Halloween is a big deal in our neighborhood. I grew up in the country and we didn't get many trick or treaters. In fact, most years we went to church festivals instead. But in our current neighborhood, it is huge. Almost every house is decorated and people come from all over to trick or treat and see the decor. This festivity puts me in the mood to decorate and enjoy fall treats. In my search for all things spooky and delicious, I found this great recipe from Food Network for making apple spider web pops. They are super cute, super fun, and very tasty!
Ingredients: apples, bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, coconut oil (if needed)
Step 1: Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicon baking mat. (I used waxed paper since that was what I had on hand. Basically, find something that will not stick to the chocolate as it hardens.) Step 2. Cut the apples lengthwise (stem to bottom) into 4 thick slices each. Remove any visible seeds and keep the core intact. The end slices will be rounded; cut a thin slice off so they lay flat. Poke a small hole in the bottom of each slice with a wooden ice-pop stick and push halfway into the apple. (Again, I used kabab skewers which worked well, too.) Step 3: Combine the bittersweet chocolate and 1 teaspoon of the coconut oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 50 percent power for 30-second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Add the white chocolate and remaining 1 teaspoon coconut oil to another medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 50 percent power for 30-second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. (Note: I used chips instead of baking bars which do not require the oil in order to melt. I also cannot stress enough to use good quality chocolate. It makes a huge difference in taste and performance.)
Step 4: Dip half of the apple slices completely in the bittersweet chocolate, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Dip the remaining apple slices in the white chocolate. Let sit at room temperature so the chocolate thickens a bit, 10 to 15 minutes. Step 5: Transfer the leftover dark and white chocolate to 2 separate small resealable plastic bags and snip a small corner off each bag or use a piping tool. Pipe 3 to 4 dark chocolate concentric circles on the white chocolate-dipped apples and visa-versa. Drag a toothpick through the circles, starting the center and working your way out to create a spider web design. (Or you can free-hand it, which is what I did. Probably would've looked better if I hadn't...) Refrigerate until hardened, 15 to 20 minutes.
Apple Spider Web Pops
Recipe:
2 large Granny Smith apples, stemmed
4 ounces chopped bittersweet/semi-sweet chocolate or 1 c. chocolate chips
4 ounces chopped white chocolate or 1 c. white chocolate chips
2 teaspoons coconut oil (if using bars/baking chocolate)
Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicon baking mat. Cut the apples lengthwise (stem to bottom) into 4 thick slices each. Remove any visible seeds and keep the core intact. The end slices will be rounded; cut a thin slice off so they lay flat. Poke a small hole in the bottom of each slice with a wooden ice-pop stick and push halfway into the apple. Combine the bittersweet chocolate and 1 teaspoon of the coconut oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 50 percent power for 30-second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Add the white chocolate and remaining 1 teaspoon coconut oil to another medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 50 percent power for 30-second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Dip half of the apple slices completely in the bittersweet chocolate, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Dip the remaining apple slices in the white chocolate. Let sit at room temperature so the chocolate thickens a bit, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the leftover dark and white chocolate to 2 separate small resealable plastic bags and snip a small corner off each bag or use a piping tool. Pipe 3 to 4 dark chocolate concentric circles on the white chocolate-dipped apples and visa-versa. Drag a toothpick through the circles, starting the center and working your way out to create a spider web design. Refrigerate until hardened, 15 to 20 minutes.