Honey Vanilla Caramel Apples

Photo from Rachael Ray Magazine We've been studying Greek and Roman mythology, Sailor and I. She's quite smitten with the ancient world, thanks to this series. This week, we read about Perseus and his bold quest for the head of Medusa. The maidens that guard the golden apples tell Perseus where to find the snake headed beast, but first they sing him a song about golden apples. Their poem compares the apple tree to the passage of time and to the joys and sorrows of life.


We sing of the old, we sing of the new-
Our joys are many our sorrows are few;
Singing, dancing
All hearts entrancing,
We wait to welcome the good and true.


The daylight is waning, the evening is here,
The sun will soon set, the stars will appear,
Singing, dancing,
All hearts entrancing,
We wait for the dawn of a glad new year.


The tree shall wither, the apples shall fall,
Sorrow shall come, and death shall call,
Alarming, grieving,
All hearts deceiving,
But hope shall abide to comfort us all.


Soon the tale shall be told, the song shall be sung,
The bow shall be broken, the harp unstrung,
Alarming, grieving,
All hearts deceiving,
Till every joy to the winds shall be flung.

But a new tree shall spring, from the leaves of the old,
And many a blossom its leaves shall unfold,
Cheering, gladdening,
With joy maddening,
For its boughs shall be laden with apples of gold.

What was true in the ancient world is true in the moden world. Readers, I hope that your joys are many and your sorrows are few, but either way, here are some delicious caramel apples to entrance the heart and enliven the palate. May all of your boughs be laden with apples of gold.

Honey Vanilla Caramel Apples from the September Issue of Rachael Ray Magazine

Estimated Cost: $4.o0 for six

Notes: Be sure to use a big pot, since the syrup foams up at first. Green apples are just as yummy as the red, so use a combo, if you like.
4 medium red apples, such as braeburn, cortland or fuji, chilled
Ice water
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Skewer each apple stem with a lollipop stick or thick bamboo skewer. Fill a large bowl one-quarter of the way with ice water.
In a 4-quart, heavy saucepan, heat the cream and salt over medium-high heat until steaming hot. Stir in the honey and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat to medium and continue to boil, stirring constantly, until the mixture registers 260° on a candy thermometer, 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla. Place the pan in the ice water, stirring the caramel with a wooden spoon until it’s thick enough to coat the apples without running off, about 5 minutes. (If the caramel thickens too much, return the pan to medium heat and stir.)
Wipe the chilled apples dry. Working with 1 at a time, hold the apple by the stick and dip into the caramel, tilting the saucepan and twirling the apple to coat all but a 1-inch border around the stem. Place the caramel apples on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving.

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