Happy Friday to all!
Have you ever made caramel apples? Until this week, I had not … but now I’m a pro. Just kidding!
Tomorrow is the 22nd annual Yard Sale for Missions at our church, and it is a BIG deal, raising $20,000-$30,000 for local and global missions. Our congregation is not large, but it’s filled with very dedicated members, and for the past three evenings I’ve hung out in the church kitchen with several of them making caramel apples.
Community members have been pre-ordering these babies for weeks!
Here’s a quick peek at the process…
LOTS of Granny Smith apples to wash and dry
Pound in the sticks (or use popsicle sticks if you’re in a pinch)
Set up drying racks
Prepare the pretties! White Chocolate: Apple Pie (brown and white sugar, apple pie spices), Oreos, Sprinkles; Dark (or milk) Chocolate: Turtle (pecans), Butterfinger, Heath Bar
Make the caramel for dipping. Cool to 200 degrees.
Start dipping!
Let caramel harden to the touch.
Place apples on trays and get ready to play!
Dip in chocolate. Hold apple while chocolate “sets” slightly.
Dip in your choice of “pretties” then place on flattened cupcake paper.
Using a chocolate-filled squeeze bottle, drizzle your design of choice.
Place in clear plastic bags (Dollar Tree!) and tie with your choice of raffia or ribbon.
Four evenings later… 286 apples in 6 varieties of YUM. They’ll sell for $5 each.
Tomorrow starts before the crack of dawn with set-up and prayer time—then it’s “off to the races” making new Missions Yard Sale memories. But I won’t be selling apples. I’ll tell you later what Renaissance Man and I got ourselves into . . .
We are hibernating watching the Ryder Cup. My husband took Friday off from work. We love going to golf tournaments together!
GO USA!
Wow – what an interesting project.
Susan, they look absolutely decadent. Not only have I never made caramel apples, I have never tasted one either. I must not have been living right. haha
What a great way to raise money for a most worthy cause. Best of luck.
Susan these look amazing, I just posted on a caramel apple I made for a place card and I should’ve got lessons from you! Good luck with your fundraising I know whatever you do you will be successful!
Susan,
Several questions:
–After the finished apples are bagged and tied, are they refrigerated? Or kept in an air conditioned environment until sold?
–Room temperature apples were dipped? Or were the apples chilled first?
— No bubbles occurred at the top of the apples? On some other sites, comments were left about bubbles forming near the stick insertion. I noticed no stems were pulled out of your church’s apples.
Thanks!
Kelley~
mrskjdibble@juno.con