Caramel Apple Cupcakes

I have a lot of questions about caramel. First of all how do you even say it? Is it Car-mel or do you pronounce it more like care-a-mel? The poor candy must suffer an identity crisis. Other questions include:

• Why is caramel associated with fall? 
• Why do I continue to eat bagfuls of it when I loathe that it gets stuck in my teeth? 
• WHY IS IT SO HARD TO MAKE?!?!?! 

The questions are endless. For such a tiny little square it causes quite an uproar in my little baking world. Yet every September I start thumbing through recipes to see what I can use it in this year. If I'm being honest I haven't quite mastered the art of making true caramel from scratch. But the individually wrapped candies work just as well...for now. One day I WILL figure it out.

I've loved eating caramel apples for as long as I can remember. I'd like to say I got my start eating them at the State Fair of Texas, but I honestly couldn't tell you when our love affair began. But even through the tumultuous braces years caramel and I stuck together. Maybe that's why I love this recipe by Rachel Ray so much. Plus it uses 2 whole apples, so that makes it healthy right?

It's a relatively basic recipe, but you have to be quick when melting the caramels. Using the heavy cream definitely helps. You don't want it to get hard and clumpy. But you also don't want it to be too runny. If It gets too runny add more caramels, if it gets too hard add a little bit more cream. Don't be afraid to mess with these recipes. Very rarely have I ever started a recipe and made it exactly like the person wrote it. We all have different tastes, and most recipes can be adjusted accordingly. (That doesn't mean add a cup of cinnamon because you like it) But a little extra or less here and there is just fine.

This is a great recipe and pretty easy to make if you need a kid friendly dessert this Thanksgiving. Or if you just want to show up and impress your family, in-laws, or friends. Hope you enjoy it!

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon*

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 C. packed light brown sugar

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 Apples peeled and shredded**

1 1/2 C. chewy caramel candies***

1 Tbsp. heavy cream

 *I used a full teaspoon!

**Shred the apples on a cheese grater (on the small holes) --->

***Don't forget to unwrap them!!

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare your cupcake pan with liners or spray it with cooking spray (save yourself the trouble and use the liners)

Step 2: With a fork or whisk mix the first four ingredients together.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and sugars together until smooth. Then add the vegetable oil and vanilla.

Step 4: Add the wet mixture into the flour and then fold the apples into your batter.

Step 5: Spoon the batter into the cups so they are about 3/4 of the way full. (That way you don't risk overflow in the oven. This also makes it easier to get them out and another batch in with little to no clean up between). They will need 20-30 minutes in the oven.

Step 6: Unwrap your candies and dump them into a small sauce pan over high heat. PAY ATTENTION TO THEM! DO NOT WALK AWAY! Once they have mostly melted turn down to medium low heat and add the heavy cream and stir until smooth.

Step 7: QUICKLY! Spoon the caramel over the cupcake. It's up to you how much to put on the cupcake, but just know the caramel will sit pretty thin on top of the cupcake unless you add more layers of caramel.

I personally think the thin layer is fine! It gives you the same effect as a caramel apple would and a thick layer of caramel would just detract from the cupcake anyway. Just work quickly because once it hardens you can't scoop it. IF it does harden, put it back on the stove on medium heat and add a tiny bit more cream to soften it up.

Another note: The original recipe calls for the caramels to be melted in the microwave. Personally I prefer melting any candy, chocolate or caramel, over the stove. I think it works better and sometimes in the microwave if you put it in too long it doesn't melt correctly. Its up to you but I advise the stove :)

Hope these turn out as good for you as they did for me! I'm a big fan :)

HAPPY TURKEY DAY! and safe travels :)

xoxo
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