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It’s time to get this post up before all the local apples are gone! Do you love caramel apples this time of year? Me too, but I rarely eat them because of the mess. I came up with something today completely by accident and it was crazy delicious.
Skip down to the recipe if you’d rather not read my rambling about the disaster in my kitchen today…
It all started because I was taking dinner to a neighbor who has been ill and I wanted a nice fall-ish fruit dish to go with the beef stroganoff.
My sisters make a delicious “Caramel Apple Salad” (which is actually more of a dessert), and I decided to play with the recipe some and see if I could make it without the butterscotch pudding mix, Cool Whip, and marshmallows. So I whipped some real cream and made a yummy caramel sauce to mix with it (see below). It did have a really good flavor, but as I mixed it together, I watched it curdle before my eyes into a disgusting blob, all over my crispy peanuts and my nice, local apples from the farm market.
Maybe I whipped the cream too long, which I’ve done before… So I gave it another go.
Crappy Carumba!
It flopped again. That’s TWO batches of ingredients wasted. I decided to bag that idea, but in the process I found something better, although solidly in the dessert category (so don’t make this a lot – too much sugar).
Homemade Caramel Apples with NO MESS!
- Chop apples into a serving bowl (preferably local & organic)
- Sprinkle chopped crispy nuts over the apples
- Spoon homemade caramel on top (see below)
- Add a dollop of real whipped cream, if desired
That’s it!
Homemade caramel sauce:
- Melt 1/2 c. (1 stick) of butter in a saucepan
- Add 2/3 c. sugar, preferably a natural sugar (I used maple sugar, sooo good!)
- Keep stirring on medium heat until sugar dissolves and it starts to bubble and thicken
- Add one egg and stir well into a good consistency for a topping
- Enjoy! By the way, this doesn’t make a lot, but it’s very sweet so each person only needs a little bit. Let me know what you think.
***Part of What I Learned This Week over at Musings of a Housewife, Tasty Tuesdays, & Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Samantha 11.20.09 at 7:14 am
I had to chuckle at over whipping the cream. My sister does that every time. Thanks for the recipe! I actually needed a recipe for caramel anyway so I can bake some not-quite-as-unhealthy Samoa cookies (like Girl Scouts).
[Reply]
Beth 11.20.09 at 1:34 pm
Kelly,
This sounds good! Can you do it without the egg or does it serve as a sort of emulsifier?
Thanks!
Beth
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KitchenKop 11.20.09 at 3:00 pm
Hi Beth,
Yes, you need the egg. I tried it without and it was a big glob. The egg is what makes it a nice sauce consistency.
Kelly
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Mandy 11.21.09 at 12:29 am
Mmmmm…that sounds delicious! I have a feeling that your recipe is tastier (butter makes everything tastier…), but I’ll go ahead and share a recipe I enjoy this time of year. This post reminded me of it!
Caramel Apple Dip Recipe
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups Medjool dates, chopped and soaked for at least one hour (but no more than 2 hours) in a mixture of water with the juice of one half small lemon (drain the dates, and leave the soaking water aside)
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract
juice of one half small lemon
1 teaspoon salt
Blend in a high powered blender, and using the plunger tool, keep moving the mixture as the blender might struggle a bit. Add the soaking water as needed to get desired consistency. Blend until creamy. Serve the dip with apples or pears.
It yields a pretty creamy, almost fluffy dip – not as dense as real caramel. But it’s really good – I could eat it by the spoonful.
Thanks for sharing your “accident.” I’m going to have to try your recipe next!
[Reply]
Kara 11.21.09 at 3:58 pm
Sounds delish and easier to eat than regular caramel apples! btw, I never use egg in caramel sauces, but I do use a candy candy thermometer, which lets me know how stiff the final sauce will be. Here’s one recipe:
http://anhourinthekitchen.com/2009/10/caramel-apples/
[Reply]
Alexis AKA MOM 11.24.09 at 2:27 am
YUMMY and you said the magic word no mess! These look wonderful!
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janmary, n ireland 11.24.09 at 3:45 pm
I am a huge fan of the words “NO MESS” too
Thanks for sharing.
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Geri@heartnsoulcooking 11.25.09 at 12:58 pm
YUMMY!!! and no MESS!!! two together that sound GREAT!!! together when making something the family will enjoy.
Geri
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