Dads cook. Moms bake. Not always, but that's the way it plays out at our house.
I don't have a problem with that. I love being at the grill with a slab of ribs or a dozen burgers.
But it seems like moms have more fun making cookies, baking brownies, and playing with the sugary goodness. All the stuff you save room for after you've pigged out on dad's grillins.
So when my daughter asked me to help her make candy apples, I decided to take a little time off work and dig into the sugar.
Two caveats: I've never made candy apples before and I'm not endorsing hard-as-glass sugary snacks or corn syrup. Well, not every day at least. It is October, and with Halloween just around the corner, I figured now would be a good time to practice.
Making candy apples is pretty easy if you have a candy thermometer handy. What you'll need is:
- 2 Cups Sugar
- 1 Cup Light Corn Syrup
- 1/2 Cup of Hot Water
- Food coloring or 1/2 Cup of Red Hots
Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil, wax paper or plastic wrap. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Wash and dry the apples, remove the stems, and skewer through the center with Popsicle sticks or any sturdy wooden sticks.
Add the sugar, corn syrup, and water to a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Then, cook without stirring until the temperature reaches 250 degrees F.
At 250 degrees, add the Red Hots or food coloring. We used blue food coloring because we'd never seen blue candy apples before. Remember, this was an experiment for me.
Stir briefly to thoroughly mix the color, then stop stirring until the temp reaches 280 degrees F. Remove from heat and stir until smooth and even.
Holding the apples by the sticks, dip into the mixture to coat the entire apple. Remove from the saucepan, twirling to allow excess to fall into the pan. Place on baking sheet and allow to cool, about 20 minutes or so. Eat within 24 hours.
Our first one had too much candy coating but made for a nice effect. I'm ready to get crazy with new colors for another official run in a few weeks.
Happy Halloween!
