Preparing the Apples:

1. Gently twist apple stems off and remove any stickers. Remove any wax from the apples by scrubbing with a soft cloth, dish soap, and hot water.

2. Fill a large pot or kitchen sink with hot tap water and place apples inside. Submerge the apples completely by setting a heavy flat object (like a plate) on top of them. Let them soak this way for about 15 minutes to help remove any excess wax and release some of the gases trapped in the apple which can cause air bubbles when they are dipped.

3. Dry the apples REALLY well and then gently press the sticks into the center, right where the stems were.

4. Place the apples on a parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate them while you are making the caramel (chilling the apple helps the caramel set a lot quicker).

Making the Caramel:

1. Combine in a medium saucepan over low heat the butter, salt, corn syrup, sugar, and 1 cup of the cream. Warm the ingredients slowly until the butter is melted (about 10 minutes). The low heat will help the ingredients melt evenly so the butter does not separate. Gently stir to combine, being careful not to stir too vigorously and splash the liquid on the sides of the pan.

2. Once the caramel ingredients have warmed and melted, increase the heat to medium-low. The caramel should maintain a simmer, but not be so hot that it is burning on the bottom. Keep cooking at a simmer WITHOUT STIRRING for about 20-30 minutes until temperature reaches 236 degrees F (see note to adjust for elevation). I use a candy thermometer. It's the easiest way to get the caramel perfect every time.

3. Pour in the remaining cup of cream. Gently swirl the caramel with a wooden spoon just until it is incorporated. Then let it simmer WITHOUT STIRRING or adjusting the temperature for 20-30 minutes until the temperature returns to 238 degrees F (see note to adjust for elevation).

4. Take the caramel off the heat and carefully stir in the vanilla. Let cool for about 5 minutes before dipping. The dipping temperature is important. If it is too hot, it doesn't stick well to the apple. If it is too cool then the apples don't dip well and will make a really ugly thick layer of caramel. Right around 190 to 200 degrees is perfect.

5. If the caramel starts to get too thick (where it's hard to dip), place it on the stove again over low heat and stir it well until it's easy to dip again.

6. The caramel can be made several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. When ready, reheat caramel on low until it reaches 190 to 200 degrees F. Or you can pour it into a slow cooker insert before refrigerating. Then just reheat the caramel in the slow cooker on low when you're ready to dip.

Dipping the Caramel Layer:

1. Dip them one at a time into the caramel so that it goes most of the way up the apple (but still show some skin underneath).

2. Gently swirl the apple over the pan to remove the excess caramel then gently scrape the bottom of the apple with a spoon until you can see the apple color underneath (the caramel will fill it after setting it down).

3. At this point you can dip them directly into the toppings. Or if you are keeping them plain or doing a chocolate layer, then place them back on the parchment lined baking sheet to set. Make sure they are far enough apart that they don’t stick to each other. Do not use waxed paper, it will stick.

4. Chill apples in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes until caramel is set before decorating further.

Adding the Chocolate Layer + Cookie/Candy Toppings:

1. Fill a large oval slow cooker halfway with water and place heat-safe containers inside so that the water comes ⅔ of the way up. You can use heat-safe bowls or wide mouth pint canning jars. Fill the containers with dipping chocolates and candy melts. Set the slow cooker on low until chocolate melts (usually I do this as I'm preparing the apples). Keep the containers in the slow cooker during the entire decorating process so they stay at the right temperature.

2. You can dip the apple directly into the chocolate (as you did the caramel). which makes a smooth pretty layer. But if I am adding toppings, I actually like to spread it around the apple with a flat spatula instead. It uses less chocolate and makes less of a mess in the next step.

3. Dip the wet chocolate covered apple into the cookie or candy crumbs of your choice or toss the crumbs on the apple with a spoon. If you're using a heavier topping (like chocolate chips, m&ms, reese's or sprinkles) you may want to decorate just the top or bottom of the apple as they tend to slide down the sides or you can wait for the chocolate to set up a bit before adding the toppings. Refrigerate immediately until set (about 10-20 minutes).

Chocolate Drizzles:

1. The easiest way I've found to do the chocolate drizzles is just taking a fork and dip it into the melted chocolate (or candy melts). Then quickly shake it back and forth over the apple to create streaks. Then refrigerate again until the drizzles are set (about 10-20 minutes).

Decorated apples (in packaging) will keep up to a week (or more) in the refrigerator.