Caramel Apple Fondue *As Seen on CT Style News 8*

My house is starting to look freakishly haunted. Most of the rooms are covered in faux cobwebs, severed limbs are dangling from the ceiling (also fake…), the walls are draped with tarps dripping in gunshot wounds (need I really explain these also aren’t real?) and there’s a full-on graveyard out back equipped with animatronics.

No, I don’t live with the Adam’s family, but I do reside with one of the world’s biggest Halloween fanatics, my Hubby. Then there’s me, who is afraid of my own shadow, yet loves the creative license when I’m the one setting up the spook. While I once begrudgingly decked our home with such horror scenes, now I admit I actually get pretty psyched. It’s certainly a fun activity to do together!

However, the piece that got me hooked initially wasn’t the haunted walk Hubby staged up a mountain or the fog machines or eery sound effects, or even the extreme costumes. It was, you guessed it, the party food. As I’m sure you know by now, I like to do just about anything with a good theme, and this event was beaming with one. Total inspiration to create a tablescape full of clever dishes and decor that walks a fine line between cutesy and terrifying.

Our annual Halloween bash is approaching this weekend, and I want to share some quick and simple ideas for party fare that you can create in either five minutes and/or five ingredients. You can watch me prepare these time-saving, tummy-filling, eye-catching tricks and treats on my Halloween segment for CT Style News 8!

First up, a fall favorite: caramel apples. We love sinking our teeth into them, and sometimes getting our teeth stuck in them, as we bite down into the gooeyness. However, in a party setting with so many yummy options to choose from, a large apple like this isn’t practical. It’s probable a guest wouldn’t want to eat such a sizeable portion of the cloying sweet snack, leaving the unfinished sticky mess lying around. Plus, even with a smaller apple, there would still be a core to dispose of.

My solution? Caramel apple fondue! With only three main ingredients, you can serve up that dessert-on-a-stick everyone loves! An easy to eat, manageable portion that your guests can dip and enjoy all night long. Prefer an extra coating on your juicy fruit? Place a small bowl of crushed nuts, sprinkles or non-perils next to the dip for an extra dunking option!

Ingredients:

Apples of your choice

1 tub of store-bought caramel dip

Lemon juice for perserving apples

Additional crushed nuts, sprinkles, non-perils (optional)

Instructions:

Warm dip in microwave according to instructions. If accessible, pour into a mini fondue bowl to keep warm. (Otherwise, any dish will do. I’ve served it both ways!)

Slice apples into bite size pieces and spray with lemon juice to keep them from discoloring.