Easy Caramel Apples + Cararmel Dipping Sauce

When I see what some people charge for caramel apples, my thought, just like chocolate covered frozen bananas, is you want how much for that?  It isn't like they are hard to make.  Sometimes you can even get caramels free (not to mention apples can sometimes be found free in someone's yard or along side the road) if you save enough from parades or something.  I used reusable popsicle sticks to eliminate the cost and waste of disposable wooden sticks. 

Caramel Apples

approximately 50 caramel cubes
2 tbsp water
4-6 apples, depending on size

Remove wrappers from candies and place in a small saucepan with the water.  Heat gently, stirring constantly, until the caramel is melted and smooth.  Cover a plate with wax paper; heavily butter the waxed paper and set aside.  Skewer apples on popsicle sticks.  Dip apples into melted caramel, spooning over the apple to coat as needed.  Let excess caramel drip off back into the pan.  Place apples on prepared plate.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.  Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.

 I always end up not having enough caramel, because I try to do too many apples, or too much caramel, because I decide to play it safe and not do too many apples!  I figured out a way to use up the extra caramel though:  caramel dip!  I actually prefer dipping apple slices into caramel dip anyway, so I can leave the caramel apples for the kids.

Caramel Dip

1 part caramel
1 part milk

Melt caramel in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.  Stir in an equal amount of milk and keep stirring until smooth and creamy.  Can be served warm or cold.  Refrigerate any unused portions.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Chocolate syrup is a staple in our house.  Not very healthy, I know, but we eat far, far less junk food than most, so I'm not too worried about it.  The kids like it in milk or on ice cream, my husband likes a more complex sundae, and I like it in coffee or on ice cream.  The ingredients on the typical store bought chocolate syrup are pretty scary, especially if you are trying to save money by buying generic.  Here are the ingredients from the generic chocolate syrup our regular grocery store carries:

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WATER, CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, WHEY, COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), EMULSIFIER (MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, POLYSORBATE 60), PHOSPORIC ACID, XANTHAN GUM, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, PRESERVATIVE (SODIUM BENZOATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE), SALT.

Yuck!  Fortunately, I have firmly entered chocolate syrup into the list of things we won't buy any more.  Not when I can make it with much higher quality ingredients for much less money!  I was hoping when I was researching this that it could be canned for long term storage and gift giving, but apparently it can not be safely home canned.  It does require refrigeration.

Chocolate Syrup

1/2 to 2/3 cup cocoa powder, according to taste

1 cup water

1/8 tsp salt

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix the cocoa powder, salt, and water in a saucepan.  Heat and whisk until cocoa is dissolved.  Add sugar and whisk to dissolve.  Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.  Add vanilla.  Remove from heat and continue to whisk mixture until it settles down.  Let cool for 1 to 2 hours.  Store in a flip top bottle or canning jar with screw top. 

 

Homemade Gummy Candies

I'm so glad I never have to search the planet for gummy worms again!  I don't let my kids have artificial colors, since they have behavior issues after eating them, but I don't like denying them the simple pleasures of childhood, like gummy candies.  Even when I can find them, the "natural" ones are so expensive!

In this case, it was actually my creative impulses that made me quest for gummy worms--I wanted to make a dirt cake for my youngest son's birthday party this coming Sunday and a dirt cake just isn't complete without worms!  I thought this would be especially appropriate considering how much he likes to stick his hands in the dirt and gets so thrilled when I find him a "friend" to play with for a bit.

white grape & cran-grape flavored gummy "worms"

These first gummy "worms" aren't that cute, since I didn't want to invest in candy molds (assuming I can even find a nice one for making gummy worms) until I was sure I had a recipe that worked.  I didn't want a recipe that contained corn syrup or artificial colors so that eliminated every recipe I found online.  Fortunately, I was able to make my own recipe from the bits and pieces I found of other recipes that would work.

When I first popped these suckers from the mold last night, they felt a little like Jell-O jigglers, but the longer they sit out, the more tough and truly gummy they've gotten.  When they were first out of the mold, they were a bit sticky too, so I tried coating some of them with powdered sugar, which seemed to work for a while, but then they turned into even more of a gooey mess, while the ones that I left alone lost a lot of their stickiness over time on their own.  I was thrilled with the texture after a couple hours when I found some of them that I'd given to the kids by stepping on them--on carpet...and then on hard floor.  In both cases, they didn't splat or get mashed into the carpet.  They felt icky under my foot, but when I picked them up, they were still in the original shape!  So, having run these "tests", I feel confident enough to share the recipe (even though I don't know how long they'll keep, but, then again, they probably will never last that long anyway!) and maybe even buy some real worm molds before the party!

Gummy Candies

1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup water
pinch cream of tartar
tiny (1/4 pinch?) bit of salt
------
1/2 cup unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup water
1 1/3 cup fruit juice or juice cocktail
3/4 cup sugar

Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, cream of tartar, and salt in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce to simmer and cover for 3 minutes.  Remove cover and continue heating, stirring frequently until the mixture reaches about 235-240 degrees.  Set aside.

Prepare the mold or a 8x8 dish by wetting it down lightly.  Mix gelatin into 1/2 cup water and set aside.  Add fruit juice and sugar to previous sugar mixture.  Cook over medium heat until sugar has completely dissolved.  Add gelatin mixture.  Continue heating and stirring until gelatin has completely dissolved.  Pour into prepared mold.

Let stand for 5-6 hours at room temperature.  Remove from mold and cut to desired shapes if necessary.  Let stand on a cutting sheet another hour or two to finish setting.