What is your favorite HALLOWEEN item?

I loved homemade caramel apples as a kid, and have bought the gourmet ones in recent years. They look beautiful and oh-so-tempting in the gourmet chocolate shop window, but gourmet caramel apple makers are charging from $5 for just a plain caramel apple; upwards of $25 for a higher-end gourmet chocolate dipped caramel apple with extra pizzazz added such as red hot candies, nuts and other fun things. I no longer have the extra money to buy those. So, I went in search of a great homemade caramel apple recipe.

After trying a few different ones this is the one I use now. This homemade caramel apple recipe is so simple, you’ll kick yourself for ever buying caramel apples at the store!

I use bulk caramel. Buying bulk caramel will save you from unwrapping all those crazy little caramels in those wrappers. Five pounds of caramel covers approximately twenty apples, depending on the size of the apple and the temperature of the caramel. You can cut this recipe in half

Five pounds of caramels

Wooden sticks

20 apples smooth and without any bruising (I use Granny Smith)

3 1/2 pounds of chocolate for melting.

Chopped nuts, candies, cookies, etc.

Homemade Gourmet Chocolate Caramel Apple Recipe

Heat the caramel in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals to avoid scorching. Be careful! That is hot, boiling, sticky, sugar! Hot hot hot! Keep the caramel warm by placing the bowl on top of two towels that are laid on top of your frying pan, set on low heat.

Make a small cut in the apple where you would like the stick to go, and put the stick into the apple.

Dip 1 apple into about 150 degrees caramel, submerging it. Lift the apple out, allowing the excess caramel to drip back into the bowl. Turn the apple up and hold it for several seconds to help set the caramel around the apple. Place this coated apple on greased foil. Repeat with remaining apples and caramel, spacing apples apart (caramel will pool on foil).

Let the apples cool for about 5 minutes. Push the caramel that has pooled around the apple back up against the apple.

Dip caramel-coated apples into melted chocolate, allowing the excess to drip off, and decorate with chocolate chips, chopped nuts, toffee cruch, crushed oreos, or other fun things. Firmly press decorations into the caramel, then return each apple to the foil. Chill until decorations are set, about 1 hour. Cover. Chill up to 1 week.

I Love the Wack-O-Wax Wax lips.My Mother would get them for my Brother,Sister and I every year when I was growing up.I am now 33.My Mother just bought me a case of them last week.WOO HOO!!!!! I could chew them all year.

Every year we take the Kids trick or treating.My older Kids(17,and16) don't like it as much but my 10 year old does.

I would really Love to take the kids somewhere they have hay rides.When we lived in ILL.years ago we went on a hay ride and That was awesome!

Thanks for the question

Churches in my area use Halloween for their Fall Festival day. Kids dress up and go to the safer environment of the church grounds and gymnasium for fun activities (like dunking the pastor in the dunk booth) and other fun things, hayrides, etc. And, there's plenty of candy, prizes, goofy contests. All in a loving, safe environment. Good memories and none of the actual fright.

Your cupcakes sound delish!

I love making Pumpkin Cupcakes too. =) you must have great taste in foods

Pumpkins ofcos!!!!

Fried pumpkin seeds! i had them once in kindergarder and i loved them ! haven't had them since but man i would kill for some!