SCARY MONSTER APPLES

I had my very own monster party! It was so much fun creating these creepy cute monsters for Halloween. They were auctioned off for our Boy Scouts and it was a big hit. Glad to help our boys! Every monster had their own fun personality. I didn't know I had so many monsters in my head :)

Happy Halloween

Tips for Caramel Dips!!

Making caramel apples is fun and rewarding! If you're an apple dipper novice you can easily get overwhelmed. Here are some basic tips to help you navigate the kitchen mess and exit gracefully as a dipping expert.

#1- DECIDE: What type of caramel you want?

I prefer to use homemade caramel, but if you want a quicker method you don’t need to unwrap tons of individual cubes of caramel. You can use a 5lb loaf of Peters Caramel (available at specialty food/kitchen stores). It covers around 25 medium sized apples. If you don’t need to use the entire loaf, just place the extra in an airtight container and it’s shelf stable for 12 months.

#2- CHOOSE: Pick your Poison...apple, that is!

The truth is that any good, firm apple will do. I like the tart granny smith apples and the sweet honey crisp. You’ll want to stay away from the softer apples like macintosh and summer rambo’s.

#3- WASH: Think Karate Kid - Wax on, Wax off!

The shiny finish on the apples you get from the grocers is called shellac. It is a waxy food grade finish coated on the apples to protect them until they make it to your home. This needs to be removed before dipping your apples in caramel. If not the caramel will slip right off the apple. More than just washing your apple, you must scrub the apple. I also use a vegetable wash that works wonderfully. Make sure the apples are completely dry before dipping. 

#4- POKE: With a sturdy stick!

Choose a sturdy, longer, heavier stick that can support the weight of the apple, caramel and other delicious toppings.  I set the apple on the table first and see how it sits. No matter what side the apple is leaning too I push the stick in (closest to the core) where it is straight, even if the apple isn’t.

#5- DIP: Just say no! to puddles.

After you dip your apple, shake, and then wait for just a few moments and make sure the excess caramel drips off just a bit. Then use a spatula and scrap the bottom 1/3 of the caramel off the apple. Set it down on a greased cookie sheet, the warm caramel on the top of the apple continues to flow down and cover the bottom without a huge puddle mess!

      #6- DECORATE: Yes, you can have it all
Before you start its a good idea to know what direction you want to go with the final toppings and candy decorations. Are you creating your apples by theme or for a particular colors scheme?  Once I have an idea of what I want my apples to feature I set up my workspace to look like a candy bar at an ice cream shop. Bowls filled with every little sprinkle, cookie, candy, chocolate variety, and nut available. This can be pretty massive because I've got a sprinkle fetish. When you're ready to decorate get creative and go for it! 

My Caramel Recipe with a dash of "just wing it"

I prefer to make homemade caramel for dipping, I realize it's a tad more involved than store bought options but I'll be honest, stirring a boiling hot pot of bubbly caramel really makes me happy (oh, and too preoccupied to notice which child is having a Wii meltdown!) But, trust me I do not frown upon the Peter's brick buyers or the "unwrappers" of individual caramel cubes.
With that being said, I do get a lot of requests for my caramel recipe and getting out of my head and into written form has taken a bit, so here ya go, finally:

Robyn's Caramel Recipe

Author: Robyn Baird - Chocolate Workshop
Recipe type: Dessert
Covers 12 Large apples 
Cook Time: 45 minutes - 1 hour

Ingredients
    
     1 Pint of cream
     2 Sticks of butter
     3 Cups of sugar
     1 Cup of light corn syrup
     1 Can sweetened condensed milk ((14oz))
     1-ish*  tsp  vanilla (*add your favorite small unit of measurement here) dash, nip, smidge, splash. 


InstructionsCombine the first five ingredients in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and stir constantly until boiling. Once boiling, turn down heat to med/low and continue to boil. Occasionally stir gently to check that it is not scalding. Careful not to over stir! Wash down the sides inside pot with a wet brush to dissolve every last sugar granule. Use a candy thermometer to check temperature and remove from heat at soft ball stage or your desired temp (all stoves/heat vary but my temps hover around 230-240*F, if you need that in Celsius, you're on your own!). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let it set for a couple minutes then start to dip apples. You can also pour this out into a prepared pan and cut in to bite size pieces when it cools entirely.   I like to cook caramel to a little softer consistency suitable for dipping apples. For the best results don't rely solely on candy thermometers but rather a combination including a cold water test to check your desired consistency.

• When the caramel mixture starts to boil it will bubble up quite a bit. So it's important to make sure you start with a large pot.

• Over stirring and agitation can make your caramel grainy.

• Stray granules of sugar that are left on the sides of the pot can mix into your perfectly smooth caramel and reform the molecular chains making your caramel grainy. For more info on this Alton Brown can give you all the grainy details.

• Extra humidity in the air can affect your caramel.

• Be careful, caramel is VERY hot! 

For The Love of Chocolate...Ordering!

Hello, all you lovely people! There's a chill in the air and chocolate on my mind.  
I always look forward to this time of year because it means that I can start planning what I'll soon be covering in chocolate. Have you been thinking too? I know you have! Time to restock with a fresh supply of creamy Guittard Chocolate, straight from the factory. That's my idea of food storage. Who needs water and wheat anyway?

I order direct from the manufacturer, Guittard Chocolate with our wholesale business account. We love to include our friends and family who enjoy their chocolate as much as we do and of course pass along the wholesale pricing.

ORDER DETAILS

-- Place your order with me by Wednesday, OCT 23rd (EMAIL, TEXT)

-- Orders available for distribution/pick up by the end of October

-- Please mail checks and order list to: 
   Robyn Baird, 738 Mountain View Cir. Centerville, UT 84014

-- Text/ Email: 435-764-9146, robyntbaird@gmail.com

-- All sold in 25lb cases (unless indicated). 
   I do not split cases but you can certainly find someone to split it with!

-- Great for food storage, kept cool (doesn't need refrigerated or frozen) 
    you can guarantee a year at least.

Guittard Chocolate Details:

Appeals - 25lb cases - the all-around easy to use candy coating, large chips/wafers. Great for molding, dipping, baking etc. Picture what the brand Wilton sells at the
craft stores, but quality is zillion times better and this is cheaper, HOORAY! Choose from three types of appeals. 

• Milk Chocolate Appeals 
• Dark Chocolate Appeals 
• White Chocolate Appeals (Vanilla) 

Chocolate Chips- 25lb cases

•  Maxi Milk or Semi Chocolate Chips 350ct- larger than reg. chips very creamy, great for snacking. Look like a small hershey kiss and tastes better.
• Semisweet 1000ct Chips- regular size chip
• Milk Chocolate 1000ct Chips- regular size chip
• Gourmet White Chocolate Chips 900ct- little bit larger than a standard chip

Dutch Milk Chocolate - 
Guittards "Old Dutch" chocolate is made with extra cocoa butter and real vanilla for a smooth, creamy, melt away texture and has a rich delicate taste. I’ve made the best turtles out of this. You may have seen this in stores. You can order just one bar or you can order a case. These come 5 bars to a case (10lbs each, 50lb case). I have given these as gifts! They make stunning and unique presents. Seriously, who doesn't want a gourmet 10lb Guittard chocolate bar! It's a great price point for a unique statement gift. It comes in a cardboard sleeve and smells like heaven. It looks fantastic, molded with Guittard's name across and other details.

• Dutch Milk Chocolate 10lb Bar
• Dutch Milk Chocolate Wafers 50lb Case- Has been poured into large wafers for ease of use. This would be the ultimate snacker’s case. :)

Guittard Appeals Pricing
	2012	2013
Milk Appeals	$55	53.75
Dark Appeals	$55	$53
White Appeals (Vanilla)	$50	$47.25

Guittard   Chocolate Chips
	2012	2013
1000ct Milk	$70	$66.25
1000ct Semi	$57	$55
900ct Gourmet White	n/a	$56.75
350ct Milk Maxi	$70	$66.75
350ct Semi Maxi	n/a	$67.00
Old Dutch Chocolate
	2012	2013
10lb Bar	$28	$25
50lb box wafers	$140	$129