Gourmet Caramel Apples

Wash and thoroughly dry the apples. Remove the stems and insert the skewer or Popsicle stick into the stem end. Place the apples in the refrigerator.

Cover 2 sheet pans with parchment paper; coat the paper liberally with cooking spray.

In a 4-quart sauce pan, mix the sugar, corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk and salt. Clip the candy thermometer to the pan, and cook the mixture over medium heat while stirring with a wooden spoon, until the candy thermometer reads 180ºF.

Turn the heat down to medium low; keep slowly stirring until the candy thermometer reaches 230ºF. Remove the caramel from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Remove the apples from the refrigerator. Working quickly, dip the apples into the caramel, swirling to completely cover the apple. Place the caramel covered apple on the prepared sheet pan. Allow the caramel to set on the apples for a few minutes before dipping into chocolate (see note below).

Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, in the microwave. Dip the caramel apple into the bowl of melted chocolate, swirling to cover about the bottom half of the apple. Allow the chocolate to set for about 10 minutes; then sprinkle your favorite sprinkles over the chocolate.

Put the apples in the refrigerator to set for at least 30 minutes, before packing into cellophane bags.

Keep the apples stored in the refrigerator, but leave them out on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. This allows the caramel to soften again.

Note: If you want, you can skip the chocolate and just use the sprinkles. To do this, dip the apple directly from the caramel into the sprinkles, then place on the sheet pan to set.