Carnival caramel apples is celebrate Halloween in style around our house. These caramel apples are a tried-and-true favorite year after year. from Gail Prather, Bethel, Minnesota

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, cubed

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

Dash salt

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

10 to 12 Popsicle sticks

10 to 12 medium tart apples, washed and

dried

1 cup salted peanuts, chopped

Method

1 In a large heavy saucepan, melt butter; add the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in milk. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 248° (firm-ball stage). Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla.

2 Insert Popsicle sticks into apples. Dip each apple into hot caramel mixture; turn to coat. Dip bottom of apples into peanuts. Set on greased waxed paper to cool.

Yield: 10-12 apples.

Tips

We recommend that you test your candy thermometer before each use by bringing water to a boil; the thermometer should read 212°. Adjust your recipe temperature up or down based on your test.