Sweet Treats: Homemade Candy Apples
Whether I was taking a stroll along Brighton Pier or gazing at the windows as I passed by Marceline's Confectionery at the Downtown Disney District in Southern California; it comes as no surprise that I am a lover of all things sweet, and that a Candy Apple is one of my favourite treats. With that in mind, I have to say that some of the best candy apples I have experienced have indeed come from the latter; and although they are a 10,000 mile roundtrip- they might just be worth it.
I recently attempted to re-create the delicious treat at home; and the results were pretty good!
Ingredients
- Granny Smith Apples
- A tin of Carnation Caramel (see below)
- Marshmallows (I used giant ones)
- Dark Chocolate
- Cake Pop Sticks/Skewers
- Muffin Cases (you'll see why later...)
You could just make the Caramel from scratch, but I decided to take the easy option and bought a tin of Nestle's Carnation Caramel; which you'll find at most supermarkets. Plus it saves a lot of time and hassle. Other brands are available.
Method
1. To start, soak the apples very briefly in some boiling water.
2. Dry thoroughly with some kitchen towel or paper - this removes the wax.
3. Insert a cake pop stick into the top of each apple, right through the middle.
4. Empty the tin of Caramel into a bowl and stir until soft.
5. Dip each apple into the bowl, ensuring it is covered completely.
6. Transfer onto a greaseproof paper-lined tray and chill in the fridge.
TIP: If required, melt the caramel over a bain-marie; but only for a very short amount of time.
About an hour later…
1. Cut up a giant marshmallow into triangular-shaped pieces.
2. Sticking one "triangle" to each side of the apple to create Mickey's ears.
3. Next, put the apples in the fridge so the caramel can set for a few hours, or overnight.
At this stage, the caramel should still be quite soft, and in my case the marshmallows stuck nicely.
You could however add the ears to the apple once it is covered in chocolate, but it depends on how you want to decorate it.
Chocolate, Chocolate and more Chocolate!
1. Melt some dark chocolate in bowl over a bain-marie until it is lovely and smooth.
2. Carefully dip each apple into the mixture, ensuring that you remove any excess.
3. Alternatively, put the caramel-coated apple onto a wire rack on some greaseproof and simply pour over.
4. Place each apple onto a flattened muffin-case and put in the fridge to set.
At this stage you could decorate the apple with some sprinkles and jelly beans, but sometimes the simpler things are better, right?
TIP: If you're looking to get a little bit of a chocolate shine; melt a little bit of butter along with the chocolate.
Finally
1. Take a photo, share it with @BenedictAshleyM on Twitter if you want!
2. Cut up the apple.
3. Share and enjoy! (That is if you do not want to be greedy!!!)
I find that these candy apples should should keep for 3-5 days in the fridge.
The Verdict
Overall, I was impressed with my homemade candy apples. Obviously I did not cover the marshmallow ears in the chocolate nor add any sprinkles, but otherwise it the taste was pretty similar. Next time I plan to get a bit creative and will add decorations but for a first attempt I'd give myself a 6/10.
Happy Apple-making!
