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Step 1 - Prep the apples: Cover a baking sheet with wax or
parchment paper and generously coat the paper with nonstick
spray or you can brush it with oil. This is a must to prevent the
apples from sticking to the paper. Remove stems from the apples
and insert skewers, Popsicle sticks, or chopsticks as shown.
If your apples are natural or organic, you're set. But if they have
WAX on them from the store, you MUST REMOVE THE WAX or
the candy coating will not stick. To remove wax, dip apples very
briefly in boiling water, dry well, and chill them in the refrigerator
(to prevent mushiness) before continuing with this recipe.
Step 2 - Make the candy coating: Combine sugar, water, honey,
cinnamon sticks, and food coloring in a nonstick saucepan. (The
red food coloring will darken as the candy cooks, so don't go too
heavy on it. I suggest 1/4 teaspoon and 4 or 5 extra drops, not much more than that.)
Stir the mixture over medium-high heat only until the sugar is completely melted. Once it’s melted, you’re safe to boil it.
DO NOT STIR AGAIN AT THIS POINT. Turn the heat up and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. After about 10 minutes of a
continual, rolling boil, the candy should be ready or very close.
Testing candy for doneness (no candy thermometer?):
To check without a thermometer, dip a spoon into the mixture
and drop some of the liquid candy into a glass of ice cold water.
Does it harden up quickly into a crunchy, brittle substance?
If it does, you’re ready to make candy apples. If not, keep
cooking but check frequently to prevent burning.
Testing candy for doneness (with a candy thermometer):
If you're using a candy thermometer, look for a temperature from
280 to 300 degrees F. Don’t go much beyond that or you’ll risk
burning the candy.
Step 3 - Coat the apples: BE CAREFUL with this step because
the candy-coating is very hot and will burn if it splashes onto you.
Turn the heat off under the pan and allow the boiling to stop. Tip
the pan slightly and dip a skewered apple in the coating. Twirl the apple
for an even coat. Lift and allow excess to drip back into the pan. Place
newly dipped candy apple on greased wax or parchment paper.
COATING TIP: Do not double-dip or apply a super-thick coating. Take
it from me, if the candy is too thick, your teeth will not be able to penetrate it. Simply dip once for a thin candy-coating.
As it cools, it will harden prettily (similar to the hardness of peanut brittle).
Candy-Making Temperatures Grid: For a
handy grid of temperatures attached to each
stage of candy making, turn to page 4.