Smoked Caramel Apples

12 servings

12      fresh picked apples

1        pound dark brown sugar

16      tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

14      ounce can condensed milk

⅔       cup corn syrup

⅓       cup maple syrup

1        teaspoon molasses

1        teaspoon vanilla extract

¼       teaspoon kosher salt

12      popsicle sticks or chopsticks

½       cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)

½       cup sprinkles or crunchies (optional)

1. Wash and stem apples
2. Pre-heat Cuisinart pellet grill to 350°F
3. Place non-reactive pot in the hottest part of the pellet grill
4. Add sugar, milk, corn syrup, maple, molasses, vanilla & salt to pan in pellet grill.
5. Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture every 5 minutes until sugar dissolves, approximately 15 minutes
6. Increase Woodcreek to SEAR and insert ceramic briquettes
7. Cook caramel at a rolling boil, stirring constantly for 15 minutes until probe reads 240°F
8. Pour caramel into metal bowl and cool to 200°F, approximately 20 minutes
9. While caramel cools, quickly char the apples over the ceramic briquettes in three batches. Keep turning apples so they get a good external char without breaking down the internal flesh, approximately 2 minutes per apple.
10. Cool apples in refrigerator
11. While apples are cooling, line a large sheet pan with foil and brush with butter.
12. Remove apple from refrigerator and push a popsicle stick or chopstick into each apple
13. Holding by popsicle stick, submerge apple into caramel, leaving top by popsicle stick exposed.
14. Lift apple out of caramel allowing excess caramel to dip back into bowl, do not shake off excess caramel
15. Turn apple caramel side up and hold for a few seconds to let caramel set
16. Place apple on foil and repeat working quickly.
17. If caramel becomes too thick, place bowl with caramel over a pot of boiling water and stir until loose. Make sure bowl fits in pot and edges do not hang over open flame to avoid burning caramel.
18. Chill caramel apples at room temperature until partially set, approximately 15 minutes, before pressing any desired nuts or other toppings into caramel.
19. Chill for an additional hour at room temperature before eating. Can be refrigerated up to one week.