Salted (and Other) Caramel Apples

Melt caramel with cream in a double boiler or glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Add vanilla and salt and stir until smooth. Stick one chopstick in the bottom of each apple. One at a time, dip the apple in the caramel, coating it all the way to the base of the stick. Allow excess to drip back into the pan for a couple of seconds, then carefully roll the apple in whatever topping you'd like. (There's a small window of opportunity for the toppings to easily stick!) Repeat with all the apples, refrigerating apples as soon as they're coated. Once cool, wrap apples with cellophane or plastic wrap.