Sweets | Red Wine Caramel Apples

Posted on October 10, 2011

A grown up treat for Halloween. This caramel is amazing! I think it would be delicious over vanilla bean ice cream as well. I did have a little trouble with the caramel sliding down the apple a bit. The apples were unwaxed, but I noticed that the ones later in the process slid less, so I am thinking it might work better if the caramel was slightly cooler than 200 degrees when dipping. Also the earlier dipped ones had some small bubbles form. Another thing to try would be to double dip, get a light coating, and then go back. The apple in the photo was done later in the process and double dipped. You may want to try bringing the caramel up past 238 degrees during the cooking phase to get a firmer caramel as well. Good luck!

Yield: 8 apples

Ingredients

8 small McIntosh apples, stemmed, washed well, and dried (or Honey Crisp apples)

1 1/2 cups red wine (I used Chianti)

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup water

6 tablespoons heavy cream

8 wooden ice-pop sticks

 

Method

Insert a wooden stick halfway into each apple at stem end. Line a tray with wax paper and lightly grease paper. (I used butter.)

Boil wine in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. (This took longer than 10 minutes for me. I pour from saucepan to a Pyrex measure to test that it gets to a 1/2 cup.) Remove from heat.

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a 2 1/2 to 3 quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pasty brush dipped in cold water. Boil, without stirring, swirling pan occasionally so caramel colors evenly, until dark amber. Add reduced wine (mixture will bubble up and steam) and swirl pan. Add cream and simmer, stirring, until incorporated, then continue to simmer until thermometer registers 238 degrees F. Remove from heat and cool to 200 degrees F.

Holding apples by the sticks, dip them in caramel and swirl to coat, letting excess drip off, then hold apples up (stick side down) for about 15 seconds to allow more caramel to set on apples. Put caramel apples, stick side up, on greased was paper and let stand until caramel firms up, about 30 minutes.

 

(Ref. "Red Wine Caramel Apples" recipe, www.epicurious.com.)