Caramel Apples

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup  unsalted butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 small apples
1/2 cup crushed salted peanuts, optional
METHOD :

Prepare a cookie sheet with a lightly buttered sheet of parchment, set aside.

In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter, then add the brown sugar, corn syrup, honey and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture starts to boil. This can take about 10 minutes.

Add the sweetened condensed milk and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 238°F on a Candy Thermometer.

Once the caramel reaches the right temperature, remove from the heat

and allow it to cool to about 200°F. It will begin to thicken as it cools. It should be thin enough to coat the apple, but thick enough to cling to the fruit.

 
While the caramel is cooling, stick the lollipop or Popsicle sticks into the apple. Make sure they are deep enough that they won’t fall out while you are dipping the apples in the caramel.

Dip the apples into the caramel. I like how they look when some of the apple is still showing, but you can completely cover them if you prefer. Hold the apple over the pot of caramel and allow some of the excess to drip off before placing them on the sheet of buttered parchment.

If you want, dip the bottom in the crushed peanuts.

Keep the apples in a cool, dry place and they will last for a few days, loosely covered with plastic.