Prep: 10 mins
Difficulty: A Challenge
Cook: 10 Mins
Makes: 8
Ingredients
8 Granny Smith apples
400g golden caster sugar
1 tsp vinegar
4 tbsp golden syrup
Method
- Place the apples in a large bowl, then cover with boiling water (you may have to do this in 2 batches). This will remove the waxy coating and help the caramel to stick.
- Dry thoroughly and twist off any stalks.
- Push a wooden skewer or lolly stick into the stalk end of each apple.
- Lay out a sheet of baking parchment and place the apples on this, close to your stovetop.
- Tip the sugar into a pan along with 100ml water and set over a medium heat.
- Cook for 5 mins until the sugar dissolves, then stir in the vinegar and syrup.
- Set a sugar thermometer in the pan and boil to 150C or ‘hard crack’ stage.
- If you don’t have a thermometer you can test the toffee by pouring a little into a bowl of cold water. It should harden instantly and, when removed, be brittle and easy to break. If you can still squish the toffee, continue to boil it.
- Working quickly and carefully, dip and twist each apple in the hot toffee until covered, let any excess drip away, then place on the baking parchment to harden.
- You may have to heat the toffee a little if the temperature drops and it starts to feel thick and viscous.
- Leave the toffee to cool before eating.
Can be made up to 2 days in advance, stored in a dry place.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2009
Image from: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/13599/homemade-toffee-apples
