Wendy's Kitchen Table

Who has fond memories of buying a toffee apple at school fairs? They were such a delicious crunchy treat. The crunchy apple coated in sweet red crunchy toffee. Dentists probably detest them but man were they good.

 

INGREDIENTS (Makes 15)

15 medium red apples, washed, dried

4 cups white sugar

1 cup water

½ tsp cream of tartar

2 teaspoons pillar box red food colouring

15 wooden chopsticks,

candy thermometer (optional)

 

METHOD

Push a stick into each apple.

Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

 

Place sugar and water into a heavy-­‐based saucepan over a low heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Stop stirring. Bring to the boil.

 

Using a wet pastry brush, brush away sugar crystals on sides of saucepan above syrup. Stir in cream of tartar and food colouring. Reduce heat to low.

 

Simmer toffee for 20 minutes or until it reaches hard crack stage. Mine took exactly 20 minutes. To check if your toffee has reached hard crack stage, add 1 teaspoon of toffee to a glass of ice-­‐cold water.

Remove solidified toffee from water and bend it. The toffee should crack easily and not feel sticky. Once toffee is at this stage, remove form the heat at once. If you have a candy thermometer simmer toffee until it reaches 154˚C.

 

Wait until toffee stops bubbling then dip 1 apple into toffee. Tip pan on an angle to coat apple, especially around the stick. Place onto prepared baking tray.

Repeat with remaining apples. Allow teasy.