A Visit to Amy's Candy Kitchen
Anna Ross, a Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Photo Department Assistant, contributed some wonderful photographs taken at Amy’s Candy Kitchen, an amazing confection shop, located in Cedarburg, WI. Please enjoy Anna’s guest blog!
This past December I went home to Racine, Wisconsin for the holidays. While I was there, I made my customary trip to Amy's Candy Kitchen in historic Cedarburg, Wisconsin. The store, which opened in 1996, sells a variety of chocolate treats. However, Amy's is famous for their homemade caramel apples, which are absolutely the best caramel apples I have ever tasted! The apples are dipped in all-natural caramel and then covered in Belgian Chocolate and other toppings. Amy’s has a large selection of products that can be ordered by clicking here. I hope you enjoy these photographs, because the apples are not only delicious, they’re quite beautiful, as well!
1 Amy’s is located in the heart of downtown Cedarburg, a small historic town in southeastern Wisconsin.
2 There is an assortment of chocolates for sale, including truffles, almond bark, and toffee.
3 Belgian Chocolate Almond Clusters
4 Amy's Handmade Truffles
5 A variety of caramel apples are drying in the kitchen.
6 All of Amy’s caramel apples are made in an open kitchen, which allows customers to see the chocolatiers hard at work.
7 A box of jumbo granny smith apples is ready for dunking!
8 There is beautiful decor in the store.
9 The caramel is cooked slowly in large copper kettles.
10 Every batch of caramel takes approximately one hour to cook before it is the right consistency for dipping.
11 Chocolatier Amanda Greenwood dips an apple.
12 The bottom of the kettle - Each batch of caramel can cover approximately 96 apples.
13 Immediately after the apple has been dunked, chocolatier Brittany Delcid covers it in nuts while it is still tacky. Amy’s roasts all of the nuts that are used as toppings.
14 Peanut Butter Chip Caramel Apple
15 Amy’s Candy Kitchen makes over 70 different kinds of caramel apples throughout the year. My favorite is M&M!
16 Red candy apples
17 Plain caramel apples
18 During the holiday season in December, Amy’s can make up to 1,200 caramel apples in one day.
19 Red candy apples
20 The next step is to dip the apples in Belgian Chocolate. Amy’s uses dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate.
21 A tempered melter full of milk chocolate
22 This apple gets a coating of dark chocolate.
23 More toppings are added.
24 The finished product! Red Sprinkle, Oreo with Milk Chocolate, Butterfinger with Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate Dunked Apple, Groom Apple
25 A variety including Classic Peanut, Snickers with Milk Chocolate, Cha Cha Chipotle
26 This is an Almond Turtle with Dark Belgian Chocolate Caramel Apple.
27 A Pecan Turtle with Belgian Milk Chocolate Caramel Apple
28 A Dunked Belgian White Chocolate Caramel Apple
29 A Dark Belgian Chocolate with Sea Salt Caramel Apple
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
The apples are little works of art! My grandma was born in Racine. I'll have to make it a point to visit sometime! Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Simple Girl | February 6th, 2012 at 1:00 am
WOW! Even after a Super Bowl Sunday, I can barely stand to go through those pictures without (a) salivating, (b) wanting desperately to try to replicate here at home, (c) wondering whether coveting thy neighbor's apple is anywhere near on the sin scale as coveting thy neighbor's husband... These apples are works of art! Thank you for providing links to the store. I suspect most anyone would love to receive on of these as a gift!
Posted by: QuackChick | February 6th, 2012 at 2:53 am
Yes those apple treats are beautiful. However, as a life long resident of Florida and one that has never ever walked up to an apple tree and well had the experience of savoring a fresh juicy apple fresh from the orchard-- an apple that has not been in cold storage. Well I guess I am overwhelmed at the abundance of those fresh apples all covered in sugary confections. Do folks tire of a fresh apple? does the coating preserve the treats? I suppose they would fly off the shelves-- I have never tried a candied apple as I am leery as to the quality of the apple . The texture of the Delicious apples in my market are mealy and the skin is thick I am not willing to risk it. I do enjoy Granny Smith apples as they are firm and crisp the range in tartness is okay by me as the expectation of texture does not disappoint. However were I to visit Amy I do believe I would try one.
Posted by: katheen | February 6th, 2012 at 8:12 am
Love these guest blogs but miss pics of you Living but NYC is not for all. Milwaukee and WI are great places to visit as Madison and THE Dells were fun this past summer for me and teen age niece traveling. Thanks, Anna, for inspiring us with an idea for Valentines.
Posted by: ann | February 6th, 2012 at 9:02 am
Caramel apples are my favorite! I enjoy making them at home but mine don't hold a candle to Amy's! Thank you for sharing this lovely shop Anna!
Posted by: Cindy F | February 6th, 2012 at 9:03 am
Hi Anna, Thanks for this beautiful posting of those delicious looking carmel apple variety and other lovely candies for Valentines Day or any other time of the year! Your photos are absolutely stunning and it's easy to see that you are a terrific photographer! For some reason, these photos didn't show up right away, but they are here now. I did view them last night and will go look at them again! Hope you have a great day and please say hello to Martha for me! Thanks! Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | February 6th, 2012 at 10:47 am
Such a pretty candy shop. Love the beautifully bow-tied apples...perfect for gift giving to someone special.
Posted by: sherey | February 6th, 2012 at 12:08 pm
Hi Anna and Martha,
What a nice little candy shop! I love candy covered apples and especially the red ones although Amy's chocolate covered caramel ones look delicious. So decadent! Thanks for introducing us to her. Just for the heck of it, I went on Google and typed in candy apples and her website came up at the top so I guess it's quite popular. Thanks again. Trish
Posted by: Trish | February 6th, 2012 at 2:09 pm
Martha, Anna,
Thanks for sharing this blog.
Posted by: KLBrown | February 6th, 2012 at 3:50 pm
Anna,
How interesting and such tempting pictures. As a little kid candy apples always dissappointed me. Bite in to the great sweet covering to be shocked with the ring of apple juice and texture. Never got the hang of it. I have tried the sliced candy covered apples--very very tasty and easier to eat. I did not feel the obligation to eat the whole thing all at once. That too was nice.
Posted by: Margie | February 6th, 2012 at 4:09 pm
I think I gained 10 reading this blog. All of it looks so delish! I have never been able to make candied apples but they are a wonderful fall treat.
Posted by: mona c | February 6th, 2012 at 8:50 pm
My goodness, these are some of the most beautiful photos of 'candy' apples I've seen; they make my mouth water. What a great little shop to share with readers- one can see the love and care put into the product, and it's wonderful to know where the craftsmen are so we can support them.
Posted by: The Cozy Apron | February 6th, 2012 at 9:03 pm
Beautiful, my granddaughter and I make caramel apples in the fall. After watching this video I think we'll make some for Valentines day. Loved the blog, thanks Martha.
Posted by: Ofelia | February 6th, 2012 at 9:47 pm
Such a picturesque shop! Takes me back to the candy shops of childhood
Thank you
Posted by: Dede | February 6th, 2012 at 11:48 pm
What a great collection of photos! We have apple trees on our property here in Minnesota with the favorite being the crisp, long-keeper, Fireside. I am longing to try the Red candy apple and the 'turtle'. Amazing! Love the beauty within the shop too,Anna!
Posted by: Becky Stattelman | February 7th, 2012 at 1:07 am
I grew up near Ceaderburg and still visit the town a few times during the year; Amy's is one of my favorite places to stop! All of her chocolate is amazing and watching the girls at work is always fun. Also, the ice cream shop next door (The Chocolate Factory) is a "Must Stop" for anyone visiting Ceaderburg.
Posted by: Rebecca | February 7th, 2012 at 3:56 pm
Way to go Wisconsin! Woop woop:)
Posted by: Emma | February 10th, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Fresh apples, the smell of fresh chocolate and a beautiful rainbow of colors are
what your in for when entering Amy's. A place to take the family and start a
family tradition. Taking a walk, playing in the park and finishing up the day at
Amy's. Grandpa would love to sink his teeth into the truffles. Enjoy the simple
things in life. Memories you will remember........................
Posted by: Gloria | March 30th, 2013 at 8:52 am