These were actually so much easier to make than I thought they would be. The hardest part was getting the wax off of the apples!

“Kate tried then to think of a response that would steer the conversation away from her best friend, maybe even reveal her own passionate side, but who was she kidding? She had no passionate side. Tully was candy-apple-red silk; Kate was beige cotton.”

Kristin Hannah, Firefly Lane Tweet

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Hard Candy Apples

Pretty and tasty, these are not your typical red candy apples.

Prep Time10

Cook Time28

Total Time38

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: candy

Servings: apples

Calories: 405kcal

Author: Nerdy Gourmet

Equipment

candy thermometer
candy apple sticks
wax paper
cooking spray

Ingredients

6-8 medium apples
1/4 cup vinegar
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water
2 tbsp white food coloring
2 tsp food coloring
1 tsp clear extract

Instructions

Prepare apples. Start by boiling a large pot of water and 1/4 vinegar.
Once the water is boiling, put in 1-2 apples at a time for 5 seconds, no longer than 10 seconds.
Pull the apples out of the water and wipe down with a coarse towel to remove any remaining wax and also to dry them completely.
Pierce each apple with a candy apple stick and set apples aside.
Whisk together sugar, syrup, water and both food coloring in a heavy bottom saucepan.
(the white food coloring makes the color opaque so that the red or green of the apples don't show through and tint the final desired color. Best not to skip this step.)
Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Place candy thermometer in the mixture but not touching the bottom.
Boil until the candy reaches the hard crack stage, about 310°F. This will take time but you dont have to stir the mixture- it's actually better if you dont.
Line a baking sheet with wax paper and coat it generously with cooking spray.
Once the candy reaches 310°, immediately remove it from heat and gently stir in clear extract.
Dip and swirl each apple until they are coated. Set on the prepared baking sheet.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Enjoy!

Nutrition

If you like this recipe, check out the book that inspired it!

You can buy Firefly Lane here from Amazon or you can also choose to support local bookstores by purchasing it from Bookshop although I highly recommend listening to this book! You can buy the audio version at Libro.fm here.