So you’re ready to make caramel apples, eh? Well knowledge is power, so here are some ways to guarantee success.

10 TIPS FOR MAKING CARAMEL APPLES

1. BUY INDIVIDUAL APPLES. You don’t know what you are getting if you buy apples in a bag. Yes, buying the bag is cheaper, but you want to bite into a hard, crisp apple… not one that’s soft with bruises.

2. WASH THE APPLES. Apples produce their own wax naturally. Many growers (even organic) also add another layer of USDA-approved wax to give them shine and retain moisture. You’ll want to remove this wax so the caramel will stick. Simply place the apples in a colander and pour on boiling water. Dry completely to remove the white film.

3. USE FOOD-SAFE STICKS. Chopsticks, craft sticks or pop sticks are perfect for holding the apples. It’s very Pinteresty to use sticks you’ve gathered outside. Unless you’re going to boil these twigs and let them dry out thoroughly, pass up this idea. Do you really want to use something that a squirrel sat on earlier in the day?

4. CHILL YOUR APPLES. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, put the sticks in the apples and then put the apples on the tray. Refrigerate until ready to dip. This will help the caramel stick!

5. USE THE RIGHT POT. Use a heavy pot. A heavier pot distributes the heat evenly so you won’t get “hotspots” and burn the caramel.

6. GET A THERMOMETER. A candy thermometer is absolutely essential. Many recipes give you visual clues, but what I may consider “dark amber” someone else may find to be “already burned.” Don’t risk it.

7. USE A SILICONE SPATULA. A heat-resistant spatula allows you to really scrape the sides of the pot so the caramel doesn’t overcook and burn.

8. HAVE THE DECORATIONS READY. This goes back to basic mise en place; have everything in place before you begin. You want the decorations on plates and ready to go before the caramel on the dipped apples cools too much.

9. DECORATION PERFECTION. When decorating the caramel-covered apples, roll the apples in the decorations (nuts, candy, whatever) or put the decorations in your palm and press them gently into the apple. If you try to sprinkle on the decorations, they will just fall off. Get ‘em to stick the first time.

10. HAVE PATIENCE. Making caramel apples takes lots of patience. Waiting for the caramel to reach the right temperature. Waiting for the caramel to cool before decorating the apples. Waiting for the decorated apples to set before you can dive in and finally eat them…

Now that you’re armed with these 10 Tips for Making Caramel Apples, click here to find the Perfect Caramel Apples Recipe. And if, by chance, you have any leftover caramel… pop some popcorn and pour it on top. Now that’s enchantment!

 

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Have you ever made Homemade Caramel Apples?

I’m not talking about Caramel Apples made with those cute little candy squares that you buy in packages.

I’m talking about REAL honest-to-God Caramel Apples that you make from scratch from REAL HOMEMADE Caramel. This is the Perfect Caramel Apples Recipe.

You absolutely need a candy thermometer for this recipe. A lot of recipes will give you visual cues, but using a thermometer will guarantee that you’ll get it right the first time (yep, I learned the hard way).

If you’re wondering what kind of apples to buy, get what you like to eat out of hand. Honey Crisps are delicious but HUGE! Granny Smiths are tart, but balance out the sweetness of the caramel. Red Delicious are pretty bland, but tend to be uniform in shape.

Decorate the apples or leave them plain… they’ll be delicious no matter what you do!

This recipe was featured on:

     

Okay pals, I’m not going to sugarcoat this… wait, I AM going to sugarcoat this… here’s your super-sweet Easter treat: Easter Egg Cakes!

We don’t sweet-eat like this all the time, so a little indulgence is okay.

Lemon extract gives the crumbly cake filling a bright flavor… but you can pick your favorite flavor (orange? mint?) or just keep it simple. I used Wilton’s Candy Melts (confectionary coating), because when they harden, they wrap the egg-shaped cake in a nice hard shell… just like, hmm… a real egg! Makes decorating super simple.

I’ve included a step-by-step tutorial just below the recipe. Oh, and don’t worry if your eggs aren’t shaped like perfect eggs… put a stick into them and call them cake-pops!

Tutorial: Easter Egg Cakes 

1. Gather your ingredients: For the cakes you’ll need 1 package (16.25 ounce) white cake mix, 1¼ cup water, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 3 egg whites, 2 teaspoons flavored extract, drops of food coloring, 1 cup (3 ounces) marshmallow cream, 2 bags (12 ounces each) white Wilton’s Candy Melts (confectionary melting wafers). For the Decorating Icing you’ll need ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, 2 teaspoons water.

2. Place oven rack in middle of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom only of a 13 x 9-inch pan. I used Betty Crocker Super Moist Cake Mix, so  I mixed the water, oil, egg whites, extract (see below), and food coloring (I used a blue and red combo to make lavender) in a large bowl on low speed for 30-seconds, then on medium speed 2-minutes. Make sure you scrape the bowl occasionally.

3. Pour into the greased pan.

4. Bake for 28 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack. My cake cracked, but it doesn’t matter because I’m going to break it up anyway.

5. Crumble cooled cake into a large bowl.

6. Fold in marshmallow cream until well blended.

7. Shape into 3-inch balls then roll to form an egg shape. My Easter Egg Cakes look like purple potatoes, so don’t worry if yours don’t look like perfect eggs. Refrigerate 2-hours.

8. Melt Wilton’s Candy Melts (confectionary melting wafers) as directed on package.

9. Dip Easter Egg Cakes one at a time with a fork, allowing excess to drip off. Place on a wax paper-lined tray to dry completely. I used my Silpat silicone non-stick pan liner because I was out of wax paper.

10. Mix the confectioners’ sugar and water in a small bowl until well blended.

11. Make piping bags: I like to use Ziploc® Brand Gallon Size Bags because the sandwich bags always break (I probably squeeze too hard!). On a diagonal, cut off the bottom two corners of one Ziploc® Brand Gallon Size Bag. This will give you two small bags to fill… but make as many bags as you need for the number of colors that you want. Place the “bag,” corner tip down, into a small glass. Fill with the Decorating Icing.

12. Place a few drops of the desired food color into each bag; twist the top of the bag to close (or tape closed). Gently knead the bag to mix the colors; set aside. Carefully cut off the tip of the bag. The closer to the tip, the smaller the hole.

13. Decorate the eggs with the piping bags. Let stand 15 minutes or until hard. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

 

Want your Halloween Party to really POP this year?

It’s so nerve-wracking throwing a Halloween Party. There’s always that moment of dread: What if it’s BORING? Here’s a great icebreaker for your guests while they mentally judge the other costumes (“That’s the fifth Heisenberg get-up I’ve seen!).

Now this will sound corny (ha!), but right after your guests walk in, have them begin creatively and ghoulishly decorating a popcorn ball. Then later on, have a contest and judge the creations across different categories… most ghoulish… cutest… weirdest… you get the idea.

Don’t worry… I’m not adding extra work to your party planning. My good friends at The Popcorn Factory offer an all-in-one Halloween Popcorn Decorating Kit that comes with Popcorn Balls and bags of goodies for creating enchantment. The kit even has writing “glue” tubes to personalize each creation.

Oh… and this is great for kids AND adults!

This is all you need to do:
1. Set up a table and cover it with a plastic tablecloth. Put out some hand sanitizer, paper plates and a roll of paper towels. Put a garbage can underneath the table.
2. Pour the decorating candy into small bowls. Open the candy writers.
3. Leave the popcorn balls in their wrappers and put them in a big bowl.
4. Share on Instagram and Twitter with #justbecause so we can all see them!

If you’re interested in ordering the Halloween Popcorn Decorating Kit, click here. Don’t wait… Halloween is a week away!

What other Halloween Party ideas do you have to get your guests involved?

I made these at the party… hey, I’m a cook not a crafter! But we had fun!