Cooking: Caramel Apple

Makes 1
   1  granny smith apple
   1  wooden stick (icepop stick or use twig for a creative twist)
1/8  cup chopped toasted nuts
       (optional - butter pecan, walnuts hazelnuts, almonds)
1/8  cup turbinado sugar
1/2  cup granulated sugar
1/8  cup dark corn syrup
1/2  cup heavy cream
   1  tbsp unsalted butter

The How to:
1. Insert wooden stick into the top of apple. Place turbinado sugar,
nuts in 2 small separate bowls.
2. Place granulated sugar, corn syrup, cream and butter in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking until temperature registers 245° F on a candy thermoneter, about 10 mins.
3. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Remove saucepan from heat and briefly plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process. Do not over cool or camarel might harden.
4. Dip apple into caramel, coat the top and sides using a spoon,
and roll the bottom in turbinado sugar, then the nuts.
5. Transfer to a serving platter. Keep cool in the fridge until serving.



The Presentation:
1. Let Caramel Apple sit at room temperature for 15 mins before serving.
2. Slice apple into small thin wedges.
3. Place a few wedges in a small serving dish, with a scoop of Greg's Honey Vanilla ice cream (Greg's Ice Cream: 750 Spadina Ave. Toronto. 416.962.4734). Sprinkle chopped nuts on top.

The Twist:
• You can also keep it plain or just dip into nuts. A more fancy idea is also to dip into melted chocolate after caramelizing apple. If you want to go all out, then after the chocolate dipping, dip into nuts.
• Add small broken twig of cinnamon on top of the caramel apple. Or sprinkle a pinch of ground cinnamon, nutmeg or cardomen into caramel before dipping.
• Use a twig instead of a icepop stick.
• You can use the same method to caramel pears.
• Recommand to use dark corn syrup, the molasses helps to create a deeper amber colour to the caramel.