Photo: Flickr/brockney52

If you can tear your eyes away from the rows and rows of fall-perfect apples gracing supermarket entrances at this time of the year, and look a little bit to the side of the display, without fail you will see plastic tubs of dipping caramel. This is now an industry standard from the same marketing geniuses who make sure all strawberries are sold next to whipped cream and shortcake shells.

I won’t dispute that caramel and apples are two of those foods that seem made for each other – like chili and cornbread, lemon and ricotta, or strawberry and rhubarb. But the convenience here seems a little much, considering that caramel may be the easiest thing you’ll ever make (of course, that hasn’t kept whipped cream manufacturers from success – but that’s a whole ‘nother blog post).

From The Girls’ Guide to Guns and Butter — the best-named food blog on the internet — comes this easy caramel recipe. You don’t even need a candy thermometer! It’s a cinch, and it will make enough fabulous brown goo to last you through next apple season (run out of apples? Try dipping hard pretzels! You won’t regret it.).