I love me some Caramel Apples!

I was browsing around on other blogs and I found this - I absolutely HAVE to do this, it seems super easy! I LOVE caramel apples! :)

Inside Out Caramel Apples

3 large Granny Smith apples

1 large lemon (or lemon juice)

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tbs butter

2 tbs light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Chocolate sauce (optional)

Cut your apples in half and use a melon baller to scoop out the insides, leaving the walls intact at about 1/2 to 1/4 inch thickness.

Squeeze the juice from the lemon onto the apples and allow to set. This will keep them from turning brown right away.

In a sauce pan over high heat, add the brown sugar, butter, heavy cream and corn syrup. Stir until the brown sugar has dissolved. Then leave it to boil, untouched (don’t stir), until it reaches 230 degrees, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the vanilla, stir until it stops bubbling. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes.

Using a paper towel, wipe your apples down, removing the lemon juice as much as possible. If the inside of your apple is too wet, the caramel wont stick.

Pour the caramel into the hollowed out apples until just below the top.

Sprinkle with pecans if you desire.

Chill in the refrigerator until the caramel has set, about 20 minutes.

Cut into slices and drizzle with chocolate sauce if desired.

The caramel in this post is easy to make, but it does have a bit of a maple flavor and isn’t a traditional caramel. The reason I used this, instead of a more traditional caramel, is because it’s so easy to make. Traditional caramel burns easy and has a small amber window of doneness before it’s ruined.

But you have other options, if you want to make these.

You can use a more traditional caramel, like easy melts from the store. But it makes the apples more tricky to cut when cooled.

If you buy caramel sauce or use the meltables, make sure it is really firm at room temperature or it will just run all over the place once you cut the apples into slices.