The witches are baaaaack! Twenty-nine years after someone first lit the black flame, the delightfully devilish Sanderson Sisters are returning and running amok just in time for the Halloween season. We don't know about you, but Winifred, Sarah and Mary have definitely put a spell on us, and we're looking forward to catching more of their shenanigans in Hocus Pocus 2.
To make the movie release even more fun, why not conjure up a Halloween party complete with some Sanderson-sisters-inspired candy apples, cupcakes and other Halloween treats. Caramel apples are an ultimate fall treat, and fans of the movie are in for a wickedly good time when they sink their teeth into these delicious Halloween caramel apples adorned in the child-hungry witches' iconic hairstyles and cape colors.
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Things You'll Need
3 Granny Smith apples
Wooden or bamboo 8-inch skewers or sticks
13-ounce bag of caramels
3 tablespoons whipping cream, heavy cream or evaporated milk
Parchment paper
Cookie sheet
Purple, red and green candy sprinkles (or hard candy, crushed)
Food coloring (optional)
Hammer (optional)
Purple, yellow and orange card stock
Scissors
Glue or tape
How to make "Hocus Pocus" candy apples
1. Prepare the apples
It's important to wash and dry the apples before dipping. Many apples are coated with a thin coating of wax to make them look more appealing, and this wax will keep the caramel from sticking properly. Drying the apple is also a crucial step so the caramel will adhere to the apple skin.
When the apple is thoroughly washed and dried, stab an 8-inch wooden stick into the center top of the apple.
2. Unwrap the caramel and add cream
Unwrap the caramels. Fill a microwave-safe bowl with the caramels and add 3 tablespoons of whipping cream, heavy cream or evaporated milk. The whipping cream will help thin the caramel a bit and make it smooth and pliable.
3. Melt the caramels in the microwave
Heat the bowl of caramels and cream in the microwave on medium heat for 30-second intervals. Stir the caramel between intervals until it is completely melted and smooth. The total cook time it takes to melt will be between three and four minutes. A 13-ounce bag of caramels will create enough for six to eight servings.
Tip
If you’d rather make your own caramel from scratch, we’ve got you covered with this DIY caramel apple recipe. Combine 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 1 1/2 cups of light corn syrup and 1 cup of heavy cream in a heavy pot. Bring it to a boil over medium heat and then stir in one more cup of heavy cream. Bring the mixture to exactly 239°F. Use a candy thermometer to measure the temperature. The total time it will take to reach 239° is between 20 and 25 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and let it cool for 10 minutes before you dip the apples. This candy apple recipe will cover about 10 Halloween candy apples.
4. Twirl the apples in melted caramel
It's time for the fun part. Hold on to the stick to dip the apple into the caramel. Twirl the apple until it is covered in the smooth, melted caramel. Hold the dipped apple above the bowl for a minute or so to let the excess drip back into the bowl. Before placing the apple on a parchment-paper-covered cookie sheet, scrape the bottom of the apple along the edge of the bowl to remove even more of the extra caramel.
Tip
For another decadent Halloween recipe that doesn’t stop with the caramel, try dipping the caramel apple into melted white chocolate before rolling it in the sprinkles or crushed hard candy. It's pretty hard to beat a double-dipped Halloween candy apple!
5. Cover the caramel apple in a colorful candy coating
Pour each bag of candy sprinkles onto a separate plate before dipping the apples into the caramel. This way, you'll be ready to roll the Halloween caramel apple in the candy sprinkles before the caramel begins to set. If you leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes, it will start to set. Roll one apple in purple sprinkles to represent Sarah's cape. Roll the second apple in green sprinkles to represent Winifred's cape. Roll the third apple in red sprinkles to represent Mary's cape. If the candy sprinkles aren't quite the right color, you can add a few drops of food coloring to get the correct color.
Tip
If you don’t have access to Halloween candy sprinkles, you can also use crushed hard candy to cover the caramel apple. Just place the hard candy between two pieces of parchment paper on a baking sheet and use a small hammer to pound the candy into small pieces. Then, press the caramel apple into the crushed hard candy.
Put the candy apples into an airtight container and store them in the fridge to set for at least 30 minutes before serving this fun Halloween dessert.
6. Create the Sanderson sisters' iconic hairdos
Fans of the movie will instantly recognize the sisters' iconic hairdos. Draw Sarah's hairdo onto yellow card stock paper, Winifred's hairdo onto orange card stock paper and Mary's hairdo onto purple card stock paper. Cut out the hairdos and use glue dots or tape to attach the paper hair to the wooden sticks. Place Sarah's yellow hair onto the purple-covered caramel apple. Winifred's orange hair goes on the green caramel apple, and Mary's hair goes on the red candy apple.
Lock up your children—yes, Salem, they're back!
