Carmel apples are an easy treat to make and always remind you of the Halloween fun of yesteryear! I remember an awesome older neighbor who use to hand these out to us as kids when we ventured out in our costumes begging for treats in the dark suburban bliss of the 31st. This is a great recipe to dust off and try out around the holiday.

• 1 Stick of butter, 1/2 cup
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup corn syrup
• Small can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 T Vanilla
• 8 Tart Apples – I use Granny Smith, but any work
• 1 cup peanuts crushed roughly
• 8 popsicle sticks

Wash and dry the apples and place them in the refrigerator to stay cold.

In a large pot add the butter and melt it as you measure and pour the sugar and corn syrup into the pot.

Cook until boiling and add the sweetened condensed milk.  Boil the mixture stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom well often on medium heat until it thickens and coats the spoon, double the thickness of when you began. On a candy thermometer 250 is the temperature.  add the vanilla when you are finished cooking the caramel and turn off the heat.

Stick the apples with the popsicle sticks in the bottom of each apple about a fifth to quarter of the way deep.

On wax paper place crushed peanuts in a deep pile.

Take each apple and tilt the pot to roll each cold apple in the caramel thoroughly.

Now roll the inverted apple a bit to evenly coat the caramel around the apple and then drop onto the peanut pile while you repeat the process with the next apple.

Remove the apple from the peanuts and place beside on the wax paper and quickly arrange the peanuts to another deep pile. Repeat the coating and peanut base process with all apples.

(Optionally drizzle chocolate over the apples, or dip in any other of your favorite dessert toppings for a base.  Sprinkles, marshmallows, or white chocolate and cinnamon and sugar work well).