Caramel Apple Pretzels

Yesterday Jordan and I had a girls day at the mall. We picked out her "first day of school" outfit.

I am still having a hard time with the fact that one, there is less than two weeks of summer left, and two, I'm going to have a second grader.

SECOND grade. Which we all know is, like, three days from High School. {By the way she already acts, I think we may be even closer than that.}

She's seven and a half. Which is almost eight. Which is almost a Tween. And after that is Teen, when she will refuse to talk to me and her only "words" will be eye rolls.

Hello, Father Time? Will you slow the heck down please? Thanksmuch.

I figure I only have a few more years of "cutesy things" left. Things like showing her a dress at Old Navy that has a zebra on it and her grabbing it from me and insisting I buy it. Or holding my hand in a parking lot. Or allowing me to make cute back-to-school gifts to give her teacher.

{You know, before she's too cool to do those things and I have to do them behind her back or threaten that I won't think she loves me anymore if she won't hold my hand.}

So I figured I best get as much in as possible, before it all goes away. I bought her the zebra dress. And then I made apples for her teachers.

I must say, these apples gave me a pain in my head. I love the way they ended up. But they were not what I originally envisioned. The idea for the red pretzels came from Party Pinching. But you know me. I have to do MORE. I can't be happy with just some cute red pretzels that look like apples.

The "MORE" ended up with two failed recipes and a second batch of pretzels.

But I'm happy with these. They're good.

And make me want Fall.

Pretzels dipped in caramel. Dipped in red candy melts. Topped with a green "stem."

Perfect for back-to-school.

They're small. So if your kid is past "cute," just hide them in his supply box. He'll never know.

Are you excited for back to school?

Caramel Apple Pretzels

by Crazy for Crust (Inspired by Party Pinching)

Ingredients

• 28 small twisted pretzels
• 1/2 bag red candy melts
• Green pliable candy (such as Airheads)
• 1 cup caramel bits (you could also use square caramels, unwrapped)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Instructions

1. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Set aside.
2. Cut green Airhead in small strips, roll in to a thin rope, and then cut again in small sections to create apple stems.
3. Preheat an electric griddle over very low heat (about 200 degrees). Top with a folded kitchen towel. Line a cookie sheet with a silpat/roul’pat or parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray. (I used wax paper and they stuck bad! When I switched to my roul’pat I had no problems.)
4. Melt caramel and heavy cream together in microwave on 30 second intervals, for about 1 minutes, stirring in between. Stir until smooth. Dip pretzels in caramel, tapping off excess. Place on prepared cookie sheet and freeze until hardened about 10 minutes.
5. Melt candy melts according to package directions. Dip pretzels in candy, tapping off excess. Place on cookie sheet. Place a stem on half of the dipped pretzels, to resemble apples. Chill until hardened.

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