Name: Caramel Apples
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 small apples (about ⅓ lb. each) ($2.99); 1 cup granulated sugar ($0.37); 1/4 cup light corn syrup ($0.44); 1/4 cup water ($0.00); 1/2 cup salted butter ($1.05); 1/2 cup heavy cream ($0.69)

1 Wash and dry the apples well to remove any wax coating. Remove the stems and insert a bamboo skewer in place of the stem. Place the skewered apples on a parchment-lined tray and refrigerate until ready to dip. Also prepare any additional toppings, if desired.

2 To make the caramel, add the sugar, corn syrup, and water to a medium sauce pot. Heat over medium-high, stirring often. Allow the mixture to come up to a boil. Continue to stir and boil the mixture until the color changes to a deep amber color.

3 Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until melted into the sugar mixture. Once all of the butter is melted into the sugar, carefully add the heavy cream and stir to combine (it will bubble up and steam quite a bit when added, so be careful).

4 Return the pot to the stove and heat over medium. Allow the mixture to boil again, stirring often. If using a candy thermometer, allow the mixture to heat to 245ºF. Otherwise, prepare a glass of ice water to test the caramel. Cook the caramel until it reaches "firm ball" stage when drizzled into the ice water. In the firm ball stage, the chilled caramel will hold its shape, but you can still flatten it just slightly when pressed between your fingers. Be careful not to touch the hot caramel, only test the firmness after it has been dropped into the ice water.

5 Once the caramel is the right temperature and texture, carefully dip the apples, one at a time, twirling the apple in the hot caramel to coat all sides, then transferring to rest on the parchment-lined baking sheet. The caramel will thicken as it cools, so make sure to work quickly. Or, if the caramel is too thin, pause for a minute or two to allow it to thicken.

6 Dip the caramel apples in any additional toppings right after dipping in the caramel (before moving on to the next apple). Once dipped in the caramel and/or extra toppings, allow the apples to cool for about 10 minutes, or until the caramel is set. You can speed this up by placing them in the refrigerator if needed. Serve and enjoy!