When my children were growing up, they loved to go trick or treating. However, in rural Kona there are long distances between houses. For several years, our friends would get together for a Halloween party. We would have a pot luck and make treats for the children.
Some years we even rented cabins at either Mauna Kea state park or at Kalōpā State Recreation Area. Mauna Kea Park is on the slopes of the volcano at 6500 ft with beautiful views of both Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The area is shrubby and sparse high up on the volcanic mountainside. The stars shine brilliantly at night in the brisk mountain air.
On the other hand, Kalōpā is in the forest on the Hamakua coast at about 2000 feet high. The cabins are tucked amongst the arboretum of thick native trees. The clouds descend into the park creating an eerie and cold dampness, perfect for a Halloween setting.
Caramel apples on a stick bring back fond memories of Halloween. I use organic, red crisp apples for a healthy, yet totally decadent treat!
As there are no more children at our Halloween parties, I now cut up the apples into wedges and everyone dips their own slice into the caramel. Use bamboo skewers or twigs for easy handling. If you are like me and can never perfect the hardball stage of candy making, this fondue-technique of each person dipping their own apple slice into caramel makes the process much easier.
After dipping the slices into the warm caramel, dunk the coated slices into a mixture of roasted, chopped nuts, cocoa nibs and shredded coconut. Delicious!
Recipe adapted from Root co.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Macadamia Blossom Honey
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup butter
- dash of salt
- 6 apples
- Optional: roasted, crushed macadamia nuts; shredded coconut, cocoa nibs
- Popsicle sticks for whole apples, bamboo skewers or twigs for wedges
Directions:
- Mix the honey and milk in a small saucepan. Stir continually until it reaches the firm ball stage or a candy thermometer reads 255F. Add the vanilla, butter and salt and mix well.
- Cool to lukewarm. (You don’t want people biting into burning hot caramel!)
- Pour the caramel into a bowl. Surround the bowl with apple wedges already skewered.
- Everyone can swirl the apples in the caramel to coat the apple slice and then dip it into a bowl of the nut, cocoa nib and shredded coconut mixture. Enjoy!
