Learn how to make gourmet candy apples at home and pass along this sweet tradition.You probably remember getting fire-engine-red candy apples in your Halloween trick-or-treat bag as a child. The crunchy, sweet coating would give way to a luscious, juicy bite of apple…the perfect autumn treat.

For the best candy apples, you’ll want to make sure you choose small, ripe apples. If the apples are too big, you’ll find they are too sweet and too much to eat at one sitting, and candied apples don’t keep well once you’ve bitten into them. Look for small, firm apples. Granny Smith, Braeburn and McIntosh apples are the best to pair with the candy coating used in a traditional recipe.

There are a few candy apple supplies you’ll want to have on hand. You will need clean popsicle sticks, tin foil, a heavy saucepan, a candy thermometer and a pastry brush.

Gourmet Candy Apples

Ingredients:
8 small apples
8 popsicle sticks
1 pot of boiling water
1 bowl cold water
2 cups white granulated sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
¾ cup water
¾ teaspoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon flavoring of your choice

Wash and dry apples. Remove stems. Insert popsicle sticks into apples where stems used to be. Holding onto the stick, dip each apple into the pot of boiling water for two to three seconds apiece, then plunge the apple into the bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. This process will remove the waxy coating on the apple so the candy coating will stick better.

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and set it next to the sink in your kitchen.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup and ¾ cup of water in the saucepan and heat on medium low, stirring constantly. When the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat to medium and stop stirring. You need to make sure the sugar dissolves completely before you allow the syrup to boil, or the sugar will crystallize. Try not to stir once the mixture begins to boil. If you think the mixture is crystallizing anywhere, use a wet pastry brush to brush warm water on the sides of the pan to prevent any sugar crystals from forming. Place a candy thermometer in the boiling syrup and wait for the syrup to heat to a temperature of 310 degrees.

Fill your kitchen sink with about two inches of warm water. Place the hot saucepan with the candy coating (at 310 degrees) into the sink basin so the warm water keeps the sugar syrup warm but stops it from getting hotter. As quickly as possible, add flavoring and food coloring and stir until well mixed.

Take your first apple on a stick and dip it into the candy coating, twirling it in the syrup until it is well coated. Be very careful not to touch the syrup with your hands; it is extremely hot. When the apple is sufficiently covered, put the apple on the cookie sheet (lined with tin foil) so it can cool, and immediately proceed to dip the next apple.

When the candy coating becomes too thick to easily dip apples, return the sauce pan to the stove and reheat, adding a couple tablespoons of water. Empty the sink basin and refill will warm water in preparation of round two of dipping apples. Repeat this process until you are done with all the apples.

You can make these apples any flavor you like. The standard flavors are cinnamon or cherry, but feel free to add any flavor you please—grape, raspberry, and lime are three popular flavors to use. If you use a usual flavor, feel free to add the appropriate color food coloring instead of the classic red.

Jazz up your candied apples by rolling them in candy, crushed nuts, or other toppings right after dipping them in candy coating from the saucepan. Prepare a bowl with the toppings and have it on hand right beside you as you dip the apples. You may wish to line the bowl with tin foil in case any of the candy coating drips onto your bowl while you roll the candied apple in the topping; that hardened candy coating can be tough to remove. Try a bowl of jimmies, colored sugar, crushed nuts or small candies such as Nerds or M&Ms.

Before you give your gourmet candy apples away, wrap them in cellophane and tie a ribbon around the stick. Take pride in your autumn treats!