I think I will make my own caramel next time, but for speed, this works well.
Ingredients
6 Chilled Gala or Granny Smith if you want tart apples
(Make sure your apples are washed well to remove the wax.)
6 wooden sticks – I like to use actual sticks.
1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons water or cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or black walnut extract
Directions
1.Insert wooden sticks 3/4 of the way into the stem end of each apple. Place apples on a cookie sheet covered with greased parchment paper.
2.Combine caramels and water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring often, until caramels are just barely melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla extract. Dip each apple into the caramel and gently run apples around insides of saucepan to scrape off some of the caramel. Scrape excess caramel from the apple bottoms using the side of the saucepan. Dunk into nuts. Place on the paper and chill for 1 hour. If you chill too long they get gooey.
Once you apples have been in the refrigerator for an hour, melt chocolate chips in ziplock bags, cut off a corner and drizzle the apples with chocolate. I love ’em! Awesome bites!
In preparation for Halloween night, my mom would gather us and we would make popcorn balls to hand out for goodies.
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup (or 1 cup maple syrup)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp mace or allspice
1 T butter
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
3 quarts crisp salted popped corn
1 1/2 cups chopped mixed nuts
Combine sugars, salt spices, butter and water in saucepan,. Cook over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Wash crystals from side of the pan. Cook over medium heat to 245 degrees on a candy thermometer – firm ball stage. Remove from heat; stir in extracts. Pour slowly over mixture of popped corn and nuts, stirring to mix well. Sharpe iwth buttered hands, into balls. Makes about 2 dozen balls, 2 inches in diameter.
Variations:
Holiday Popcorn Balls: add 1/2 candied cherries (red and green)Â Â
Crunchy Popcorn Balls: The above recipe makes chewy popcorn balls. If you want crunchy popcorn balls, use only 2 quarts of popcorn and heat the sugar mixture to 290 degrees. Pour over popcorn and nuts, spread in thin layer on buttered aluminum foil and break into pieces when cooled.
Popcorn on a Stick: Form the popcorn balls on a stick.   You can even drizzle carmel and/or chocolate around them to make them even better!Â
Toffee Popcorn Balls:Â Take your chewy popcorn balls and dip in the top third in milk chocolate topping and then sprinkle with broken heath bar!
Fancy Dipped Popcorn Balls
Snowman Popcorn Balls:  Make a smaller and set it on top of the larger ball to cool. Decorate with a mint for a hat, and add different candies to decorate to look like a snowman.
Wait until my sisters read this, it is bound to bring back memories for them.  Since there were 9 kids, and little money, much of our Christmas was baked, crafted and home sewn.   I remember one year mom was particularly stressed not to have enough money for a Christmas tree. She scouted around the 10 acre parcel next door to us, and found tumbleweeds.  She stacked three high, painted them white and made the prettiest “snowman” ever. It was genius. My mom on the other hand, only wished she could give us more. So, she set about making candy.Â
Divinity with Walnuts
Light and fluffy, divinity is a classic! It’s also a bit tempermental when the weather is hot and humid, so it is best to attempt divinity in low-humidity conditions.Â
Double Divinity
(For pastel divinity – add 15 drops of food coloring to uncooked syrup)
2 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. water
1/4 tsp. salt
2 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
Combine sugar, corn syrup, water and salt in heavy 2-qt saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. (If sugar crystals form on side of pan, wipe them off.)
Reduce heat and cook without stirring until temperature reaches firm ball stage (248°)
When candy mixture reaches 242°; beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Cook candy mixture to 248° and slowly pour about half of it over egg whites, beating constantly with electric mixer and med. speed.
Continue to cook remaining syrup to the soft crack stage (272°).
Beating constantly, pour hot mixture, a tablespoon at a time, over egg white mixture, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture begins to lose its gloss and a small amount dropped from a spoon holds soft peaks. If mixture becomes too stiff for mixer, beat with wooden spoon.
Mix in vanilla.
Drop by teaspoon on waxed paper.
Divinity Fudge
Variation: Divinity can be poured into a 9-inch square pan, cooled, and cut into small squares instead of being dropped from a spoon.
Makes 27 drops or 1 1/2 pounds.
Chocolate Divinity
If you beat double divinity with electric mixer, add 2 squares melted unsweetened chocolate immediately after last addition of hot syrup: beat until mixture starts to lose its gloss. If you beat by hand, beat 5 minutes after last addition of hot syrup to egg white mixture and then add 2 squares melted unsweetened chocolate and beat until mixture holds its shape when dropped from a spoon.
Add nuts and dates. Add baking powder and flour, then mix with date mixture. Add sugar, stir in egg yokds. Fold in beaten whites and add vanilla. Bake in slow over abuot 25 minutes at 325 degrees. Cut in squares, and wehn nearly cold, roll in powdered sugar.Â
Jacque Nickerson’s sister Florence is responsible for this recipe.
