Red Hot Candied Apples

Red Hot Candied Apples

Ingredients:
 

8 medium sized apples
2 cups sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
¾ cup water
½ - ¾ tsp cinnamon oil (see Note: below)
20 drops red food coloring

Directions:

• Pour your sugar, light corn syrup, and water into a thick-bottomed pan and bring to a boil over high heat.

• Stir so that the sugar fully dissolves.

• Insert a candy thermometer and reduce the heat to medium.

• DO NOT STIR at this point.

• Continue heating the mixture until it reaches the hard crack stage (300-310 degrees F).

• If you do not have a candy thermometer or want an additional test, drop a little of the molten syrup in cold water and it will form hard, brittle threads that break when bent.

• (To avoid burning yourself, allow the syrup to cool in the cold water for a few moments before touching it!)

• While you are waiting for the candy to reach the hard crack stage, wash your apples and insert your sticks.

• You can use sucker sticks, skewers, or popsicle sticks.

• Lay out some parchment paper (Don’t use wax paper) for the apples to harden on later.

• When your mixture reaches the hard crack stage, add your food coloring and cinnamon oil.

• Tilt your pan to the side to pool the candy mixture and rotate your apple around in it. Lift the apple and let some of the excess drain back into the pot.

• You can coat six small Gala apples with this recipe. 

• Don’t remove from the heat too soon or you will create a mixture that will pull out any fillings you might have.

• Don’t use too little cinnamon flavoring.

• Don’t use too large of a pan or the candy won’t be deep enough to get a good reading on your candy thermometer. Also, it will be more difficult to dip your apples.

• Don’t use skewers that are too thin.They won’t hold up to the weight of the apple.

  Note: If you want to make the old fashioned "Candy Apples" that are sweet (not hot) omit the cinnamon oil.