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Top 5 Tips
January 20, 2022
March 29, 2019
November 29, 2018
September 17, 2018
Candy making can seem daunting especially if you’ve tried and failed in the past. Whether this is your first time making caramel apples or if you’re ready to try again, you’ll love Meagan Crafts-Price’s tips and tricks to making the perfect caramel apple this fall season!
Caramel Apples
INGREDIENTS
2 cups light corn syrup 1/2 cup water 2 cups sugar pinch of baking soda 1/2 cup butter- cut into 1" cubes 1 12oz. can evaporated milk
Directions, Tips & TechniquesHaving your thermometer correctly calibrated is more important than the particular candy thermometer you use because having your caramel at the perfect temperature for dipping is the key to success.
Calibrating your candy thermometerStart by boiling a cup of water in a 1 quart sauce pan. Clip your candy thermometer to the side. If your thermometer reads 212ºF when the water starts to boil, congratulations that was pretty easy! If it doesn’t, don’t despair. The reading could be off because you aren’t at sea level or your thermometer isn’t calibrated - or probably a bit of both. Here are two ways you can compensate for any discrepancy in the calibration. My favorite way is to slide the glass tube up or down accordingly until it reads 212ºF in boiling water. If you can’t figure out how to move the glass tube, you can make the adjustment mathematically. To account for the discrepancy in your temperature reading when the water started boiling, simply calculate a new goal temperature in your recipe. For example, if you need to cook your candy to 242ºF, and your thermometer read 210ºF when the water boiled, you know your calibration is off by 2 degrees. So lower the goal temperature in the instructions by 2 degrees, from 242º to 240ºF.
Now that you have a calibrated thermometer, keep your pot of boiling water on the stove; you will use it later on.In a heavy 4 quart sauce pan combine corn syrup, water and sugar over medium heat. Stirring occasionally with a spatula until mixture comes to a boil. Add in the pinch of soda. The mixture will start to bubble rapidly. This will leave bits of crystalized sugar on the side of the pan. Take a pastry brush and dip it into your pan of boiling water and wash down the sides of the pan so you don’t get gritty caramel. Clip your calibrated thermometer to your pan of caramel, add butter and stir until incorporated. Then stir constantly while adding the evaporated milk. You will want to keep the mixture moving so the caramel doesn’t scorch. Continue stirring until your mixture reaches 242ºF (or the adjusted temp for your thermometer).
Remove from heat and cool until the mixture is 220ºF. This is a key step for dipping! If your caramel is too hot it will just slide off your apples. If it is too cold you won’t be able to get your apples completely coated because the caramel is too thick. While the caramel is cooling, wash 8 apples and insert wooden skewer or popsicle stick about 2” into the apple. Tilt the pan to give you a nice pool of caramel to start dipping. Dip apples into your caramel and turn to coat thoroughly. Drag across the lip of your pan to get off excess caramel, then turn upside down and hold it upside down for about 30 seconds. This helps minimize the foot of caramel that appears at the bottom of the apple when cooling. Place on a piece of parchment paper to cool. You can then dip your apples in chocolate and roll in nuts or candy pieces as desired!
Once you have gotten your 8 apples dipped you might notice there is still caramel in your pan sticking to the sides and such. Don't scrap down your pan with a spatula and continue dipping. The caramel that is sticking to the sides of your pan have still been cooking quite a bit as you have dipped and will be a different consistency than the caramel in the mass. This extra caramel is great to scrap right onto your counter and eat as a snack while you are waiting for your delicious apples to be done!!
April 10, 2017
March 23, 2017
February 7, 2017
It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to gain more followers on Instagram or another social platform, upgrade your cooking website by refreshing it with new images, or perhaps publish a cookbook – whatever your reasons are, photos sell your product!
You need to learn how to take photos visitors on your website or your followers and friends online will cry over. It’s not as difficult as it sounds and you’ll need to stick to a couple of rules.If you plan on doing this in the future, my suggestion is to learn about setting the table and decorating it with the use of various ornaments. This can come in handy when you’re on the set and trying to get the perfect photo, because you will be able to spot if anything is wrong with the composition in front of you, so you can fix it right away and prevent the food from getting ruined right before your eyes. There’s a lot to be learned here and you can only become better with practice, so make sure to get lots of it.
June 15, 2016
June 1, 2016
November 16, 2011
We at Culinary Crafts love all types of events, from weddings to corporate events and everything in between. But we will always have a special place in our hearts for Birthday Parties!!! Today, I'd like to give our top 5 tips to take any birthday party you are planning over the top! Check it out!
1. Know Your Crowd. For any birthday party, it is always a good idea to know your crowd. If you are just going to be having a party for a 16 year old and all the guests are about that age as well, you can easily gear the party and entertainment for the teenager set. If you are having a birthday party for a 50 year old, however, and families and friends are invited, it becomes a bit more tricky. You'll want some of the food and entertainment to gear towards the adults, but also, to make sure the kids aren't bored by the 'grown-up' fun, provide kid friendly activities and food selections too! Everyone will leave totally happy and talking about the party of the year!
2. Details make the party. If you've read this blog for any period of time, you know I'm a sucker for details. I love, love, love the way details can make a party go from regular to EXTRAORDINARY! Birthday parties are an excellent time to have fun with details and themes. A whimsical cake, an over the top theme, a candy table to die for - all excellent details to consider. And since its a birthday party, you can really go all out and have fun with it.
3. Use the venue to your advantage. As with any event, make sure you take the venue into consideration. Good use of space can make sure that your guests have plenty to see, plenty to do, and tons of yummy food to eat!
4. Provide entertainment. Whether you want to make your party a carnival theme or a laid-back, elegant, "hoe-down", you should make sure to entertain your guests. I'm not saying everyone needs to hire the Oakridge Boys (like the birthday party above) but having something to entertain your guests will make it the party they won't soon forget!
5. Make it all about the Birthday Girl or Boy. At the end of the day, it's YOUR birthday and your birthday party. Make sure you choose to do things you like and serve food that you love. You can still make sure that all your guests have a blast and also make sure that you have the party you want!
Happy planning everyone!
Check out our website at www.culinarycrafts.com!
Photo credits: ZumaPhoto and Keith Westerberg
27x winner Utah’s Best of State
24x Best of State Caterer
3x Best of the Best / Hospitality
1x Entrepreneur of the Year