Whatever you and the kids are getting up to this Halloween, have some fun and try some spooky recipes.
Toffee apples, or candy apples to our American cousins, were invented by William Kolb a confectionary maker from New Jersey.
In 1908, as part of a window campaign to get more customers into his shop for the Christmas seasonal trade, Kolb was trying to promote his red cinnamon candy coating.
The shoppers, however, were more interested in the apples, and in later years he sold many thousands.
This recipe makes a good old-fashioned treat with a twist for kids, no matter how old!
Toffee Apples with Sprinkles
Ingredients
- 5 wooden skewers or lolly sticks
- 5 apple PinkLady, scrubbed
- 175 g light soft brown sugar Fairtrade
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 25 g butter unsalted, English
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
To decorate:
- 1 tbsp Halloween sprinkles
- 1 tbsp sugar stars
- 10 g ginger snap biscuits crushed
Instructions
- Insert a wooden skewer or lolly stick into the stalk end of each apple. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment.
- Put the sugar in a heavy-based pan with 120ml cold water and heat gently, stirring until it dissolves. Bring to the boil and add the vinegar, butter and golden syrup.
- Boil gently for 12 minutes, until it has reached the soft-crack stage (138°C on a sugar thermometer, or the point at which a little of the mixture, dropped into cold water, forms threads that bend slightly before breaking).
- Dip the bottom two-thirds of the apple in the toffee, turning to coat. Working quickly, get the children to add sprinkles, stars or biscuit crumbs to each apple. Leave to set on the baking parchment for 15 minutes.