This week I am catering a dinner party. The menu item I am most excited about is the party favor.
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory makes sublime Covered Apples. And I started to visualize these beautifully dipped apples at each plate, wrapped in cellophane & ribbon, and I was sold.
The grocery store I was at did not have enough good looking apples in any variety I thought would work, with the exception of Jazz.
I would have liked Granny Smith...but sometimes you just work with what you've got.
I began with a simple Carmel Mixture that worked for roughly 9 mid-sized apples:
1 C. packed Brown Sugar
1/2 Light Corn Syrup
1/4 C. Butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 can Sweetened Cond. Milk (~1/2 cup)
1 tsp. Vanilla
1. Melt the butter in a sauce pan
2. Add Brown Sugar & Corn Syrup
3. Stir Constantly (wooden spoon) over med. heat
4. Add Sweetened Cond. Milk
5. Bring mixture to 245 degrees (candy thermometer)
6. Remove from heat, add Vanilla & let cool to 210 degrees
7. Twist stem off washed & dried apples
8. Insert wooden or paper sticks
9. Dip in carmel
10. Let dry on parchment paper & then dip in melted Chocolate
(I heated 2 cups of Bittersweet Ghirardelli in a double boiler & dipped the apples right there on my stove)
11. While the chocolate is wet dip in Toasted Coconut or Salted Pecans
(I did both - 4 of each & used 1 c. coconut & 1-1/4 c. pecans & returned them to the parchment to dry)
12. Melt 3/4 cup White Chocolate & place in a small ziploc
13. Cut the very corner off & drizzle over the apples
Best of all these beauties can be made ahead & stored in a refrigerator. They will last for 2-3 weeks.
May your days be merry & Chocolatey!
Wow. That pretty much sums it up, must try these.
ReplyDeleteHope you like them as much as I do!
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