The Food Gatherer's Note: It's that time of year again when the children look for everything to be Halloween themed. So here I am turning these perfect apples plucked from a garden tree into dental appointments on sticks! My girls love eating these and as long as I supervise the toffee, they love making them too. Make sure you start with wax free apples or you will find that the toffee will just slip off or set in unsightly clumps! - Kim Mansfield Davies
Cinnamon Toffee Apples
Ingredients:
Makes 8
8 Apples
400g Golden Caster sugar
100ml water
4tbs Golden Syrup
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
To Prepare:
Place the apples in a bowl and pour over boiling hot water, to remove the waxy coating. This will make sure that the caramel will stick later. Thoroughly dry and remove any stalks. Push in lolly stick into stalk of apple. Prepare a tray with baking paper on it ready for the toffee covered apples.
Tip the sugar into a saucepan with the water over a medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes until the sugar dissolves and then stir in the golden syrup, cinnamon and vinegar.
Heat until you get to the "hard crack" stage on a sugar thermometer or you can test by pouring a little into a bowl of cold water - if it hardens instantly it is ready, if you can squish it then its not, so continue to boil.
Carefully and quickly dip and twist each apple in the hot toffee until covered, and place onto the baking paper to harden. You may have to reheat the toffee a little if it cools and thickens. Leave them to cool. You can make these up to 2 days in advance and store in a dry place.