Caramel Apples

By: Jan Peterson

Recipe History: This is a recipe I cut out of a magazine years ago and thought sounded good!

Ingredients:
2 14ounce packages Vanilla Caramels, unwrapped
2 Tbsp. water
10 Medium apples
10 wooden craft sticks
2 cups assorted toppings for base, such as fried fruit bits, toffee bits, toasted chopped almonds
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
2 tsp shortening
2/3 cup mlk chocolate pieces
2 tsp shortening

Directions:

• In a medium saucepan combine caramels and water.
• Cook and stire over medium-low heat, stirring often, until caramels are melted. Turn heat to low.
• Insert sticks into stem end of washed apples.
• Dip apples into hot caramel mixture, turning to coat only the bottom half of apples.
• Dip bottom of apple into assorted toppings as desired.
• Cool on waxed paper or greased baking sheet.
• In a small saucepan melt semisweet chocolate pieces and 2 teaspoons shortening over low heat until melted.
• Using a spoon, drizzle chocolate over stem end of apples allowing excesss chocolate to drip down sides of caramel half of apples.
• In small sauce pan stire milk chocolate and 2 teaspoons shortening  ove low heat until melted.
• Drizzle over apples at stem end and allow to drip down apple.
• Let stand 1 hour or until chocolate is completely set.
• Chill.