Candied Apples.(Brief Article)(Recipe)

Just in time for Halloween, a classic treat gets special treatment

CARAMEL APPLES

MAKES 8 APPLES

8 medium crisp, tart red apples 3 cups sugar 3/4 cup light corn syrup

2 cups evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed milk)

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 Wash the apples and thoroughly dry with paper towels. Remove the apple stems and insert wooden ice-cream sticks, skewers, or chopsticks through stem ends, extending to bases.

Place the apples on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. 

2 In a 4-quart saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1 cup evaporated milk. Cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir constantly as the mixture boils and rises almost to the top of the pan; if you keep stirring, the mixture will not overflow. Cook 10 minutes more.

3 Very gradually, add the remaining 1 cup evaporated milk. Continue stirring constantly as the mixture bubbles. The syrup will rise again to the top of the pan. Insert a candy thermometer and keep stirring and cooking until the syrup is very thick, bubbly, and caramel-colored and the thermometer reads 242 [degrees] F (firm-ball stage).

4 Immediately remove the pan from heat and stir in the vanilla. Tipping the pan slightly so the hot caramel collects in one area, immerse an apple into the caramel, leaving a 1-inch ring around the ice-cream stick so the red skin of the apple remains exposed. Twirl the apple a few times to coat evenly, then remove the apple from the caramel. Twirl it a few more times so the excess syrup falls back into the pan. Lightly drag the base of the apple over the lip of the pan to remove excess caramel. Set the apple on the waxed paper. Working quickly, coat remaining apples with syrup. (If you have caramel left over, scrape it into a small foil-lined dish. Let cool, then cut into individual caramel candies.)

5 Allow apples to stand until caramel has completely cooled and has set - about 1 hour. Caramel apples will keep at room temperature for 24 hours. Do not refrigerate, as this will make the candy coating tacky.

Nutrition information per apple - protein: 5 g; fat: 5 g; carbohydrate: 125 g; fiber: 3 g; sodium: 84 mg; cholesterol: 19 mg; calories: 546. For Toffee Candy Apples, see page 174

Old-fashioned caramel- and toffee-coated apples are memorable autumn snacks. While making the homemade coatings does take a little effort, the process is not difficult. To get started with both recipes, you'll need crisp, juicy apples, a candy thermometer, wooden sticks, a heavy saucepan, and waxed paper, Here are some tips for the best results:

1 Attach the candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan, making sure that the tip of the bulb doesn't touch the bottom of the pan. Upon reaching the desired temperature, carefully remove pan from heat.

2 Tilt the saucepan slightly so that the hot candy mixture collects in one area. Working quickly and carefully, dip an apple into the hot caramel, leaving a 1-inch ring around the wooden stick to keep a bit of the top of the apple exposed.

3 Set the apple on waxed paper, allowing it to cool and the caramel to set while you coat the remaining apples.