MAKE IT CUTE

Choose Your Apples

The fall apple harvest has the produce section at your local supermarket packed with different varieties of this quintessential autumn fruit. For a caramel apple, you’ll want to find just the right balance between sweet and tart. For something more on the sweet side, choose Fuji, Golden Delicious or Jonagold. For a mix of sweet and tart flavors, try Braeburn, Jonathan or Pink Lady. For super-tart apples, grab some Golden Delicious.

A note on picking: Snag the smaller apples of the bunch as they’ll be easier to munch.

Gather Your Supplies

You’ll need:

Wooden skewers or popsicle sticks

Apples

A large pot filled with water and a bowl that fits snugly inside it to create a double boiler

Potholders or oven mitts

A bag of caramel candies

2 tbsp. milk, water or cream

Cookie sheet or baking tray covered in wax paper

Assorted toppings in bowls or on plates

What You’ll Do

Before your guests arrive, you should prepare the apples. Wash and dry them, then remove the stems and insert the skewers or popsicle sticks. Now set out plates or bowls of candy toppings. Crushed M&Ms, graham crackers, Butterfingers and toffee as well as peanuts, mini chocolate chips and mini marshmallows are a tasty array, but you can offer up whatever suits your taste buds.

Guests on your doorstep? Start melting your caramel in the bowl of the double boiler over medium heat. The water in the pot beneath the bowl will boil, causing the bowl to heat up but without allowing your candies to burn. Stir in the milk (or water or cream, depending on what you decided to use) and allow to melt fully.

Now comes the fun part! With an adult standing by, arm your guests with potholders and oven mitts—the bowl and the caramel will be hot—and let them each take an apple. One by one, have your buds dip their apples into the melted caramel. Use a spoon to drizzle the caramel over the fruit so that the entire apple is covered.

Before the caramel dries, have your friends quickly roll their apples in their favorite candy toppings. Mix ‘n’ match to your hearts’ content.

When you’re satisfied with your work of art, place the dipped and rolled apples bottom-side down on the wax paper-covered tray. Put the tray in the refrigerator to cool, then take ‘em out and eat ‘em up.

Not in the mood to chow down now? These’ll keep for about three days in the fridge.

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