Candy Apples

When it comes to iconic fall desserts, candy apples top my list. What are candy apples, exactly? Pretty much exactly what they sound like: apples that have been “candied,” or dipped in a sugar-syrup coating that sets into a crisp, sweet shell. While you’ve likely had them at orchards, state fairs, and the like, candy apples are a treat you can easily make at home. You need only a handful of ingredients, a candy thermometer, and about half an hour to make these festive treats for every fall party or Halloween bash. Here’s everything you need to know.

How To Make Candy Apples

INGREDIENTS

• Granulated Sugar: Provides sweetness and structure for the candy coating, so it sets into a hard, glossy shell.
• Light Corn Syrup: Prevents crystallization of the sugar, ensuring a smooth and shiny candy coating that adheres well to the apples.
• Red Food Coloring: Because candy apples were invented using red hot candies, their coating is often flavored with cinnamon. More recently, it’s become popular to simply use a little red food coloring, and that's what I've done here.
• Granny Smith Apples: Their tart flavor offers a welcome contrast to the sweetness of the candy coating, and their firm texture helps them stand up to the hot sugar-syrup bath.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First order of business: pan prep. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray, line it with parchment paper, then grease the paper. This double-greasing technique anchors the parchment to the baking sheet

Skewer the apples with long, sturdy wooden sticks—I recommend ice-pop sticks. You'll want to insert the sticks into that apples from the stem end and push them in about halfway.

Now for the confectionery! While my recipe only calls for a few ingredients, there is one requisite piece of equipment you'll need to get the sugar coating just right: a candy thermometer. Nailing the exact temperature of the sugar syrup will ensure your candy coating sets up just right! With that in mind, fit a heavy-bottomed medium pot with a candy thermometer, then bring the sugar, corn syrup, food coloring, and 3/4 c. water to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to boil the mixture until the thermometer registers 300° to 310° (what candy makers call the "hard crack" stage). This will take some time—15 to 20 minutes, more or less.

As soon as the syrup has reached the hard crack stage, remove the pot from the heat and let the syrup cool just until the bubbles subside. Then, working quickly but carefully, use the sticks to dip the apples, one at a time, into the candy mixture to coat.

Transfer the candy apples to the prepared baking sheet and let them sit, undisturbed (seriously, hands off!), until completely cool.

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• What are the best types of apples for candy apples? With candy apples, the most important thing is to use an apple that's firm enough to stay crunchy after a dip in hot sugar syrup. A little tartness to balance the candy coating is also desirable. I'm a fan of Granny Smiths for this purpose. Other good options include Pink Lady, Rome, or Fuji apples.
• How do you prepare the apples for candy apples? That is the easy part! You’ll want to wash the apples and dry them very thoroughly, of course, but after that all you need to do is poke a wooden stick about halfway into each one and they’re all ready for dipping.

Storage

Candied apples will last about 3 days in the refrigerator. You’d think they’d last longer (aren’t they just apples coated in sugar?) but the hole made by the wooden stick causes them to degrade faster, limiting their shelf life. Store them in an airtight container to keep the sugar coating as crisp as possible.