As the air becomes brisk and leaves begin to change color, what a more perfect way to celebrate autumn than with a gourmet caramel apple party. Crisp apples covered in luscious thick caramel and dipped in a variety of tasty toppings give the guests a special treat to take home and enjoy. Inspired by the magnificent caramel apples that are sold annually by Neiman Marcus, this girls’ party is not only fun but delicious.

Guests were welcomed to the event with a kick-off cocktail of a caramel apple martini or pumpkin pie-tini. A table of inviting fall food was presented so that guests could nibble at their leisure. The event menu included autumn pumpkin soup, panini sandwiches, and an orange- cranberry salad with walnuts and blue cheese. The perfect accompanying desserts were bite-sized apple and pumpkin pies.

The apple dipping process begins with inserting a wooden dowel into a large Granny Smith apple. The apple is dipped into bubbling caramel, allowing the excess to drip back into the pot. Now comes decision time. While the caramel is still soft, the covered apple can then be dipped into a variety of different toppings, such as m&ms, toffee, nuts, sprinkles, candy corns, pretzels, or peanut butter cups. The apple then rests in the fridge to firm up the caramel and make sure that all the toppings stick. The finale is dipping the apple a second time into a chocolate coating, or drizzling the apple with milk, dark or white chocolate. Voila! After the apple is completely set, it is wrapped and tied with a festive bow and ready to be enjoyed. This type of interactive party can be thrown throughout the year and incorporate new themes such as decorating cookies, gingerbread houses, cupcakes, etc. Find seasonal recipes to compliment your party in your favorite magazine.

Yum.

To eat:
Autumn pumpkin soup
Panini sandwiches
Turkey & provolone with pesto
Tomato, basil, prosciutto & mozzarella
Orange Cranberry Salad with Walnuts & Blue Cheese

Treats:
Mini pumpkin pies
Mini apple pies

A special thank you to Fu Wong of F.C. Wong Photography for capturing the festivities.