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It’s time to share another of my favorite things! It’s been 15 years since I first started making gourmet caramel apples. They are beautiful, delicious, and so. much. fun. They make everyone happy; are amazing, affordable gifts; and it’s been a blast teaching church and family groups how to make them. I’ve sold them to companies to use as corporate gifts, I’ve sold them at boutiques, and I’ve sold them out of my house. If I ever to go the store to buy an innocent Granny Smith apple and run into a friend, they instantly ask me if I am making caramel apples- it’s pretty funny!
Making apples isn’t particularly hard, but they impress everyone. When I give these to thrilled receivers, I always feel like a rockstar. They say, “These are too pretty to eat!”, “You actually MADE this?!”, “That was the most amazing caramel apple I have EVER had- even better than the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory!” But it wasn’t always this way.
How it all started
Did anyone else go through an awkward phase when they were young parents? Between being stretched financially, still trying to figure out how to adult, having little kids and trying to figure the whole parenting thing out?
I did. I was SUPER awkward at this time. With all the different stresses and pressures, I felt like I was always in survival mode. My self esteem was poor in a lot of different ways, and it was a very dark time.
One day a friend invited me to a free candy making class. I took the chance to get a little break and went with her. During the class, the teacher briefly went over how to make several different types of candy and desserts. But it was the caramel apples that caught my eye. I threw out the non-existent budget and bought everything I needed to, in order to make apples at home.
I’m not going to lie- those first apples were rough! But there was a kind older man, (kind of a grandpa, really) named Peter who bought everything I made and kept encouraging me. He saved me during this difficult time when I felt ugly, poor and hopeless. I still think of him as one of my guardian angels. He made me feel good about myself for the first time in what felt like forever.
We all need a Peter in our lives- someone who doesn’t have to be nice to us, but who is anyway. The impact that Peter made on my life can’t be overstated. It’s 15 years later, and I can still remember vividly what an impact he made on me during a time when I cried almost every day and didn’t know what the future would bring.
What it has turned in to
With Peter’s encouragement and after more practice, I started trying to sell the apples. It worked! People thought they were gorgeous and tasted amazing. I was able to pay for Christmas just with my apple money. That was HUGE for our family. It was also huge for my confidence.
One day, I was taking dinner to a family who just had a baby, and decided to give them an apple for dessert. The next day, the husband called me to see where I had gotten it. When I explained to him that I had made it, he immediately placed an order for everyone in his company for Christmas.
It’s funny what happened next: his secretary called me for a total so she could write a check. When I told her it would be $8/apple (this was 10 years ago), she was pretty rude to me. She thought her boss was getting ripped off and let me know it. I tried to shrug it off, but her criticism stung. The day after the company party however, the secretary called me again- this time to apologize. She had eaten a slice of her apple that morning, as she was packing to catch a flight to go spend Christmas with her parents in Chicago. That one apple slice changed her mind completely. She apologized again and again for doubting the value of the apples and told me that she was saving the rest of the apple to fly to Chicago with her, so she could share it with her parents.
Over the years, I have gathered a lot of stories about my gourmet caramel apples. I’ve sold them for $50 each at charity auctions, I’ve been prompted to run them over to someone who was having a hard day, and when my husband gives them to his business associates for Christmas, he gets asked the next year if he will be giving out apples again.
So there you go, that is my apple story. Isn’t it funny how something so small can make such an impact? I now teach my children that competence brings confidence. The more we can do, the more confident we can feel about ourselves
Now I want to share caramel apples with you!
I have taught dozens of people in person how to make these apples, but for the first time ever, I am now able to teach anyone, no matter their location! I have created a digital course explaining EXACTLY how to make them, and also some of the basics of selling them.
Here are some things my Signature Gourmet Caramel Apple Course will cover:
- I teach you everything I know about how to make these fail-proof apples without any fancy tools and with no cooking. (You only need a microwave!) This really is a “caramel apples for dummies” class.
- Gourmet caramel apples are affordable gifts with high impact that are an EVENT to receive. (They cost between $3-5 to make, depending on where you get your supplies from.) Get a jump on your gift list!
- Families who are bored at home have had a ton of fun taking this course together and learning how to make these in their own homes. This is a perfect activity everyone can be included in, and could be the beginning of a new tradition!
- Finally, if you or your teens need some extra cash, these apples practically sell themselves- and I’ll show you how.
Gourmet caramel apples make me so happy, and when I teach people how they can also make them, I LOVE to see the smiles on their faces as they proudly show me their creations. I get a ridiculous perma-grin on my face. I’d love to teach you as well!
If now is not the right time for you to take a course- I totally get it, no worries!
But as a gift, I would love to invite you to a free webinar that will teach you how to make gourmet caramel pretzels (they are a bit more simple and even more affordable to do- but still look impressive!). I’ll be sharing a little bit more about the apples at the webinar for those who are interested, but I’ll give a free pdf on how to do them if someday you’d like to tackle them on your own. Just sign up below if you are interested in the free class!
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