Whether you call then Toffee Apples or Candy Apples we all know these delightful bright red treats from our childhoods. I don’t see them as often in the shops anymore they occasionally pop up on the shelves just before bonfire night here in the UK but I guess its all the sugar that has made people turn their backs on these amazing treats. Well not on this site, on this site we embrace sugar and revel in its amazing skills of turning all things sweet 😀
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Perfect for Halloween or Bonfire Night
These lovely semi-healthy toffee apples or candy apples treats (hey they have an apple in them!) are both easy and cheap to make. All they really are is sugar, water a little corn syrup (golden syrup can be used) and a few drops of red food colouring. I used gel food colouring as I find the gel colouring gives you a better colour but please use what you have available to you.
For anyone who grew up in the UK, they will have memories of eating one of these while keeping as close as they could to the bonfire to stay warm in the November chill while oohing and ahhing at the exploding fireworks on Bonfire Night. These toffee apples or candy apples also make a great last-minute treat for Halloween.
The red food colouring is optional, but it does make these very festive if you do decide to use it. I only made a small batch of 4 but this recipe can easily be doubled, tripled or quadrupled to suit your needs for however many toffee apples or candy apples you need.
Equipment
I know a few of my recipes recently have needed a candy thermometer, as does this one, but they are cheap to buy and really handy for making jams, fudge, toffees as well as candies and let’s not forget salted caramel sauce as well 😀
The only other thing you need is lollypop sticks, or if you are only making them for friends, then like me improvise and use some chopsticks! They need to be sturdy enough so when you or your friends tuck in the stick won’t bend and break.
Tip
I found this tip somewhere on the internet and I seriously can’t recommend it enough. While making these your pan will get covered in toffee that will harden and become near on impossible to remove. To remove it simply fill your pan with hot water and put it back on the heat and gently boil the water and stir and you will find all that rock hard candy will dissolve and your pan will look as good as new when you are finished. Genius tip!
Toffee Apples or Candy Apples
Ingredients
- 4 medium-sized apples
- 225 grams granulated sugar ((1 and 1/8 cup))
- 110 millilitres water ((1/3 cup and 1/8 cup))
- 25 grams Unsalted butter ((2 tablespoons))
- 1/2 teaspoon vinegar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup - golden syrup can be used as a substitute
- 1 teaspoon red food colouring - 1/2 teaspoon if using gel colouring
Instructions
- Grab a sheet of baking parchment and very lightly grease it with butter and place it near to your stove where you will be covering your apples with the hot toffee.
- Place the apples in a large bowl, then cover with hot water. This will remove the waxy coating and help the caramel stick. Dry thoroughly and twist off any stalks. Push a wooden skewer or lolly stick into the stalk end of each apple.
- Combine the sugar and water in a medium-sized pan and over a medium heat stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Once the sugar has dissolved add the butter, vinegar, syrup and red food colouring and gently bring it to the boil and heat until it reaches 138C (280F) on your candy thermometer.
- Working quickly and carefully, dip and twist each apple in the hot toffee until covered, let any excess drip away, then place on the greased baking parchment to harden. You may have to heat the toffee a little again if the temperature drops and it starts to thicken.
- To clean the pan fill it with hot water and boil it again until the dissolves. Pour it down the sink then run a very hot tap down your sink for a few minutes to wash everything away.
Notes
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Wow delicious. thank you for sharing these amazing recipes with us.
Hi Jess and Brandon, thank you so much 😀
Wow they are beautiful and seems very delicious !
Thank you so much 🙂
These look so good, love how shiny they are! Ideal for bonfire night.
Thank you I always enjoyed one of these while watching the fireworks on bonfire night 😀
It must have been a CENTURY since I last had a candied apple. Now you have me crave one, or two! They look really super, Emma.
Hi Angie thank you 😀 I do love them at this time of year they are so fun to eat!
Candy apples always make me think of growing up! These look awesome – and so fun with the red!
Hi Ashley thank you, its strange how these treats can transport you back to childhood it does me too 😀
I’ve always wondered how these are made…they’re so pretty and festive! I wholeheartedly embrace sugar as well–no complaints here! 🙂
Hi Brianna thank you, I am glad you are a fellow embracer of sugar 😉
I love candy apples – they always remind me of when I was younger and would go trick-or-treating with my brothers. Yours look fantastic! Love the pretty red color!
Hi Kelly, thank you 😀 there is something about them that reminds me of being younger as well.