Intro To Cooking:Caramel Chocolate Candy Apples

Sometimes, when I’m really bored, I mentally prepare my last meal.

It’s a weird habit of mine, but being Italian, I tend to think of food more than it’s probably recommended, and going through all my favorite dishes in my head is pure heaven—especially when I exist mostly on sandwiches and coffee in real life.

One of the things that will most definitely appear at my last meal are caramel apples.

Now that it’s fall, I walk past the (ridiculously expensive) Farmer’s Market and see them all the time, glistening in their plastic wrapped and ribboned packages.

If you enjoy turning something healthy into something deliriously sugar-packed as much as I do and you’re looking for a fun activity for a dreary Fall day, here’s a fool proof recipe guaranteed to make you the most popular kid on your hall.

The Goodies:
12 Granny Smith (or Macintosh) apples
12 lollipop sticks
1 pound Caramel
Saran Wrap
Melted dark, white or milk chocolate
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 cup M&M’s or favorite candy topping (or more if you’re like me and can never have too much chocolate)
Waxed paper

The Instructions:
1. Insert lollipop sticks into core of apples.

2. Heat caramel until it becomes liquid (Use stove top or microwave). Once slightly cool, pour caramel onto one large piece of Saran Wrap and cover with another piece of the same size.

3. Roll out caramel in between the 2 pieces of plastic wrap to flatten. Cut caramel into long strips, about 4 inches long, to fit around apple.

4. Wrap caramel strips around apple. Stand upright on waxed paper and let set for 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, melt dark, white or milk chocolate (careful not to burn it! Burnt chocolate smells horrible, tastes worse, and ruins cookware!). Pour melted chocolate into a metal bowl. Dip apples into chocolate.

6. Sprinkle chocolate covered apple with nuts, M&M’s or your favorite topping (I’m a sucker for crushed Butterfinger…). Place decorated apples onto wax paper, standing upright. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

…Once you take these babies out of the fridge, you’ll be amazed at how many friends you suddenly have…

[Recipe courtesy of the geniuses over at The Food Network.]