Wickedly Delicious Caramel Apples

Caramel apples were invented in the 1950's, and today they are still a favorite for fall festivals and Halloween parties . These gooey treats are most popular during this time of year because of the apple harvest .  For Halloween , I decided to make caramel apples for my family as a special treat . I added a few trick - or - treat favorites that I knew my family would enjoy, like Snickers , Reese's Peanut Buttercups, and lots of chocolate .

Here's what you'll need to make them :
2 bags of Kraft Caramels with sticks ( you can find them at Safeway )
4 table spoons of milk
butter
6 medium apples ( pick your favorite kind )
1 bag of white chocolate chips
1 bag of milk chocolate chips
1 bag of mini Snickers, Reese's Peanut Buttercups, or any kind of your favorite candy
You can also use nuts, candy sprinkles, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, etc.




Prepare apples and pan .
Wash the apples and dry them thoroughly . If there is any moisture on the apples the caramel will not stick to them . Insert sticks into the top of each apple . Rub a stick of butter to coat  a non-stick cookie sheet .



Prepare the caramels . 
Unwrap all of the caramels and place them in a small metal pot . Add 4 tablespoons of milk and melt over a medium heat . Stir continuously to avoid burning the caramel . Once the caramels are fully melted , dip each apple . Hold the apple over the pot and let the excess caramel drip off . Use a knife to scrape the extra caramel off the bottom , and then place them on the buttered cookie sheet . ( DO NOT USE WAX PAPER like most recipes call for . Your apples will stick to the paper and won't come off!! ) Place cookie sheet in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes or until the caramel has hardened .

Melt the chocolate .
Fill a pot of water half way full . Bring to a boil . Put chocolate chips in a smaller pot and place in boiling water . Make sure you don't get any water in the chocolate , it will ruin it!! Do this for both the white and milk chocolate . ( I added food coloring to the white chocolate to make it orange. ) Once the chocolate is melted dip the caramel covered apple in it .

Preparing the candy .
Chop up the candy into small pieces and place on a plate . After dipping the caramel apples into the chocolate , roll them in the candy , and place back on the cookie sheet . Make sure you re-butter the sheet . Use a zip lock bag with a corner cut off as a piping bag . Fill it with the orange colored white chocolate and drizzle over the caramel and candy apple . Then place the cookie sheet back in the refrigerator. Take out 10 to 15 minutes before serving . I recommend cutting the apples into wedges since it is hard to bite through all the layers .

I placed the caramel apples in cellophane bags and tied them with orange ribbon .

  I sent them to my family by packing them in bubble wrap .  They arrived just in time for Halloween .  These gooey caramel apples may have taken a little time to make , but they were definitely worth it!  All treats , no tricks!  My family loved sinking their teeth into them .

You can make these wickedly delicious treats for other holidays as well , by changing the color and the candies that you use .  Give them a try for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year .  They make great gifts!