Gourmet Chocolate-Covered Caramel Apples
4 crisp apples, firm, unbruised and WITH STEMS,
each weighing 6 1/2 to 7 ounces
12 ounces soft and fresh wrapped caramels
1 tablespoon plus 2
teaspoons
hot water
12 ounces good-quality
chocolate
(milk, semisweet, or
a combination), chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons solid
vegetable
shortening
About 1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans, chopped
medium-fine) OR toffee chunks
Wash and dry apples well, and set out on a kitchen towel at room temperature
for at least 30 minutes. This is especially important if the apples have been
refrigerated; they must not be refrigerator cold when dipped.
Unwrap
caramels
and place in small heat-proof bowl. Place over simmering water on low heat
(water should not touch bottom of bowl); stir frequently until melted and
smooth.
Remove from heat and hot water. All at once, add hot water; stir until
incorporated (this will take a couple of minutes). NOTE: Some caramels are more
stubborn about melting than others. If you cannot get your caramels smooth
while melting or after adding the water, turn the caramel mixture into a
powerful
food processor fitted with a steel blade, and process briefly just until
smooth. The caramel mixture should be a very thick, gooey sauce. Cool until just
slightly warm, stirring occasionally.
While the caramel cools, dry the apples again if any condensation has formed on
them. Now, you'll need one or two dipping bowls. Ideally, these should be
just about as deep as the apples are tall (no deeper); they must be able to
accommodate the width of the apples, but shouldn't be more than an inch or
two wider. Ideally, use a bowl that is perfect for width, but a bit too shallow.
Prepare a pan by lining the bottom with baking parchment cut to fit. The pan
should be able to accommodate all four apples without their having to touch.
If you absolutely cannot get baking parchment, line the pan bottom with several
layers of plastic wrap. DO NOT use wax paper or foil (even if the foil
has been greased), as the caramel will stick to either.
When the caramel is just slightly warm, scrape it into the dipping bowl. Place
one apple into the caramel. If your bowl is a bit too shallow, like mine,
you'll have to use a flat
knife
to spread the caramel to cover the sides of the apple as well as the top,
stopping about an inch out in all directions from the stem. You must work fairly
quickly here, as if your apples are below room temperature they'll thicken the
caramel. If the caramel becomes too thick to work with, you can re-heat
it over hot water, then cool it again.
Pick up the apple by the stem and remove it from the caramel - you'll probably
have to pull hard. With the knife, scrape off any extra caramel - you want
a thick coating, but if it's too thick you won't have enough for all of the
apples. Hold the apple by the stem and allow the excess caramel to flow back
into the bowl for a minute or two, then place on the parchment-lined pan
bottom. Repeat with other apples. If a stem comes out of the apple while you're
working with it, don't despair; if you're dipping the apple, wedge a knife or
spoon
gently under it. Lightly dampen your hands, then pick up the apple, scrape off
excess caramel, and place on the parchment. The sides of the apple will have
a thinner caramel coating where your hands touched it, but that can be fixed
later. Place the apples in the refrigerator to chill for 30 to 60 minutes.
The caramel should set up considerably during this time.
After 30 minutes, look at the apples. If any have pools of excess caramel
gathered at the bottom, are covered unevenly with caramel, etc., this is the
time
for repair. Take one apple by the stem, and try to peel it off the parchment
paper. It should come off; if so, replace it, and do the same to the rest.
If any apple sticks to the parchment, dampen your hands lightly. Place one hand
over the apple and lift the whole thing from the parchment. Quickly, with
your dampened hands, work the caramel into shape over the surface of the apple,
covering any thin spots, etc. Don't fuss too much with the apples - remember
you're going to cover them in chocolate. If you can peel an apple off the
parchment by the stem, you can work the caramel into shape over the surface as
above. Return the apples to the parchment (don't let them touch), and then to
the refrigerator. Wash and dry the dipping bowl you used, or have another
ready.
In medium heat-proof bowl, place chopped chocolate of choice and shortening.
Place bowl over hot water on low heat (simmering water if you use dark
chocolate),
and stir often until almost melted. Remove from heat and hot water; stir until
melted and smooth. Cool until just slightly warm. While chocolate cools,
tear off a sheet of wax paper about one foot long. Place on your work surface.
Place the chopped nuts in a mound on the wax paper. Additionally, prepare
a pan by lining it with aluminum foil; the pan should be large enough to
accommodate the apples without having them touch.
When the chocolate has cooled sufficiently, scrape it into the dipping bowl.
Remove the apples from the refrigerator. You'll have to work quickly here;
the apples are cold and will set the chocolate rapidly. Take an apple by the
stem, peel from the parchment, and place into the chocolate. With a flat knife,
cover the apple thickly with chocolate right up to the stem. Remove the apple
from the chocolate by the stem; hold it over the dipping bowl while you scrape
off any excess chocolate with the flat knife. Place the chocolate-covered apple
into the nuts; gently pat nuts into the apple up the sides to about the
widest point of the apple. Remove apple from nuts; place on foil-lined pan.
Repeat with remaining apples. If you have trouble peeling an apple from the
parchment, do not dampen your hand here - just place it over the apple and tear
the apple off the parchment, then quickly place the apple into the chocolate.
You might lose some caramel during this process. If an apple loses a stem,
cover it in chocolate as above, then gently wedge it out of the bowl using the
flat knife and a fork or spoon; scrape off any excess chocolate as best you
can. You'll probably have some leftover chocolate.
Chill apples until chocolate is set. It is the nature of these apples that
caramel might leak through the chocolate covering in one or two places. You can
ignore it, or, if it bothers you, scrape off the caramel "leak" and patch it
with a bit more melted chocolate - be careful if you use the chocolate you
melted to cover the apples, as if it's re-melted it can become grainy. When
cold, store apples airtight.
Present these wrapped individually in plastic wrap. Gather the ends of the
plastic wrap at the top of the apple, and tie them together with a bow of
colored
ribbon.
To eat these, bring to room temperature first (it's not absolutely necessary,
but some people like to, and they're far easier to slice). Remove any wrapping;
slice with a large, sharp, straight-edged knife.
submitted by Marilyn
Sugar Says:
People are like stained glass windows: They sparkle and shine when the sun is
out,
But when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is
a light shining from within.
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