Candy Apple Night!

 
Once again, McAuliffe Hall did another floor function.  This time we had a candy apple making night!  I bought all of the treats that we would need.  The essentials:

• Apples of course!  I bought green apples because I prefer them
• Wilton's chocolate melts- dark chocolate and white chocolate
• Brach's caramel 
• Reese's peanut butter chips
• M&M's
• Walnuts
• Apple cider to drink while you wait for your apples :)
• Popsicle sticks
• Twist ties
• Seran wrap and wax paper

O.K. sooo who knew that apple making could be so hard right?  My  mom makes them every year and she does it so effortlessly and they always come out looking so good!  Me?  I guess my culinary/ dessert making skills are lacking.  First of all the stove started smoking and I got nervous!! I had to open the windows in the kitchen in fear that the room would smoke up!  Luckily it didn't but melting the caramel was difficult itself.  We had to keep adding water to it or else it would have gotten really thick and not gone on the apple well.  When I melted the chocolate, I put the chocolate in and added 2 teaspoons of water.  After I did that, I realized I probably should have used a double boiler- whoops! About 10 residents came down in total and we made their apples to order.  Some people did just caramel and chocolate or just caramel and Reese's- really whatever they wanted we made for them.  So if you want to make candy apples, don't be like me!  Here are some helpful tips to making your apple making successful :)

• Twist off the stems from the apples and push the popsicle stick down into the core
• Put apples in the fridge while preparing the chocolate because they'll coat better if cold
• Melt the chocolate or caramel in a double boiler over hot water
• Dunk each apple into the caramel or chocolate
• Roll dipped apple into a bowl of your toppings (M&M's, walnuts, etc.)
• Put apples on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper
• Put in the fridge until chocolate is set

I got this recipe from the Food Network Station.  Check out their other recipes on their website Food Network