Candied Apples

By

Anbar (Arabic for Candied Apples)

This post is a TOP 9 Featuring on Foodbuzz…

Who doesn’t know these sweet candy coated apples? Everybody loves them.

With a little bit of imagination, candied apples can be used in many occasions: as giveaways, place card holders, part of the dessert buffet, and even as a themed item in the buffet! You can place them on a long plate on the table or you can wrap them with a bag and tie to seal with a ribbon then give them as part giveaway…! Really these apples are just amazing anyway look at them!

Growing up in Amman,

every afternoon a guy with an old wooden trolley would roam the streets selling these to the neighbourhood’s children. In Arabic they are called A’nbar. My siblings, cousins and I used to wait for him everyday so we can buy our sweet apple treats. They were always made with crisp apples and they were always coated with a red layer of very sweet hard candy. Nowadays there is no limit to the flavour variations, apples are being dipped in a variety of sauces and toppers, that the red sugar coating is no longer the only option. They can be dipped in chocolate, coated with nuts, sprinkles, drizzled with lemon icing, or caramel drizzles… Caramel is in fact one very famous dipping sauce for apples, especially in USA.

Since it is February and Valentine’s is on the way, I thought why not go back to the traditional recipe of Candied Apples, in Traditional Cherry Red Colours. You can use these as part of your Valentine’s Special decor, or to share with your loved one. If you have youngsters or teens, they would love to send these to their special someone, and you would rank as the coolest mum ever!! So here you go, follow these simple steps into a sweet apple flavoured Valentine’s Day!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups caster Sugar
  • 1 cup Corn Syrup
  • Red Food colouring
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 5 apples washed, dried

Remove the stems and place a skewer securely in the middle of the apple where the stem was. Set aside.

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and stir to mix. Place the saucepan on high heat and keep stirring until the sugar dissolves. The liquid will be clear with tiny bubbles. wash down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush, pushing the stuck sugar crystals down with the brush. This is done to prevent the candy (sugar) from becoming brittle.

Stop stirring and place the candy thermometer in the saucepan. Continue cooking until the heat registers 285F. Carefully remove the saucepan from heat. Add the desired falvouring (vanilla, cinnamon, candly floss, candy bouquet….) and add the food colouring until you reach the desired shade. Mix well, and start dipping the apples.

Dip each apple and rotate it by turning the skewer or stick between your fingers while the apple is still dipped in the sauce until the whole apple is covered with the candy. Tap the stick on the side of the pan to release excess sauce.

Place on a lined baking sheet, and leave to set, about 2 hours.

Once set place them on the serving plate or cover each with a plastic wrapping paper and tie with a ribbon to seal. Keep at room temperature for up to 4 days.

 

How about you? Do you have any specific sweet tied in your memory to childhood? Is there any sweet that when you see, takes you straight to childhood? These candied apples do that for me, I must have been around 8 when they made it into my life, and ever since then every time I see them I just go back to that neighbourhood, that time and that space!!! I even know in my head the flavour, the crack of the candy from the first bite and the crisp contrast the apples give to the hard candy coating!! Heavenly! Let me hear your story 🙂

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