Apple Pie Caramel Apples

When I was planning the menu for our Brew on the Roof Party, deciding to include these apple pie caramel apples was a no-brainer. The combination of the tart Granny Smith apple paired with the sweetness of the caramel and the warmth of the cinnamon brown sugar make for the PERFECT fall treat. I must say, making these babies really brought me back to my high school days working at The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Duluth, Mn.  If you’re ever in town, you must stop in to the RMCF shop on Lake Avenue and try the Apple Pie Caramel Apple made by the pros. It’s life changing.

Ingredients:

• 15 small-medium sized Granny Smith apples.
• 15 wood sticks for caramel apples. You should be able to buy these at any grocery store during the fall months or you can also buy them here.
• parchment or wax paper
• non-stick cooking spray
• 3 bags pre-packaged caramel cubes
• 20 oz bag of white confectioner’s chips. You can also use white chocolate chips, but the confectioner’s coating is what RMCF uses, so that’s what I’m sticking with.
• 3 cups (unpacked) brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon. Feel free to adjust this amount depending on how pronounced you want the cinnamon flavor to be.
• 15 jumbo cupcake liners

1. Scrub, wash and dry your apples thoroughly.  This will help the caramel stick to the apple.
2. Spear apples with wooden sticks.
3. Line a baking pan with wax paper and spray generously with cooking spray.
4. Melt caramel in a saucepan according to the package directions.
5. Remove melted caramel from heat and dip/roll apples in the melted caramel covering the surface of the apple almost completely.
6. Shake off excess caramel. I find it’s helpful to roll the wooden stick between my thumb and index finger to create a twirling motion which helps shake off excess caramel.
7. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to help set the caramel.
8. In a low container with a flat bottom, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon.
9. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt white chips in the microwave. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between intervals until melted. Be careful not to over cook, as overcooking will alter the flavor and texture of the melted mixture.
10. After refrigerating the carameled apples for at least an hour, dip each apple in the melted white confection and shake off excess using the same twirling motion as you used when shaking off excess caramel.
11. Before the white chocolate sets up, roll in the brown sugar/cinnamon blend, and place in giant cupcake liner.
12. Voila! Apple Pie Caramel Apples.

Notes: Store in the refrigerator until a 1/2 hour before serving. If the apples are fresh to begin with, once dipped the apples should last up to a week in the refrigerator.