Wash the apples and dry thoroughly. Place on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment, and press the popsicle sticks firmly down into the apple through the stem. Fill a heat proof bowl with some ice water for an ice bath and set aside.
Place the cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, bourbon, and sea salt in a saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Heat over medium to medium-high heat, stirring just until all the ingredients are combined. Heat until the temperature reaches 240 degrees F, or softball stage.
Remove the pan from heat and place in the ice bath, stirring until combined for about 1 minute.
Remove from the ice bath, and begin dipping the apples in the caramel. When removing the apples, let the excess caramel drip off for a few seconds, then place on the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining apples. If the caramel begins to harden, simply heat for a minute or so until it softens. Reserve remaining caramel for caramel candies or dip.
Place the apples in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes until set, then remove.
Melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl set in a pan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth. Place the warm chocolate in a zip top bag and snip off just a bit of one corner. Drizzle the chocolate over the apples, then sprinkle with the pecans and sea salt.
Let stand at room temperature or in the refrigerator until set. Store leftover apples in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Notes
Total time above includes setting time for the caramel and chocolate.
I used the tree branches for my photos alone and did not use them for dipping as there were too many bark particles to deal with even after cleaning the branches. If you'd like to use the branches, just plan to dip the apples with popsicle sticks first.
For an extra dark caramel, you can use dark corn syrup and dark brown sugar.
Apples can be made one day in advance and stored in the refrigerator before serving. Bear in mind that the chocolate will gray over time as it is not tempered.