Sticky Apples

Candy and caramel apples are usually found at carnivals or fairs so they are rarely eaten as a regular snack/dessert. This is a crime. They are so delicious, almost healthy, and so much fun! So, naturally, I thought I would give them a try at home.

The candy making aspect can be a bit difficult but, don’t be intimidated it’s easier than it sounds. I’ll walk you through the steps.

To make sure your candy or caramel comes out right you have to use a candy thermometer. Boiling the candy a few degrees higher or lower can make all the difference.

There are 5 main stages of boiling candy. The higher the temperature you boil the mixture at, the harder the candy turns out. The more water you allow to evaporate from the mixture, the more concentrated it becomes.

1. Soft ball stage

235° F–240° F

Sugar concentration: 85%

For fudge, fondant

2. Firm ball

245° F–250° F

Sugar concentration: 87%

For caramels, taffy

3. Hard ball

250° F–265° F

Sugar concentration: 92%

For nougat, rock candy, gummies

4. Soft crack

270° F–290° F

Sugar concentration: 95%

For saltwater taffy, butterscotch

5. Hard crack

300° F–310° F

Sugar concentration: 99%

For toffee, lollipops, nut brittles

Each stage refers to the state of each mixture at the given temperature when it’s dropped into cold water. For example, if you drop sugar at 235ºF (soft ball stage) into cold water, it will form a ball that will have little resistance to flatten like a pancake. If you drop sugar at 250ºF (hard ball stage) into cold water, it will form a hard ball that won’t be able to flatten.

I tested each stage for the caramel and the candy, and came to the conclusion that the best stage for the soft caramel is the firm ball stage. The best for the hard but chewy candy shell is the soft crack stage.

(I know this all sounds difficult, but stay with we. Trust me, its worth it.)

All right. Now that we got that down, let’s get to the cooking!

Caramel Apples

Ingredients:

For the caramel-

1 3/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups light brown sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the dipping-

8-10 apples of your choice (I recommend Granny Smith to balance the sweetness.)

8-10 popsicle sticks

toppings of your choice- here are some I chose:

1. Combine the cream, brown sugar, butter, and salt in a heavy duty saucepan. Using a wooden spoon, stir consistently until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil without stirring. Once the mixture is boiling, brush the sides of the pan with a damp pastry brush. This will prevent the sugar from crystalizing on the side of the pan. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan making sure it does not touch the bottom of the pan which will be hotter than the candy.

3. Cook the caramel until it reaches 235ºF (113ºC, soft ball stage). Begin stirring lightly once every minute. If candy splashes on the side of the pan, brush it with the wet pastry brush. The caramel will begin to thicken. When the caramel reaches 245ºF (118ºC, firm ball stage) immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

4. Set the caramel aside for 10 minutes and pour into a bowl for dipping. If you are not using it right away, let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

5. Now for the fun part, dipping! Wash the apples with warm water to get rid of the wax coating. Make sure they are completely dry, and remove stems. Insert the popsicle sticks into each apple.

Holding the apple by the stick, dip each apple into the caramel allowing the excess to drip off by holding the apple sideways and spinning it.

(Yum!😱)

Roll the apples in any toppings you like. Get creative with this one! Create your own combinations and have fun with it.

Candy Apples

Ingredients:

8-10 apples

2 1/2 cups of sugar

1/2 cup of light corn syrup

1/2 cup of water

1 teaspoon liquid red food coloring

flavoring of your choice

8-10 popsicle sticks

1. Wash the apples with warm water to get rid of the wax coating. Make sure they are completely dry, and remove stems. Insert the popsicle sticks into each apple.

2. Place the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a heavy duty sauce pan, and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan making sure it does not touch the bottom of the pan which will be hotter than the candy.

3.Once boiling, quickly stir in the food coloring and flavoring. Do not stir beyond this point. Cook the candy until it reaches 290ºF (143ºC, soft crack stage) and immediately remove from the heat.

4. Using the stick to hold the apple, dip each apple into the candy allowing some to drip off. Allow candy to set for 30 minutes.

Have any extra candy? With caution, because the candy will be hot, pour the leftover sugar into a pastry bag and cut a slit at the end. Lay some sticks on a piece of parchment paper and squeeze some candy over them. You just made lolli-pops!

So there you have it! You are now a candy master. Go forth and discover more candy recipes and make them because they are so much fun!

And keep muffin around the kitchen 😉.