Nothing Says FALL Like Caramel Apples!

I love caramel apples. love them. They remind me of when I was a kid going to a carnival or fair. My mom would always want a candy apple, while I went with the caramel. Some things never change. This fall, I have had a hankering to make some yummy apples, and I thought it would be a good year to get Cash involved. Considering he doesn't quite have the same sweet tooth as his mama, I think it's safe to say he enjoyed "making" them more than "eating" them. Oh well, more for ME!!!!!!!!! YAY! Well, me and Luc.....

First- It's best to use Granny Smith apples, as they provide a nice contrast to the sweet caramel. Wash and dry apples thoroughly, and leave in the fridge. over night. It's good to have them nice and cold for the dipping.
Second- Begin melting your caramel. I just used a bag of Kraft caramels, and followed the cooking directions on the bag. (Cash thought he was a mastermind for being able to unwrap the caramels at lightening speed.) It takes a while for the caramel to melt, so I used this time to stick the sticks ( a little play on words there...) into the apples. Again, I didn't go fancy. Using what we had, which was craft sticks, seemed A OK for us. We also used this time to pull out some ole' wax paper, and cover a cookie sheet with it. Rub a little bit of butter over the wax paper, too.
Third- Tilt the pot of caramel a little to the side, so you get more depth. Gently role the apple around in the caramel leaving a little bit of apple left at the top. Hold the covered apple for a few seconds to let the caramel begin to harden before putting it on the wax paper.
Fourth- If you want to add a little extra "som'in som'in" to the apples, then let them harden for about 15 or so minutes. We used what we had on hand: M &M's, chocolate, and pecans. Pretty much, anything would work. For the M&M's and Pecans (candy that is harder in nature) just throw them in the food processor for a second. That'll show them who's boss. Actually, for ours, we just chopped them up with a butcher knife because Luc was napping. We didn't want to wake him. SO! Get that candy ready.
Fifth- Once the caramel has had a few minutes to harden, just roll the apples over the chopped candy, and viola! If you are using chocolate, use chocolate's instructions on how to melt it ( I usually either use a double boiler, or microwave it with a bit of butter. Stir every 30 sec. until it's melted.) Put the melted chocolate in a ziploc baggie, and snip one of the bottom corners off. Hold that apple upside down, and go to town! (Our chocolate didn't look super good, but ooohh yeah, it tasted super good.
( I don't know what Cash is doing, but he looks awesome.)
Sixth- BEST PART!- Eat your sweet treat! If you aren't woman (or man) enough to eat them all in one sitting, then place the remaining apples in the fridge. Be sure you thaw the apples a few minutes before you decide to tear into them again.