Saturday, November 9, 2013

How about them Apples


If Fall had a flavor I would be hard pressed to find a better one than crisp bright apple. Right up there with changing leaves and cozy sweaters, this favorite of fruits with its red, green and golden hues epitomizes Autumn.
As a child, a sweetly coated caramel or candy apple was a special seasonal treat, although rarely completely eaten in one sitting. Sadly they don't store particularly well once bitten into, resulting in a discolored gooey mess and pouting faces the next day. To the rescue: the popular mini apple caramel treats showing up everywhere on recipe websites.
For my version, I switched out caramel for a more dental friendly peanut butter coating in the same toasty color and added a sprinkling of crushed peanuts.

You'll Need
Large ripe apples - any variety
Melon baller
Meltable flavored disks 
Oversized toothpicks or lollipop sticks
Fall leaves or accents

Easy as....
1) Using melon baller, scoop ball shapes out of widest part of apple
 2) Insert toothpick in mini apple and swirl in melted peanut butter mixture covering any peeled portion but leaving a bit of skin peeking out for that authentic caramel apple look.
3) dip into crushed peanuts and Voila!
 Let cool on wax paper or place them in mini cupcake liners, if desired

 I created a quick label using vintage images from the Graphics Fairy and hung from mini clothespins

There are lots of fun and fancy Fall party picks available at party and gourmet stores, but I opted to simply spruce up some of the oversize toothpicks with pressed small leaves from my yard or a few knots of twine.



If you have leftover melted peanut butter coating and crushed peanuts, you can make a quick peanut butter bark. Stir crushed peanuts into melted coating and spread onto wax paper
 Let cool completely and break into smaller sections
serve with the mini apples or pop in a mason jar as a sweet gift or favor.


PennyWise Tips

Waste Not: After creating mini apples with melon baller, the extra unused apple scraps can be diced and added to muffin batter or other recipes

White or dark chocolate or other flavor melts can be used as an alternative, if allergies or taste rule out peanut butter. sprinkles, walnuts or mini chocolate chips can stand in for crushed peanuts.








16 comments:

  1. I love these, and it especially love the bark and the tip for using every last bit of the apple. I love peanut butter, and did you know if you pair it with a healthy carb it will help you fall asleep? I just learned that today :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Doreen
      I didn't know that! Yay another reason to eat peanut butter!
      Thanks for visiting and so glad you enjoyed the project-
      Cheers!

      Delete
  2. oh my goodness. you have me CRAVING some reeses cups & caramel apples! Or how about some caramel apples dipped in reeses?! HEAVEN! :)

    Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! I'm so thrilled to have you :) Penny Wise is super adorable!!

    xo Kylie @ Absolutely Arkansas

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kylie!
      Reeses cups is one of my favorite food groups! lol :)
      Thanks so much for visiting PennyWise and so glad you enjoyed the post!
      Cheers!

      Delete
  3. Oh...these look decadently delicious! Such a great idea and a cute way to serve them. {pinning!}

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Mary Beth!
      They are so easy to make- Thanks for visiting and Pinning!

      Delete
  4. What a great healthy snack idea. I will keep this in mind for my lunch treats. Thanks, Candy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Candy!
      So glad you like them- You're right, They would make perfect lunch treats!
      Thanks so much for visiting
      Cheers!

      Delete
  5. Yummy! It's been years since I had a caramel apple, but I love them. Your peanut butter mini version sounds delicious.

    Judith

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Judith,
      I hadn't had one for years either- the mini versions are much easier and less messy to eat :)

      Delete
  6. Very clever! I'll be featuring you on this week's Clever Chicks Blog Hop, so please feel free to grab my Featured button!

    Kathy Shea Mormino
    The Chicken Chick
    http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Kathy!
      I'm delighted to featured! Love the Clever Chicks Blog Hop!

      Delete
  7. Thanks for the comment you left on my Happy Halloween post with my Frenchie! Trust me, he was not coorperative with that costume and only wore it for me to snap the pic. Maybe next year I will get him a costume that doens't go on his head! Love the peanut butter apples. I've been craving covered apples for a few weeks now, guess I'll have to make my own.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lol- it was adorable! Thanks so much for visiting! Sorry for the late response somehow I missed a few comments!
      Cheers!

      Delete

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