Caramel apple slices
Crisp apple slices with a quick brown sugar caramel for dipping, plus chopped peanuts and mini chocolate chips. Caramel apples without the sticky mess.
- Prep
- 7 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Serves
- 4
- Per serve
- 430 kcal
Ingredients
Method
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until it melts into the butter and starts to bubble all over.
Carefully pour in the cream (it will sputter), add the salt and stir. Simmer, stirring often, until the caramel is smooth, glossy and coats the back of the spoon.
Take off the heat, stir in the vanilla and pour into a small heatproof bowl. Let it cool so it thickens and is safe to dip. Don't touch or taste it straight from the pan; hot caramel sticks to skin and burns badly.
While it cools, core the apples and cut each into 8 to 10 wedges. Toss with the lemon juice, then pat dry with paper towels so the caramel clings.
Put the peanuts and chocolate chips in small bowls. Serve the apples with the warm caramel; dip a slice in caramel, then into the toppings.
Tips
- Caramel is much hotter than boiling water. Keep kids away from the stove, and have them dip only once it's been off the heat for 5 minutes and feels warm, not hot, on the outside of the bowl.
- Caramel too thick once cool? Stir in a teaspoon of milk or microwave for 10 seconds. Too thin? It thickens as it cools.
- For a no-dip version, fan the slices on a plate, drizzle with caramel and scatter the toppings over like apple nachos.
