So sorry to hear that your first try on the gourmet apples wasn't all that much of a success, Monica. 

 

I will try my best to troubleshoot what went wrong with yours.....I apologize in advance if any or all of these seem elementary to ask, but sometimes you never know just where something went wrong, & it COULD be something REALLY SIMPLE......

 

1) What kind of caramel did you use?

2) Did you allow the caramel time to set up in the freezer/refrigerator to the point where it looks shiny & by gently pressing your finger on it to see if you got a fingerprint back once you retracted it?  I noticed on my first attempt that I didn't allow for enough set up time & mine, too, began to slide off its extra ingredients of chocolate, etc.  That first one was quite disgusting looking but like yours it was quite tasty!! LOL (Don't ya just love it when you can "cover up the evidence" by means of disposal....right into your MOUTH???!!! LOL)

3) What type of chocolate did you use?  This is CRITICAL as well!!  Melting discs like the ones from Wilton other such chocolate specifically formulated for candy making is ESSENTIAL.  Almond bark, both chocolate & vanilla, is acceptable to use as well.  DO NOT USE CHOCOLATE CHIPS for baking like semi-sweet, etc.  They do not harden up like candy making chocolate does & can stay semi soft even at room temp thus causing the "slow dance" of the Chocolate Slide Off.

4) Also, I only dipped ONCE in the chocolate (after the primary caramel layer & its set up time) & I did it rather quickly b/c I didn't want to reheat the caramel layer too much so I wouldn't end up with a Caramel Slide as well.  Once that layer was on I went quickly to the toppings (chopped Oreo cookies, nuts, M&M's, etc).  I then let it rest to set up a bit before my final layer of either a DRIZZLE of caramel or white chocolate/vanilla almond bark.

5) I know this may sound ridiculous to ask, but what was the room temp like? Too warm, too humid?  This also can factor into the performance of chocolate, especially how it will set up. 

 

Now as for your second question:

Also, what is the easiest way to put the toppings on the chocolate? I turned the apple sideways, but as I turned it, some of it would fall off.
I turned the apple mostly sideways as you did & also standing upright, depending where I was directing the toppings to the apple. I also GENTLY pushed them into the chocolate layer so they'd stay in place better.  You might want to use some disposable plastic gloves for this part of it..... And OH! Don't worry about the excess falling off.  That's okay. That's why you use either a Chinet type paper plate or a glass plate.  The Sm SA Square (as well as the small square piece of parchment paper) that you see in my pics are ones that I added as part of the finishing touch in the presentation.  You should have seen what my Chinet plate & original parchment paper looked like when I was done!! LOL

 

Also, to address the "Mess Factor" well, ya, this isn't something that's gonna be a zip to clean up after but hey we're talking CHOCOLATE, CARAMEL, NUTS, OREOS....GOURMET APPLES, for Pete's sake!! LOL  Just forewarn your potential hostesses of this & then QUICKLY show them a printed off pic ALONG WITH THE PRICE of a Gourmet Apple off the web like to the tune of $15 to $22 PER APPLE!!!  Heck, for me, I'd much rather put up with a little TEMPORARY mess along with the satisfaction of saying "I did it myself...AND saved BOOKU bucks in the process!!!!" than to pay them there high robbery prices! LOL  Call me "Cheap".  Call me "Frugal".  Just don't ya call me "Late for Supper"!! 

 

HTH & will be awaiting your reply,

Marian....I am so stoked....I have a friend that just moved to the area and has a few friends here so we are going to do this as a show.  Do you have a flyer invite for this show/class?  Dionne

Hi Monica,

Sorry, it's taken me so long to get back with you, but I've been super busy over the  weekend.....

 

Anyhoot, sounds like you did all the right things.  Now as for the caramel I used, like I said in my original post it was the hardened/solid kind in a tub made by Betty Crocker JUST FOR caramel apples, where you add a Tbsp of water to it & nuke it for the prescribed time.  I've also found other recipes for caramel apples where you use unwrapped caramels (the cubed kind) & add a little bit of water as well, & can nuke it too.

 

Hey, just had a thought:  Did you use the kind of caramel in a tub that they usually sell in the produce section where you can dip apple wedges in??? Just wondering cuz THAT just might be your problem if that's what you used. Using the solid kind of caramel is ESSENTIAL, b/c once it cools back down to room temp it will return to a solid state.  I believe the kind that you use for apple dipping (as in wedges) is more liquidy which will of course cause that Caramel Slide that you were talking about.

 

Btw, the couple of times that I've made these I've always used the now retired Double Boiler for my chocolate.  I found using items such as the Micro-Cooker didn't retain the heat for very long.  I'll have to give the Batter Bowl a try, since perhaps the glass will keep the chocolate hotter longer than the plastic in the Micro-Cooker.  Or maybe there's a way you can improvise & make your own "Double Boiler" using some our existing products??? I'm thinking perhaps positioning a Batter Bowl w/chocolate over a smaller pan of water.  Maybe nuke it in the nuker FIRST, then to keep it at a constant temp, transfer it to over a pan of hot water.  Whatever you do, just make SURE you do not allow any of the steam or a single drop of water to fall into the melted chocolate or else you'll end up w/a chocolate seizure! Literally, it'll cause the chocolate to seize up & get all lumpy & chunky. While not a total loss cuz you'll just have an excuse to eat all that seized up chocolate!! LOL HOWEVER, you'll have to start all over again with the melting chocolate process.

 

 

PS...Di, you'll find a link to a whole bunch of pics that I posted over on my MSN space.  That link is found in the Hot Topic thread saved under APPLES & PEARS called by a similiar topic name as this thread.  HTH!

Monica,

So was this tub of hard caramel specifically for Caramel-Dipped Apples? Just wondering if this particular brand/type had anything to do w/your gourmet apple's performance.

 

Btw, here are a couple of recipe links for making your own caramel for dipping that you can check out if you'd like to go this way:

 

This is where I got SOME of my ideas as well as from website stores that sold them already premade, like A Bountiful Harvest.  This one, btw, was probably thee most helpful in the ideas I came up & ran with.  Notice how much they're asking PER APPLE, though!!! Oh! And notice the FLAT BOTTOMS of THEIR pricey apples, Monica!! Not to worry on yours being flat, ok? That just means MORE CHOCOLATE & other yummy toppings you get to FEAST on!! LOL

 

There's a link on the last one called Cooking Know-How that might be the source of your problem.  Come to think of it, we DID wash (& THOROUGLY dry) our apples before we dipped them.  Would this be of any help?  Sorry, I didn't think to add that part in my original instructions.  But this DOES make sense for non-adherance issues with your caramel. 

 

HTH,

 

PS  I just scrolled down A Bountiful Harvest's page & to my surprise & sheer delight they've come up with a couple NEW Gourmet Apple flavors/themes, like the ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE BRIDE & GROOM Gourmet Apples!! Aren't they the cutest??!!!!!  Don't know if I could recreate THAT one, though if I had the time I wouldn't mind the challenge!!! LOL 

Ok, sorry, to pick your project apart again, Monica, BUT (now ya just KNEW there was a "but" coming! LOL) when you said you put them into the fridge, do you mean you put them in the fridge BEFORE the caramel dipping?? If so, then maybe THAT'S why the caramel didn't adhere properly due to the condensation on the outside of the apple? I start with ROOM TEMP apples, btw..... If not, then maybe it's your caramel?  Ahhhhh!!! I'm so stumped as to why yours did the "Slide Dance"!! I'm bound & determined to help you figure it out! 

 

 

PS  Hey, you didn't happen to take a pic of one of yours did you?? Just curious as to how they looked that's all.....

Oh wow! How cool Shannon!!  Hope all goes really well for you.  Let us all know how it goes ok?  Oh! And if you think about it, could ya take some pics of your class to share w/all of us purdee please??? TIA!!

 

In searching the net on what to do w/leftover halloween candy recipes I came across a sponsored ad link for GOURMET APPLES, which of course, I just HAD to check out!  I right away spotted THIS ONE which I never thought to make for Breast Cancer Awareness!!  Soooo very cool I just HAD to add it to this thread!

 

Oh! And check out the other ones that are on there, in particular the FALL ones. Cool huh?

 

Sooo many apples, sooo little time!