Caramel Apple Dip

S
ometimes in baking, as in life, our biggest mistakes open the door to our greatest accomplishments. This recipe is proof we can turn our blunders into the most delicious lessons. Every Christmas we make candy for family and friends. Homemade caramel is always one of the most popular items in the box of treats. The trick with caramel is cooking the mixture to softball stage without overcooking and creating hard caramels. One year as the caramels were cooling I quickly realized the mixture was getting way too firm. Rather than paying for the dental work of all of our friends, I decided to scrap the batch. As I went to throw it out I noticed the large bowl of apples on my kitchen table. I decided I would make a dip with the caramel. This would appease my frugal inner self and entice the kids to eat the bowl of apples they had been ignoring all week during our candy making. I added cream cheese and sour cream to the still warm caramel and the result was so good it is hard to describe. This dip is so creamy and buttery it is addictive. We serve trays of sliced green apples with this caramel at almost every party and event held at our house. This dip has gone from the backup plan for hard caramels to a prized recipe requested all year long. Try this recipe…you won’t be disappointed. Here is hoping that all of our kitchen fails, turn into the sweetest of mistakes!

Ingredients:

1 cup salted butter

1 pound brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup light corn syrup

14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp. vanilla

16 ounces cream cheese (2 blocks)

1-pint sour cream

Instructions:

1. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat melt butter.
2. Add brown sugar and salt. stir until combined.
3. Stir in corn syrup, mix well.
4. Slowly add sweetened condensed milk.
5. Cook stirring constantly over medium heat until candy reaches softball stage (245 degrees).
6. Removed from heat and stir in vanilla.
7. While caramel is partially cooling, beat cream cheese until smooth.
8. Once all lumps have been removed beat on high with sour cream.
9. When the caramel has cooled to hot but not scalding add to the cream cheese mixture.
10. Cover and refrigerate until completely cooled.

Notes:

This recipe is virtually mistake-proof. As long as the caramel is not burned, you really can’t overcook it. It will be softened when added to the cream cheese mixture. This dip is amazing with all fruit…but our family has been known to add pretzels to the tray!