Chocolate Drizzled Caramel Apples Two Ways

Pumpkins and witches, boots and scarves, apples and caramel…all signs that fall has arrived and that it’s time to revel in the gorgeous leaves and tasty delights that this season brings. Caramel apples are one of the rare childhood treat that no one ever outgrows. You can keep them simple or fancy them up as much as your creativity desires. And if you choose to dip your spoon directly into the caramel and enjoy it plain, no one could ever hold that against you! Whole caramel apples are iconic and beautiful, but a bit challenging to eat. Here we show you how to make caramel apple nachos, an easier way to dish up this fall treat, as well as the tradition option. (Note: This recipe requires the use of a candy thermometer.)

Preparation for caramel apple 'nachos':
1
Wash and slice your apples into slices. Arrange on a plate and sprinkle with lemon juice to keep the slices from browning. Place in refrigerator until caramel is ready.
Preparation for traditional caramel apples:
1
Wash your apples under hot water, using a little soap and a scrub brush to remove the wax that makes the apple shiny. Push a lollypop stick into each apple’s core. Refrigerate the apples for at least a half hour. Leave them in the refrigerator until you are ready to dip them in the caramel.
To make the caramel:
1
In a stainless-steel saucepan, heat the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt over medium heat. Cook and stir continually until the mixture comes to a boil.
2
Once the mixture is boiling, stir in the condensed milk. Cook, still on medium heat, while constantly stirring until a candy thermometer reads 248-250°F. If your heat is too low, your caramel will take too long to reach the ideal temperature and will be way too hard to eat. Take care not to burn the caramel; burned caramel tastes terrible.
3
Remove the caramel from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour immediately into a medium sized bowl.
4
Allow the caramel to cool until it has reached 200-180°F.
To make caramel apple ‘nachos’:
1
Using a spoon, drizzle the warm caramel all over the prepared apple slices. There’s no right way to do this, so go ahead and have fun.
2
Place your chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl and put in microwave in 30-second increments. Stir every 30 seconds until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth. Using a spoon, drizzle chocolate over the caramel drizzled apples.
3
Dig in and enjoy the messy delectable goodness.
To make traditional caramel apples:
1
1) Holding each apple by the stick, swirl them in the caramel, taking time to coat the whole apple and to let any excess caramel drip back into the bowl.
2
Place each apple upright on the parchment paper and allow the caramel to cool further. The caramel might pool a little at the base of each apple. This is totally fine.
3
Once the caramel has cooled and set, place your chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl and put in microwave in 30 second increments. Stir every 30 seconds until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth. Using a spoon, drizzle chocolates over the caramel dipped apples. Enjoy as is or cut into segments.