THE STORY OF A CANDY APPLE

as told by a candy apple ::

"once upon a time, I was just a plain, ol', regular fuji apple. I spent my days in a far away land growing sweeter and sweeter on the branch of my mother apple tree. everyday, the growers would wander around selecting those of us who were considered, in their terms, "ripe and ready." I was passed up time and time again and was beginning to lose hope. until one day, I was picked! out of all of the apples on the tree, they chose me. in an instant, I had lots of responsibility. I had to make the next flight out to an undisclosed tropical location. it was all those transport people could do to keep me cool until I could make my debut in the produce section of a local grocery! and there I sat for about a day until a magical giantess came along and chose me and a few other highly preferred apples, like myself. I could tell she was up to no good when I saw that mischievous twinkle in her giant eyes. and sure enough, what she had planned for me and my buds was horrific. we underwent a chemical concoction, tremendous bubbling, and a high, high temperature. I believe I am now some sort of delicious monster. I don't even feel like myself anymore. I have this new skin made of some sort of sticky, creamy, buttery mixture that I can't get out of. and since you're already reading, I would like to report a missing fruit. the chap who got smothered in sea salt hasn't been seen since the mistresses' last meal of the day, and I'm starting to worry. please accept this as my last living testament. I may be next."

oh man, I am nothing if not a wee bit of a dork. and yes, I do put that much personality into all of my bakery, confectionary treats. it's a little bit embarrassing, but this is the space to embarrass myself, so at least I'm in the right place. always a relief.

anyway, can you believe it's almost halloween?! it kind of seems like a gruel joke ( mean girls fans, anyone? ). regardless, I love this holiday. it's the cutest thing to see littles picking out their halloween costumes and grandmothers buying five pound bags of candy to ship to their grandchildren. in a way, it's sort of the kick off for all of the other holidays to follow, but that doesn't mean it's of any less importance. oh no! we need those halloween treats and all of the justification that comes along with them. now, where to begin...

candy apples

ingredients

4 apples

( granny smith or fuji work the best )

4 chopsticks

( or popsicle sticks )

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup half & half

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

( I don't keep this on hand, so I mixed 1 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup water )

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp salt

any toppings you desire

method

step one :: to begin, ready your apples. they'll holler and protest again and again, but you know what's best for them ;) first, pull out their stems and wash them under hot water. this allows their waxy surface to dull a little, which in turn, will help the caramel stick a little easier. then stick the chopstick through their bottoms. place on a plate and let cool in the fridge.

step two :: next, ready your station. in a large pot, the kind you use for canning, create an ice bath that fills the pot about halfway. then place a sheet of parchment paper out on a cookie sheet. things go super fast once the caramel is onto boil, so I like to get these steps out of the way.

step three :: in a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, half & half, corn syrup, and butter until indistinguishable. then, add the salt.

step four :: let boil at a medium-to-medium-high heat until candy thermometer reads 248 degrees fahrenheit ( about 125 celsius, I believe ). 

*if you're without a candy thermometer, mixture should form a firm ball when placed in a glass of ice cold water.

step five :: when the caramel is ready, remove from heat and immediately move to ice bath. let sit until the boiling stops. then, mix the caramel thoroughly so that the cold candy on bottom is mixed into the melted candy on top.

step six :: dip your apples. I had to tip my saucepan at a 45 degree angle in order to cover all the way around. and don't worry, the apples don't feel a thing. I imagine that it feels a bit like a warm hug. let excess caramel drip from the apple. this could take anywhere from 20-30 seconds. then, place on parchment paper. repeat for following four apples. when finished, place in the fridge.

step seven :: before caramel has completely set, top those babies off! I used m&m minis, white chocolate crumbles, almonds, and salt. roll your apple bottoms through topping and return to the fridge.

*if the caramel on your apples has slid a little bit causing a little solidified puddle to pool around your apple, take the back of a butter knife to smooth it out.

step eight :: cut into eighths and enjoy with friends or just hog that little guy all to yourself! but hurry, after about a day or so, those fruits start to get a mind about them and it'll be all out mutiny from there.

before whipping these up, I had no idea mitch had never had one before! I couldn't even believe it, so I let him lick and chomp on one all his own. I, on the other, cut mine up into dainty little pieces like a lady. pinkies up and all. what halloween treats are you guys cooking up this season? I'd love to know. just leave it in the comments. and if you do give these a go, let me know how it goes with #bakewithelegance and tag me on instagram or twitter. have an amazing tuesday!

love, arielle