How to Make Gourmet Chocolate Covered Apples

Many people love those gourmet chocolate covered apples. Unfortunately, they are difficult to find and usually reserved for certain times of the year and tend to be very expensive. However, it is possible to make those gourmet apples in your own kitchen, using the ingredients that you love the most.

Things You'll Need

• 4 Granny Smith apples 4 popsicle sticks 40 caramels 1 large bag Nestle's milk chocolate chips Betty Crocker White Chocolate Drizzle Pecans or walnuts, finely chopped Sprinkles Water Double boiler Cookie sheet Wax paper Cooking spray Refrigerator Cellophane paper Ribbon

Instructions

1. Gather together the ingredients you need. If necessary, make a trip to the store to purchase missing items.

2. Wash the apples thoroughly and dry them completely before beginning. Put a popsicle stick in the center of each apple.

3. Lay out a strip of wax paper on a cookie sheet. Make the strip large enough to hold 4 apples. Spray the wax paper with cooking spray so the apples won't stick to the bottom. Place the apples on the sheet far enough apart that they won't stick together as you add the caramel and chocolate.

4. Fill the bottom part of a double boiler about halfway with water. Put it on an oven burner and bring the water to a boil. While you are waiting for the water to boil, remove the paper from the caramels and put them in the top section of the boiler. It will take about 10 caramels per apple, depending upon their size. Put 1 tablespoon of water in the pan with the caramels. Place the top of the double boiler over the bottom.

5. Stir the caramels periodically as they begin to melt until the caramel sauce is smooth and of a pourable consistency. At that point, remove the top of the double boiler from the stove.

6. Spoon the caramel over the top of each apple, making certain that it drips down close to the bottom of the fruit. Allow the caramel to harden as you prepare the chocolate. You can place the cookie sheet in a refrigerator if you want to speed up the process.

7. Replace the water in the bottom part of the double boiler, bringing it to a boil once again. Clean out the top part of the double boiler and dry it thoroughly before pouring in the chocolate chips. One large package of chocolate chips will cover about 4 medium sized apples. Place the top of the double boiler over the boiling water.

8. Place 1 teaspoon of canola or vegetable cooking oil in with the chips. Stir the chocolate as it melts. Add a few more drops of oil into the mixture if necessary in order to make it sufficiently pourable. Once all the chocolate is melted, remove the pan from the stove.

9. Spoon the chocolate over the top of the caramel on each apple. Again, make certain that it drips down to cover most of the fruit.

10. While the chocolate is still fresh, pour nuts or sprinkles over the top as desired. Then place the apples into the refrigerator in order to allow the chocolate to harden. If you intend to drizzle white chocolate over the milk chocolate, rather than using nuts or sprinkles, do not do that until the milk chocolate is firm. Betty Crocker's White Chocolate Drizzle can be melted in microwave just seconds before you are ready to use it.

11. Once the apples are sufficiently cold, you can wrap them individually in cellophane paper. Wrap loosely so as not to allow the paper to touch the sides of the apple or it make it stick. Tie off the top with ribbon.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't have a double boiler, it is possible to melt the caramels and chocolate inside of a microwave oven. It is better to put less water in with the caramels in the beginning, adding more if needed to achieve the right consistency. Adding oil to the chocolate allows the mixture to be creamier and easier to use. It is better to put less oil in with the chocolate in the beginning, adding more if needed to achieve the right consistency. For different tastes, use other chocolate morsels such as semi-sweet, white or butterscotch.

• Putting too much water in the caramel mixture could result in caramel that is too runny. Not enough water in the caramel could result in caramel that is too thick and hard to handle. Putting too much oil in the chocolate will result in chocolate that will not stick to the caramel. Not enough oil in the chocolate will result in a mixture that is too thick to use. Do not use almonds as a nut covering for the apples. They become rubbery and difficult to eat once refrigerated.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish