An ooey, gooey caramel apple is a yummy treat that’s hard to beat.

The caramelized sugar with a hint of butter and milk has a way of perfectly coating one of fall’s sweetest bounties, which makes this time of year ideal for putting together a few caramel apples for yourself.

To add a twist to the autumn favorite, bedazzle the apples with something extra, such as chocolate chips, cookie crumbs or your favorite nuts.

Apple options

Although you can use any type of apple for these decadent confections, tart apples like Granny Smith make a great flavor contrast to the sweet caramel (and perhaps chocolate) coatings. Other options include Pippins and Fujis. Look for apples that are firm and crisp, as opposed to softer textures. The apples should be ripe without soft spots.

Remember, apples come in red, yellow and green, so you have a colorful variety to choose from. If you prefer a sweeter apple, consider Jonagold or Honeycrisp.

Unless you’re out to make a big impression, look for smaller apples to coat with your caramel, as there’s a better apple-caramel ratio than with larger fruit.

Preparation

Most apples purchased from the grocery store are waxed, so you need to remove that coating before beginning the caramel coating. Dip the apples in boiling water with a splash of vinegar for a few seconds and remove. Dry thoroughly and let sit for a few minutes. Dry again with another cloth to be sure they are completely free of moisture. If not, the caramel can slide off.

Chilled apples are best for dipping. The caramel will adhere better to cold — refrigerated — apples and it will set up quicker than if the fruit is room temperature.

On top of it all

A simple caramel coated apple is a treat unto itself, but why stop there? Add some more decadence with toppings over the caramel.

Melted chocolate — milk, dark or white — is a favorite not only for secondary dipping, but for drizzling and painting onto the caramel surface. Melt chocolate chips, chunks or even candy bars for coating.

Whether you’re content just with caramel coating, or you’ve embellished with chocolate, there’s no need to stop there. Dip the warm coatings into the likes of chopped nuts of any kind, miniature M&M candies, coconut, candy sprinkles, crushed Butterfingers or Oreos, graham cracker crumbs, bacon bits, cinnamon sugar, smoked sea salt, dried fruit chunks (like cranberries, raisins or cherries), crushed pretzels or potato chips. All will adhere with equal aplomb. Consider creating your own specialty combos — make a s’mores apple using the caramel, graham cracker crumbs, miniature marshmallows and chocolate drizzle, or perhaps an apple pie version with caramel, cinnamon sugar and shortbread cookie crumbs.

Apples can also be decorated with cake decorating supplies, like edible eyes, flowers, etc. For Halloween, a caramel apple dipped and piped with white chocolate makes a cute mummy when eyes are added to the chocolate stripes.

Calorie cues

A plain, medium-size caramel apple averages about 160 to 170 calories. But as you add things to it, the count goes up dramatically. With just apple, caramel and nuts, the count rises to around 350 calories, and with added chocolate and other toppings, it can reach 500 to 700 calories per apple.

Planning ahead

The caramel apple-making process has some time-sensitive elements, so have everything ready to go before you begin.

Apples can be coated with ready-made caramels simply melted and used as-is, with perhaps a little thinning for easier coating. Most stores offer caramel apple kits, which include the caramels, sticks and recipes — all you need to add are the apples and any toppings your sweet tooth desires. Or, you can make your own caramel coating from scratch.

Cover a cookie sheet with a silicone mat or a buttered piece of aluminum foil as a respite for the dipped apples. If you use waxed paper, spray it with a nonstick spray to avoid extraneous bits adhering to your apple coating.

Caramel apples are best eaten the day they’re made, but they can be packaged and refrigerated for later use, such as a Halloween party or trick-or-treat giveaways.

Getting a handle

You need a way to hold onto your caramel apples, not only for dipping, but also for eating. Round lollipop sticks, flat Popsicle sticks, skewers or even chopsticks all work for handles. Caramel apple kits come with sticks, or you can even buy already decorated sticks in the cake decorating section of the craft store.

Remove the apple stem and insert the holder in its place.

Melt down

If you’re using ready-made caramels, unwrap them and melt. The candy bag usually includes instructions and/or recipes.

Caramels can be melted with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or milk in a double-boiler to avoid scalding, or they can be melted with milk in the microwave for one to two minutes.

Caramels can also be melted in a slow cooker. Heat the caramels and milk on high for two to three hours, or on low for four to five hours.

If you’re making your caramel dip from scratch, follow the recipe exactly and use a candy thermometer to get the mixture to the exact temperature needed.

In either method, it’s important to stir frequently. The liquid caramel should have a smooth, shiny surface for dipping the apples. Stir slowly, as brisk stirring can incorporate air into the mixture which will appear as unsightly bubbles or pox marks on the finished apple surface.

Tempting as it is to use the hot caramel immediately to coat your apples, it’s best to let the mixture cool to about 200 degrees before dipping. This helps it adhere better to the apple and not slide off the surface.

If the caramel cools too much to adhere, it can always be reheated briefly to liquefy it for dipping.

Dipping

Use a deep, narrow bowl for dipping the apples for best coverage of the entire apple. If you only want to coat the bottom, a shallower bowl will work.

Hold the apple by the stick and dunk it into the warm caramel. Pull it out of the mix, turn it over, and twirl it to evenly coat the surface. The goal is a thin, even coating. Place the coated apple on the prepared cookie sheet and refrigerate for a few minutes. The caramel will never get hard, so you have a bit of time to finish up the rest of your apples before adding any other coatings.

For other add-ons, you can dip the apple into molten chocolate and repeat the swirling, twirling process. Allow the chocolate to cool for just a few minutes before dipping into any toppings.

When you’ve dipped enough for your liking, roll the apples into any additional toppings or press them into the coating with a spoon or your fingers.

If you want to drip chocolate or apply it in a grid over the previously dipped layers, put it into a zip-top bag and cut the corner off diagonally, then pipe the chocolate over the apple’s surface. Set the apples aside to thoroughly cool.

Leftover chocolate, caramel and toppings can be combined and poured onto a buttered cookie sheet to make candy bark. Refrigerate it to harden, then break into chunks for easier eating.

Safe keeping

Apples can be eaten by the bite from the whole apple (perhaps much to your dentist’s chagrin) or larger apples can be cut and sliced for easier eating, perhaps shared by multiple people.

If you’re keeping them a while, wrap each in a square of cellophane and tie the top around the stick. Store in the refrigerator.

— Reporter: gwizdesigns@aol.com