We followed the recipe on the Kraft caramel candy package to make the caramel apples, and then waited 15 min for them to harden a bit in the refrigerator before dipping them again in melted chocolate. Then a quick dip into the toppings: peanuts, cashews, candy canes, pretzels, sweetened coconut flakes, and sprinkles.  We crushed up the candy canes with a mallet, but ended up doing it again in the food processor to make them fine enough for the tiny apples.