Crackling Candy Apples
8 sm Red apples
2 c Granulated sugar
1 c Water
1/2 c Corn syrup
1/4 ts Red food coloring
Remove stem from each small apple; insert wooden stir-stick, for
holding, in centre of stem end. Set aside. Grease baking sheet; set
aside.
In 12-cup heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, water and corn
syrup; cook, stirring, over medium-low heat for 8 minutes or until
sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil,
brushing down side of pan occasionally with brush, dipped in hot
water to prevent crystallization.
Boil, brushing down side occasionally but not stirring, for 15-25
minutes or until soft-crack stage of 290F 143C on candy thermometer,
or until 1/2 ts syrup dropped into cold water separates into hard
but pliable threads.
Remove syrup from heat; very quickly stir in red food coloring.
Immediately plunge bottom of pan into ice water and hold for about
15 seconds or until sizzling stops.
Holding each apple by the wooden stick and tilting the saucepan,
swirl each apple in candy syrup until well coated all over.
Lift apple and quickly swirl over pan to allow excess to drip off.
Place on prepared baking sheet; let stand at room temperature for at
least 30 minutes or until hardened.
Tip: Choose the reddest small apples available. Macintosh, Spartan
and Courtland apples are excellent.
Watch the boiling sugar mixture carefully, because the temperature
rises quickly near the end of the cooking process and the mixture
burns easily; plunging the pan into ice water stops the cooking and
prevents burning. Wear rubber gloves when swirling the apples to
avoid sugar burns.
Store apples, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days at
room temperature.
Yield: 8 servings |