Chocolate Covered Caramel Apples

Chocolate Covered Caramel Apples

Microwave oven 750 watts or Conventional oven 375 degrees
Ingredients:
24 ounces Brachs MilkMaid caramels
24 ounces Guittard real semi sweet chocolate chips
24 ounces raw nonpareil almonds
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons vanilla extract
6 Fuji apples (grocery story variety average weight 8 ounces each)
parchment paper
Toast almonds:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour raw almonds onto dry cookie sheet, distributing them evenly. Toast in oven for 15 minutes, turning them at 5-minute intervals. The skins will be golden brown and beginning to crack open. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. When cool, pour 1/2-cup increments into food processor assembled with chopping blade. Pulse food processor in 2-second intervals, only enough to break the almonds into chunks. Pour each batch onto 9 x 13-cake pan until all almonds are chopped. Make a 3-inch wide well in the center of the almonds and set aside.
Prepare apples and utensils:
Wash and dry apples, set aside. Line clean flat baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare Caramel:
Remove cellophane wrappers from caramels and place caramels in 1 1/2-quart glass bowl. Pour corn syrup and vanilla over caramels and place bowl in microwave. On full power, microwave caramels for 4-5 minutes stirring at 1-minute intervals. Important: even though it will appear like the caramels are just being moved around in the bowl for the first 2 minutes, it is important to do so to