Martha Stewart Caramel Apple Food

EASY CARAMEL APPLES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and coat with cooking spray. In a medium saucepan, bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil over high. Reduce to medium-high and simmer, undisturbed, until caramel is golden brown, 8 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully stir in cream (mixture will sputter). Transfer to a small bowl and let cool 5 minutes.
• With a paring knife, make a small slit in top of each apple. Insert an ice-pop stick 1 inch deep into each slit. Dip apples into caramel, swirling to coat. Sprinkle with nuts (if using) and transfer to sheet.

CLASSIC CARAMEL APPLES

Steps:

• Insert sticks into tops of apples. Prepare an ice-water bath.
• Bring cream, sugar, corn syrup, and butter to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Clip a candy thermometer to pan, and continue to cook until mixture reaches 245 degrees, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Place pan in ice-water bath to stop the cooking. Dip bottom of each apple in caramel. Using a spoon, coat apple halfway to three-quarters of the way up sides. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes (or overnight).

CARAMEL APPLES

Steps:

• Insert a 5-inch dowel or nontoxic twig into the stem end of each apple.
• Combine sugar and corn syrup in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, and stir. Cover, and cook over medium-high heat until sugar melts. Uncover, and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until mixture is dark golden, about 10 minutes. Slowly drizzle in heavy cream. Remove from heat, and stir until smooth. Transfer caramel to a small metal bowl. Let stand 3 minutes to let caramel thicken slightly, then dip bottom of 1 apple to test if caramel is thick enough. If most of the caramel runs off of apple, let caramel cool 1 to 2 minutes more, then try again.
• Dip 3 apples, including test apple, 1 at a time, into caramel to coat three-quarters of each apple. Let excess drip off, and scrape bottom of apples against the side of bowl (if caramel begins to harden, reheat in bowl over a pot of simmering water). Immediately after coating each apple, dip into nuts, using your fingers to help them adhere. Transfer each apple as decorated to a baking sheet lined with parchment or a nonstick baking mat, and let set completely, about 30 minutes.
• Coat 3 more apples with caramel as above, this time pressing each with salt flakes along top edge of caramel immediately after coating. Transfer to lined baking sheet, and let set.
• Coat the 3 remaining apples with caramel. Transfer to lined baking sheet, and let set.
• Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until melted and completely smooth. Fill a small resealable plastic bag with chocolate, and snip a tiny hole in 1 corner. One at a time, hold the 3 plain caramel apples horizontally over baking sheet, drizzle with chocolate in a back-and-forth motion, spinning apple as you drizzle. Return to baking sheet to set, about 30 minutes.

SALTED CARAMEL APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F with a rack in center and a large sheet of foil on rack below. Bring 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming, until sugar dissolves. Cook, swirling occasionally, until mixture is deep golden brown. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, then heavy cream (it will bubble up) and salt. You will have about 1 cup. Let cool while preparing pie.
• In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, lemon juice, flour and salt. Add 3/4 cup cooled caramel, and toss to combine.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to a 13-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch pie dish. Pour filling into shell. Roll remaining disk of dough to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into at least 16 1/2-inch-wide strips using a fluted pastry cutter.
• Lay 8 strips across pie. Fold back every other strip, and lay a horizontal strip across the center of the pie. Unfold folded strips, then fold back remaining strips. Lay another horizontal strip across pie. Repeat folding and unfolding strips to weave a lattice pattern. Repeat on remaining side. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar, and salt, if desired. Freeze 20 minutes.
• Bake until crust is golden on bottom and juices are bubbling in center, 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. If browning too quickly, tent top or edges with foil. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 4 hours. Serve slices with vanilla ice cream drizzled with remaining caramel (reheated in pan over low heat or in microwave) and sprinkled with flaky salt.

CARAMEL APPLESAUCE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, toss all the apples with lemon juice, and set aside.
• Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Sprinkle sugar over melted butter; cook until sugar begins to brown. Add apples; cook until they turn golden brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in cinnamon and salt; remove skillet from heat.
• Place apple mixture in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 3 days. Serve warm or at room temperature.

APPLE SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray; set aside.
• Working over a large sheet of parchment paper, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; gather sifted ingredients into center of sheet; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs; mix on high speed until lemon yellow.
• Fold reserved parchment in half lengthwise; with mixer on medium speed, gradually shake in dry ingredients until just incorporated.
• Add apples and, if desired, nuts, to batter; mix to combine. Add vanilla, mixing until incorporated.
• Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 75 to 90 minutes.
• Remove from oven, and cool slightly on a wire rack.
• Invert cake onto rack; turn cake right-side up to cool completely on rack, and serve drizzled with caramel sauce.

APPLE-CARAMEL FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Spread bread slices on a baking sheet; let stand at least a few hours and up to overnight. Melt butter in a large ovenproof, nonreactive skillet (like an 11-to-12-inch enameled cast iron) over medium heat. Add 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil; cook 1 minute.
• Add apples and cook, turning occasionally, until they begin to soften and brown a bit and liquid thickens, about 12 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes.
• In a wide, shallow dish, whisk together eggs, milk, remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Dip bread in mixture, turning to coat. Arrange atop apples, shingling in concentric circles. Pour remaining mixture on top. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 24.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle French toast with cinnamon and bake, uncovered, until set and golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar; serve with yogurt, pecans, and fruit.