Snickers Caramel Apple Salad

Where I grew up in the midwest, salad encompassed a lot more than just leafy dishes. One popular dish I would see at a lot of potlucks was Snicker Salad. I didn't appreciate it for the longest time, but I eventually tried it and really enjoyed the mix of flavors. Since thanksgiving is coming up, a time when we get together and share foods, I thought I would make it and share it with you.

The amounts of the snickers and apples can vary based on your preference. Think of those amounts as starting points and go from there.

Ingredients:

• 3.4oz box of Vanilla Pudding - the kind that doesn't require cooking
• 1/2c Milk
• 8oz container of Cool Whip
• 2-3 Granny Smith Apples - I originally cut up 4, but decided to only use 2 apples worth, 3 would probably work well too
• 5 Snickers bars
• Optional: Lemon juice + water for keeping the apples from browning

This would probably feed 5 - 10 people depending on how much they took, but feel free to double the recipe. If you want more cool whip or pudding, I suggest increasing the first 3 ingredients since they go together.

Optional Add-Ins:

• Peanuts
• Marshmallows
• Marshmallow Cream
• Chocolate Chips
• Replace Snickers with a different chocolate candy bar

Optional Toppings:

• More cut up Snickers bars
• Caramel syrup
• Chocolate syrup
• Peanuts
• Pretzels
• Chocolate Chips

If anyone tries any variations, I'd love to see them and hear how you liked it!

Utensils:

• Knife and cutting board
• Apple Slicer - I didn't use this, but I plan on using it next time I make it to save time
• Various bowls and spoons for mixing
• Storage container with lid

I decided to start by cutting up my apples and Snickers. If you do this first, you do have the danger of the apples starting to brown before you mix them in your salad. To avoid this, I cut them up and threw them in a container of lemon juice and water. Even a day later the apple pieces I had leftover were still looking as fresh as when I cut them.

Cut the apple into slices (the apple slicer will do this for you easily) and then cut those slices into chunks. When you are cutting, keep in mind that you will be scooping this up, so cut them into slices you feel comfortable eating.

For the Snickers, again cut it the way you want it, but I cut it once lengthwise, and then cut them into pieces.

Time to mix the base of your salad. I decided to start by mixing my milk and pudding together. Once they were mixed, I added in the Cool Whip. You should probably thaw it in the fridge for a few hours before you need it. I forgot, and it only thawed for about 15 minutes and that was still fine, so if you don't get a chance to thaw it, you should be fine, you just have to mix well.

To finish everything off, just throw in your cut up apples and Snickers. Mix it all up so everything is coated. At this point you'll have a good idea if you want more chunks or if you are happy as it is. This is when I decided to not add the 2 other apples I cut up and ended up cutting up the 5th Snickers bar.

Put it in a container and cool in the fridge. It seemed fine when I tasted it, but it just seemed like it tasted better after sitting in the fridge. It should keep for a couple days as long as the apples stay good. If you are concerned and you need it the next day, I suggest saving some of the Cool Whip instead of mixing it all in at once and mix that in right before serving. Just to try to fluff it up a bit.

Put on your toppings of choice and enjoy. I stuck with just caramel, but look around your kitchen and see what you find :)