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. 

Caramel Apples Two Ways: Caramel Apple Snack Plate with Autumn Glory Apples

Let's be real: is there anything more delightful in the fall than a caramel apple? In my humble opinion, there simply isn't. However, while caramel apples are super fun to make and quite delicious, too, prep and clean-up can be a sticky mess. Between melting the caramel just right, finding suitable sticks, and buffing the apples so the caramel sticks, you never quite know if the path to fall's favorite treat is going to take a few minutes or several hours. 

Case in point: when I set-out to develop caramel apple "cake-pops." I had a brilliant idea of making miniature caramel apples, and I got to work scooping tiny balls out of my Autumn Glory apples with a melon baller. These were going to be EPIC...and as I dipped the tiny little balls into caramel, my recipe dreams crumbled to the ground: the caramel slipped right off into a sticky puddle. Not exactly what I had imagined. And so, I improvised.

The idea behind the cakepops was to create something healthy yet fun. With my caramel apple topping bar already prepared - a little midweek treat to myself - I turned lemons into lemonade. I melted some caramel soft candies, added a little sea salt, sliced up a delicious, sweet cinnamon-flavored apple and enjoyed a caramel apple snack plate. Here's what I included on mine:

- Crushed pretzel sticks
- Candy-covered miniature chocolate candies
- Caramel with sea salt

The possibilities with this are endless. I love the idea of doing this cheese plate style with tons of toppings for a "healthier"girls night. Think things like shredded coconut, crushed toasted pecans, miniature chocolate chips, sprinkles, and even melted fondue cheese.

Get kids involved, too! They'll love watching the oozy caramel capture tiny toppings before their eyes.

I mentioned today's post would have caramel apples two ways: come back next week for steamy baked caramel apples; the perfect end to a fall dinner party.