Today's project--mini caramel apples. A bust!

*I'll go ahead and preface this, and any other entry with photos, that by saying while I dream of being a great photographer, I'm not--my talents are in the kitchen. So excuse the photos!*

Thanks to a friend of mine from a message board I'm on, I was directed to a great project involving caramel apples, but a mini version!! This looked SO good, so I went and bought the supplies I needed and set to work this morning. I was excited to try a new fall snack, one that was moderately nutritious and seemingly very simple. Very "seemingly" (haha).

First I started with a few apple balls tossed in lemon juice, a small bowl of caramels tossed with a splash of milk, mini muffin cups, and skewers cut into thirds. I used honeycrip apples, just because the name "honeycrisp" sounds so quaint; I probably would have been better off with granny smiths. I made apple balls using a melon baller and tossed them in lemon juice. I melted my caramel and milk in the microwave until creamy. I skewered my apple balls through the rounded side (leaving the flat side of the ball to be the
resting point) with a skewer and dried it well. I dipped the skewered apple in the caramel and placed in a muffin cup. Once I got them all done, I placed them in the fridge.

I came back to check them after an hour or so and the caramel had slid down the sides of the apple balls, and the balls didn't stick in the caramel. This was from the amount of moisture that came out of the apple apparently. I think next time I'd try a sticky homemade caramel or maybe even a candied coating, instead of trying to skip a step--that's what I get for not sticking to my guns here! So....so much for that project. Guess I'll know not to make it for any type of party or function! How sad, my second posted project was a bust! Ah well, that's why I'm here I guess, to be the guinea pig for such things. :) I'm still dreaming of making another loaf of challah, so as in keeping with my bread theme I had going yesterday. I guess you'll have to come back and see. ;)

Well, the results are in. The panel liked this one, even though the caramel was not technically on the apple! They still enjoyed their "caramel paper".