Tricks to Great Treats

I have Penny P. Patrick's Praline Parlor to thank for my love of caramel apples. While working at this shop within Six Flags Great America amusement park, I made well over 50,000 of them. The hours of leaning over a huge cauldron of hot caramel taught me a few tricks of the trade. Now you and I can both enjoy this tasty fall treat.

Recipes:

• Caramel Apples
• The Best Ever Caramel Sauce

Cook's Notes

• Lightly scrub apples with mild soap and a soft scrub brush to remove waxy coating.
• Hot caramel won't stick to a wet apple, so make sure apples are thoroughly dry.
• Don't get the caramel too hot, or you'll end up with a thin layer on your apple and the rest sliding off.
• Scrape excess caramel off the sides of your apple before rolling in nuts or other coating. Don't forget to scrape the bottom of the apple too.

 "Tricks to Great Treats" is from the October 2003 issue of Southern Living.