoxious as the smell and sight of burnt white chocolate or driving to the store to get more.  Once the chocolate is smooth, dip the chilled apples in.  Again, dip as far in as you like.



7.  Immediately dip into the crumbs, being careful the chocolate layer doesn't pull off.  I then put the apples in cups, stick down, to set.  This 90% worked because one apple actually stuck to the cup and I ended up having to throw both out (my kitchen was a mess and I was fed up.  I blame Sandy.)

8.  I placed my apples in cute Halloween candy bags and secured them with a tie.  I placed the bags in the refrigerator to chill before I delivered them to my hungry aunts, uncles, and cousins.