Recipe: Rachel Dunn's Chocolate Covered Caramel Apples

RACHEL DUNN'S CHOCOLATE COVERED CARAMEL APPLES
Source: Rachel Dunn on The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Servings: 6

24 ounces raw almonds
6 Fuji apples
Parchment paper
24 ounces wrapped caramels, unwrapped
3 tablespoons corn syrup
3 tablespoons vanilla
2 pkg (12 ounces each) Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips

TOAST ALMONDS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Pour raw almonds onto dry cookie sheet, distributing them evenly. Toast in oven for about 15 minutes, turning them every 5 minutes. The skins will be golden brown and beginning to crack. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

When cool, pour 1/2 cup into food processor with chopping blade. Pulse food processor in 2 second intervals, only enough to break the almonds in chunks. Continue until all almonds are coarsely chopped. Put in 9x13-inch pan, make a 3-inch well in the middle of the almonds. Put aside.

PREPARE APPLES AND UTENSILS:
Wash and dry apples and set aside. Line clean flat baking sheet with parchment paper.

PREPARE CARAMELS:
Place unwrapped caramels in a 1 1/2 quart bowl. Pour corn syrup and vanilla over caramels and place into microwave oven. Cook 4-5 minutes on full power, stirring at 1 minute intervals***important even though it will appear that the caramels are just being moved around in the bowl for the first 2 minutes, it is important to do so to distribute the heat evenly. Continue stirring until the corn syrup and vanilla are incorporated into the caramel and mixture is completely smooth.

DIP APPLES:
Place one apple in center of hot caramel. Using sturdy serving spoon, draw caramel up sides of apple. Being careful to leave apple top exposed. Lifting the apple from bowl with spoon, press index finger on exposed apple top to guide apple onto lined baking sheet. Continue with remaining apples, spacing them 2 inches apart from each other on baking sheet.

Let caramel on apples cool completely before dipping into chocolate. To test caramel, the apples will immediately release from paper if given a quick tug. If caramel stays adhered to paper, let cool until they release immediately.

TEMPER CHOCOLATE:
Open two bags (12 ounces each) of chocolate chips. Reserve 2/3 cup of chips and set aside. Pour remaining chocolate chips into 1 1/2 quart bowl. Set microwave at 50 % power and microwave chocolate chips for 4 minutes, stirring at 1 minutes intervals. Allow temperature to reach 101 degrees to 106 degrees. Pour reserved chocolate chips in melted chocolate and stir until all chips are melted completely and temperature is 89 degrees to 90 degrees.

ASSEMBLE APPLES:
Pour tempered chocolate into center of 9x13 pan. Place one caramel apple in center of melted chocolate. Using a clean dry spatula, draw chocolate up on sides of apple covering caramel. Slide slotted pancake turner underneath the apple and lift to edge of pan. Gently tap the bottom of turner to allow excess chocolate to drain into pan. Transfer chocolate covered apple to well in almonds and gently press almonds with your hands into chocolate. Continue with remaining apples.

Place pan of chocolate covered caramel apples in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or until chocolate has set.