Lauren Chattman’s Candy-Coated Caramel Apples
In my house we mark every event with something sweet. Not only do we have special cookies for Christmas (Stained Glass Stars) and particular cakes for each one of our birthdays (New York Cheesecake for Eve; Triple Layer Chocolate Cake with Raspberries for Dad), but we have special treats for smaller occasions (First Day of School Sprinkle Cookies, Snow Day Hot Chocolate). These recipes foster a love of tradition, feelings of security, and a sense of delicious anticipation for whatever comes next.
Many of my children's favorite recipes are simple enough for them to make on their own, with just a little assistance from me. Every fall, my husband and I take them to the local apple orchard to pick up sacks of our favorite varieties grown locally. At our annual Halloween party (takeout pizza before trick-or-treating) we set out the apples right in their sacks. In the following weeks, we make apple tarts, apple sauce, and baked apples. Finally, when Thanksgiving approaches, the kids themselves make Candy-Coated Caramel Apples, to serve to their cousins along with the pumpkin and pecan pies. They were thrilled when I included the caramel apples in my new book, Dessert Express.
Candy-Coated Caramel Apples
Adapted from Dessert Express: 100 Sweet Treats You Can Make in 30 Minutes or Less
Makes 8
1 cup Reese’s Pieces
8 small apples, washed and dried
One 14-ounce bag Kraft Caramels
1/4 cup heavy cream
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Place the Reese’s Pieces in a bowl. Insert a craft stick into the stem end of each apple.
2. Put the unwrapped caramels and heavy cream in a medium-size, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until the caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth.
3. Hold an apple by its stick over the pot of caramel and spoon the caramel over the apple to coat, allowing the excess to drip back into the pot (if the caramel gets too stiff to spoon, reheat for a minute or two to loosen). Press the Reese’s Pieces into the apple and place, stick side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining apples, coating two apples in each type of candy. Let stand until the caramel has cooled, about 10 minutes.
© Lauren Chattman, The Taunton Press, Inc., 2008
candy on November 24, 2008 at 10:52 AM
Thanks for the recipe.