Originally published Nov. 2, 2008
By Susan Lampert Smith
One pre-Badger game tradition has nothing to do with the three Bs: bratwurst, beer and the band.
This one is all about the apples. And, for those in the know, there’s nothing better.
Each autumn, Maurie’s Fine Chocolates on Monroe Street, about two blocks from Camp Randall Stadium, puts away the chocolate-making equipment for a day or two to conjure up the best caramel apples this side of heaven. Store owner Cher Diamond only makes them a few times a year, so those who love them call ahead to reserve their apples or get there early.
The day of the Penn State game, Mike and Deb Bilzing, of Madison, got to the shop about six hours before kickoff to claim four apples. “We covet these apples,’’ Deb Bilzing says. “My husband is obsessed with them. We have friends who drive all the way from Green Bay to get them.”
What makes them so good? The apples are really good, as big as grapefruit and with a winey flavor that cuts the sweetness of the caramel. Owner Cher Diamond only uses Washington State Golden Delicious apples.
“They have the perfect flavor profile, texture and palette to match with the caramel,’’ she says.
The nuts are freshly roasted, lightly salted pecans. But mostly, it’s the caramel, which Diamond cooks in a big copper kettle according to a recipe given to her by her father, the store’s namesake. The recipe goes back to 1935, when he made them in his shop in central Illinois. But forget about the details.
“It’s a secret,’’ she says of the recipe. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret anymore. A secret is something known to one person.”
OK, but it’s no secret that making them is a lot of work. Plus, the bubbling caramel creates humidity in the kitchen, which is bad for chocolate making. Diamond made the apples for two home games in October. She might make them again for the Minnesota game on Nov. 15, but only if she can get the right apples. There’s no way she’d substitute a Granny Smith apple, which she says is too hard and tart.
These caramel apples ain’t cheap. They’re $8 for plain caramel and $10 for the ones dipped in nuts and chocolate. But Diamond says you pay for quality.
“There’s over a half a pound of caramel, nuts and chocolate on an apple,’’ she says.
They’re so big, you could share one apple between two people. Maybe.
“Sure, you could share,’’ advises Mike Bilzing. “But you won’t want to.”
IF YOU GO
Maurie’s Fine Chocolates is at 1637 Monroe St. in Madison. Phone: (608) 255-9092
This one is all about the apples. And, for those in the know, there’s nothing better.
Each autumn, Maurie’s Fine Chocolates on Monroe Street, about two blocks from Camp Randall Stadium, puts away the chocolate-making equipment for a day or two to conjure up the best caramel apples this side of heaven. Store owner Cher Diamond only makes them a few times a year, so those who love them call ahead to reserve their apples or get there early.
The day of the Penn State game, Mike and Deb Bilzing, of Madison, got to the shop about six hours before kickoff to claim four apples. “We covet these apples,’’ Deb Bilzing says. “My husband is obsessed with them. We have friends who drive all the way from Green Bay to get them.”
What makes them so good? The apples are really good, as big as grapefruit and with a winey flavor that cuts the sweetness of the caramel. Owner Cher Diamond only uses Washington State Golden Delicious apples.
“They have the perfect flavor profile, texture and palette to match with the caramel,’’ she says.
The nuts are freshly roasted, lightly salted pecans. But mostly, it’s the caramel, which Diamond cooks in a big copper kettle according to a recipe given to her by her father, the store’s namesake. The recipe goes back to 1935, when he made them in his shop in central Illinois. But forget about the details.
“It’s a secret,’’ she says of the recipe. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret anymore. A secret is something known to one person.”
OK, but it’s no secret that making them is a lot of work. Plus, the bubbling caramel creates humidity in the kitchen, which is bad for chocolate making. Diamond made the apples for two home games in October. She might make them again for the Minnesota game on Nov. 15, but only if she can get the right apples. There’s no way she’d substitute a Granny Smith apple, which she says is too hard and tart.
These caramel apples ain’t cheap. They’re $8 for plain caramel and $10 for the ones dipped in nuts and chocolate. But Diamond says you pay for quality.
“There’s over a half a pound of caramel, nuts and chocolate on an apple,’’ she says.
They’re so big, you could share one apple between two people. Maybe.
“Sure, you could share,’’ advises Mike Bilzing. “But you won’t want to.”
IF YOU GO
Maurie’s Fine Chocolates is at 1637 Monroe St. in Madison. Phone: (608) 255-9092
PHOTO INFORMATION: Just ask Rachelle: Maurie’s game-day caramel apples are just the right combination of a Golden Delicious apple coated in rich caramel and fresh-roasted pecans./PHOTO by Brent Nicastro
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