Need recipe for caramel

Have you ever bought a couple of bags of the caramel candy squares in the candy section of the grocery store? Unwrap them, place in large pot, melt and dip the apples in. That is how my Mom made them when I was a kid, long before the caramel sheets were available.

But in case you want to do the homemade version....

1 1-pound box dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
2/3 cup dark corn syrup
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon robust-flavored (dark) molasses
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 sturdy lollipop sticks or chopsticks
12 medium apples

Combine first 8 ingredients in thick bottom large saucepan. Stir with a wooden spoon over med-heat until all the sugar has dissolved, there should be no grity feeling when you rub a small bit between your thumb and finger.
Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, making sure it does not touch the bottom of the pan. Cook, stir constantly and slowly with a wooden spatula, until thermometer reaches 236 degrees F.
Pour into a clean metal bowl and cool down to 200 degrees. Then start dipping the apples. Sit them on sheets of waxed paper, chill in refrigerator about 15-20 minutes, peel them off and the caramel that has oozed onto the paper can be folded back over the apple, you can decorate with nuts or whatever at this point, then place back in fridge for about 1 hour

Netty wrote:

I think my kids would love that recipe Toni!
Anyone have a recipe for the red candy coating?

Candied Apples Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

* 12 red delicious apples
* 12 wooden ice-cream sticks
* 4-1/2 cups sugar
* 3/4 cup light corn syrup
* 1 teaspoon red food coloring
* 1-1/2 cups water
* 1 cup chopped peanuts

PREPARATION:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Wash and dry the apples. Insert a stick through the stem of each, leaving about 2 inches of the stick for gripping.

Place the chopped peanuts in a deep bowl large enough to roll apples in.

Place the sugar, corn syrup, food coloring, and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring slowly to a boil while stirring constantly and cook until the ingredients are dissolved.

Insert a candy thermometer into the liquid and continuing cooking, without stirring, until the temperature reaches 290 degrees F. This should take about 20 minutes.

Remove the syrup from the heat and dip the apples, one by one, coating each evenly. Work quickly so the sauce doesn't harden. As you finish dipping an apple, roll it in the peanuts to coat evenly. Place each apple standing on the prepared cookie sheet. Let the apples cool for at least 1 hour before serving.

Yield: 12 servings