Caramel Apples Two Ways: Baked Caramel Apples with Autumn Glory

As mentioned from yesterday's post: caramel apples are the best, and after a little baking snafu, I had to improvise to fulfill my craving. My husband and I both have an epic sweet tooth. You'll rarely find us between 8 and 10 PM without some sort of treat in our hands. It's a not-so-great habit that we've developed over the years, so I'm always looking for ways to curb the craving for something sweet without totally succumbing to sugar. 

Enter the baked caramel apple. This recipe is super simple, and is absolutely perfect for a fall evening. Because it's a prep-it-and-forget-it recipe, you can do all of the work up front (all three steps), pop it in the oven and basically leave it there until you're ready to serve. I like using red apples for this recipe, and choose to use Autumn Glory, a unique apple variety from Washington state, because their crispness and flavor is the best out there. When you eat one, you can notice the sweet hints of caramel and cinnamon which are perfect for baked apples because the ingredients will only bring out those notes even more.

Here's how to make baked caramel apples of your own:

Baked Caramel Apples 

serves 1

You will need:

- 1 flavorful apple (I like Autumn Glory apples for their caramel/cinnamon flavors)

- 1 soft melting caramel candy 

- 1/2 tbs of butter 

- 1 tbs of brown sugar 

- 1/4 tsp cinnamon 

To prepare:

Preheat your oven to 350. 

Slice the top off of your apple. You want to cut past the stem, but not too far down. 

Remove the core using a melon baller or spoon and create a small circular hole for your filling. Discard core & scooped apple remains. 

Add your soft melting caramel candy to the center of the hole. 

Add the butter to the hole and top with brown sugar and cinnamon. 

Place your apple in an oven safe dish. I like these oven-safe ceramic bowls from Crate & Barrel for recipes like this. It's so fun to give each guest their own little apple bowl. 

Place your bowl or dish on a cookie sheet and gently pour water in cookie sheet until 1/4 inch covers the bottom of the dish. 

Bake in oven at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until desired doneness.

Add a dollop of whipped cream for extra presentation pizzazz. 

*Note: when you remove your pan, be extra careful because of the water bath. You can probably skip the water, but I think it helps steam the apples to make them softer.

This post is sponsored by Autumn Glory Apples. All recipes and opinions are my own. 

Fall Bucket List: Apple Picking

What fall bucket list doesn't include a trip to an apple orchard? This past weekend, I put on my wellies and my cable knit and was off to the farm! Apple picking is something I've always wanted to do. Growing up in northeast Georgia, the apple farms were always within a short drive, but we never went to pick the apples ourselves. Once I got to be an adult, I realized pretty quickly it was an activity that I needed to participate in, and this year was the year I finally got to cross it off of my fall bucket list. 

This past weekend, Hunter and I braved the constant rain and headed north to Ellijay, the capital of Georgia apple farms. There are countless orchards in the area, and we vacillated back and forth trying to decide which to head to, but after reading several reviews, we decided on BJ Reece. BJ Reece is known for their family atmosphere with lots of kid-friendly activities, but we had a blast just the two of us. Most of the farms in the area require a tractor ride to get to the picking orchards but not BJ Reece. We were able to walk right into them from the parking lot. Pretty neat (and convenient)!  

As of Saturday, it had rained for several days, and the ground was super saturated, so I wore my Hunter boots paired with trusty denim and a thin cable knit sweater from Nantucket Brand. Nantucket Brand is your ultimate shopping stop for all things nautical and preppy; right up my alley for fall fashion and beyond. Having a staple sweater like this in your closet is key; you can easily layer it as the temperatures turn colder, but it's perfect for autumn days that are chilly in the morning and warm in the afternoon. I did bring a blanket scarf which turned out to be entirely unnecessary, but a girl can dream! 

cable knit sweater (c/o) // jeans // boots / blanket scarf (old - similar) // glasses // earrings // bracelet 

BJ Reece has two orchards along with a huge apple barn full of apple goodies and farmer's market treats. And, if you don't fill your bag in the orchard, you can go inside and fill-up with other types of apples. We scooped up a few more apples and lots of delicious apple-inspired goodies (like apple cider donuts) before heading home. Next farm-adventure? Pumpkins!