It’s apple season! While apples are found year long in supermarket produce aisles, fall is traditionally the season when many apple varieties can be found in abundance. The timing is perfect for fall harvest events and Halloween. Used in fun bobbing games; baked in cobblers, strudels, and pies; or used for decorating, apples are the quintessential fall fruit. Who doesn’t have fond nostalgic memories of eating crisp apples covered in a hard red candy shell; sweet, sticky toffee; or smooth and creamy caramel? Yum!
Choosing the right apple for toffee, candy, or caramel apples should take some consideration and is entirely dictated by personal preference. Granny Smith apples are tart and complement the sweetness of candy coatings – especially caramel. Fuji and Gala varieties are crisp, mild, sweet and thin-skinned. You really can’t go wrong with any crisp, sweet-tart variety. Avoid varieties that are dry or mealy textured. Still can’t decide? Use a combination of varieties and different colored apples: red, green and yellow.! Whatever apple variety you choose – coat with toffee and watch them disappear!
| Toffee Apples |
- 4 apples, washed (crisp eating apples are best)
- 4 small wooden popsicle sticks or skewers
- 8 oz brown sugar
- 3 2⁄3 fl oz water
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 7⁄8 oz butter
- Thoroughly wash and dry apples.
- Take one of the wooden skewers and push it through the top of an apple until it reaches about half way. Repeat the same thing with all four apples.
- Place a saucepan over a high heat and add the sugar and water. Stir, and allow it to heat and for the sugar to dissolve. When the mixture has reached boiling, add the vinegar and the butter and cook for about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Prepare a bowl of water. When the caramel darkens, after about 7 to 10 minutes boiling time, drop a little into the water. If it coagulates and hardens immediately then it’s ready.
- Dip each apple individually into the toffee mixture, giving a generous coating, and place them onto a parchment-lined tray to cool.
- When the toffee has cooled and set completely the apples are ready to be eaten.
CAUTION: Boiling sugar is extremely hot, and can inflict serious burns on the skin. Keep out of reach of children, and do not allow them to handle while toffee mixture is still hot.
VARIATIONS: Coat the bottoms of toffee apples by rolling in chopped nuts, coconut, or candy sprinkles while toffee mixture is still hot.
Also try these recipes from our Kitchen Corner: Candy-dipped Halloween Apples – dazzling apples with swirls of candy coating, sparkling with sugars, sprinkles and confetti or Caramel Dipped Apples – apples dipped in smooth, creamy caramel and garnished with white chocolate.
