Caramel Cream Apples

There is a part of me that is extremely old fashioned when it comes to holiday traditions. I think about the way my great grandmother Presley use to prepare for Halloween, and it was always with homemade cream caramel apples. She didn’t necessarily dress them all up in much but her caramel recipe was spot on. As I am now in my own heyday of creating memories for my family to share I can’t let the Halloween holiday pass without a cream caramel apple being made. I use Cacique® Crema Mexicana for a rich silky creamy caramel that coats my apples perfectly and tastes great all on it’s own. If I decide to take further steps and pull out the sprinkles or chocolate that is just extra… the real focus is the cream caramel. Happy Halloween!
Note: Click the ‘Products‘ tab above to learn more about the Cacique® ingredients used in this recipe. You can find these ingredients near you by clicking the ‘Find Stores‘ tab, selecting the products you are looking for, and entering your zip code.
WHAT YOU NEED
- 6 – Large Granny Smith Apples (stems removed)
- 6 – sticks or popsicle sticks
- 2 – cups dark brown sugar
- 15 – oz. Cacique® Crema Mexicana
- 3/4 – cup corn syrup
- 1/3 – stick of butter
- 1/2 – teaspoon vanilla
- Chocolate white or milk (melted)
- Crushed cookies
- Candy sprinkles
- Nuts
- Crushed pretzels
- Gummy worms
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Wash apples and completely dry them. Place them in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight to chill them. The caramel will stick better when apples are cold. Insert stick into bottom of apples and push all the way to the middle of it’s core. Line a baking sheet with buttered wax paper. Set to the side. Prepare an ice bath and set to the side.
- In a sauce pan over a medium-high flame with a candy thermometer attached combine brown sugar, Cacique® Crema Mexicana, corn syrup, butter and vanilla. Cook for about 10 to 12 minutes and allow the mixture to reach 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Once you reach 250 degress Fahrenheit remove the sauce pan from the flame and place in the ice bath until the bubbles in the caramel stop. Mix the caramel well to incorporate the chilled caramel on the bottom with the warm caramel still floating up top. Remove the saucepan from the ice.
- Dip each apple into the caramel and rotate the apple to coat the entire apple. Then allow the excess caramel to drip off the apple. Place on buttered baking sheet. Repeat until all apples are covered. If there is any caramel left over I like to pour teaspoons of it onto apples. Place apples in fridge to firm up for 15 to 30 minutes.
- OPTIONAL Toppings: If you desire adding toppings. Wait until caramel is firm then dip into melted chocolate, and roll into cookie crumbs or sprinkles or nuts or anything else you desire. Wait for chocolate to set before slicing or biting.