Mini Caramel Apples

Party apples!

I whipped up a big spread of Halloween finger food for my Pre-Halloween Eve party this year.  Because I live in a tiny studio, finger food is the way to go and who can resist these cuties? I'm a huge fan of tiny food so when these tiny lady apples showed up at my local market, I knew they were coming home with me. 

Ingredients

1 bag lady apples (tiny apples about the size of a doughnut hole)

15 or so chopsticks (1 per apple)

1 bag caramels

Non-pareils, sprinkles, or chopped nuts to add some flare and keep them from sticking to everything 

I've only ever seen lady apples in the fall so this is definitely a seasonal treat.  Local produce only markets are probably your best bet.  I found them at Essex Market and Stiles Farmers Market in NYC.  

Wash the apples and set them on a clean dish towel to dry completely.  Once they're dry, insert chopsticks (pointed end first) into the stem end of the apples.

Prepped and ready to go

Set up a plate with whatever toppings you'll be dipping the apples in after the caramel.  These little guys will be sticky when dipped (see below) so you'll want to have the toppings be ready for them so they don't stick to the plate. 

Unwrap your caramels and add them to a small pot with a teaspoon of milk. I used a latte frothing cup so that the level liquid caramel ends up being higher and easier to dip. 

Heating up the caramels

Keep the flame as low as possible and stir continuously.  If it even kind of seems like the sugar might be sticking or burning, remove from the heat immediately.  Once the mix is fully liquefied, you're ready for dipping.

I found the when the liquid caramel is really hot, it's thinner and runnier which wasn't great for the apples, so you may want to let it cool for a minute to firm up a bit. Dip each apple, leaving just the top of the apple by the stick bare, then rolling in your topping of choice.  

Arrange in a vase like a bouquet for easy grabbing during a party.