I had never been a huge fan of caramel apples.  I didn't like the way the caramel got stuck in your teeth and made your fingers all sticky and you had to eat them off a stick.  This year I decided I was going to make them and I was going to like them.  Well, I have been converted.  These suckers are delicious!  And, newsflash, you can actually take the apples off the stick and cut them (gasp)!  They are super easy to make.  The most difficult part is unwrapping all the caramel and not eating it all...

Ingredients:

• apples
• caramel cubes (~1 cup for four apples)
• 1 tbsp milk
• decorations (optional - but make them so much more fun!)

Method:

1. Wash the apples - if your apples are store bought they might be coated in a thin layer of wax to make them shiny.  If they are, the caramel will slide right off the apple.  To get the wax off, soak the apples in warm water and white vinegar for a few minutes then thoroughly rinse and wipe them.
2. Peel the wrappings off the caramel and place in measuring cup.
3. Add 1 tbsp of milk for every 3/4 cup of caramel
4. Microwave for 1 minute.  Stir.  Microwave for another minute or two, stirring occasionally until all the caramel has been melted down.
5. Dip the apples in the caramel, let the excess drip off, and dip the coated apple in whatever toppings you'd like
6. Place the decorated apples on a plate or cookie sheet with parchment paper and put them in the fridge to harden up
7. When you're ready to eat them, take them out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature so you don't break your knife - or your teeth!