Maple and Bourbon Candy Apples
These maple and bourbon candy apples would be the perfect addition to your grown-up Halloween or autumn party!
Servings: 0
Ingredients
- 6 medium sweet apples (or 12 small)
- 6-12 wooden candy apple dowels or firm sticks
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 1/2 cup dark maple syrup
- 3/4 cup bourbon
- 1/2 cup boiling water will need when candy reaches 220 F. (104 C.).
- 1/2 tsp red food coloring (optional), plus more if needed
Instructions
- Wash and dry the apples thoroughly. Poke the apples with dowels or firm sticks (if gathering sticks from outside, wash them well). Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or buttered parchment paper and set aside.
- Place a candy thermometer in a medium saucepan (do not let the bulb of the thermometer touch the bottom of the pan). Add the sugar, bourbon, and dark maple syrup. Gently stir to combine.
- Over low-medium heat, stir gently and constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved (you’ll no longer feel the grainy bits at the bottom of the pan). This step is important – make sure the sugar has dissolved completely, be sure to feel at the bottom edges of the pan too and slide the thermometer over to get any sugar that might have been caught underneath.
- Let the temperature slowly rise while stirring quite often, still very gently, until it reaches 220 F. (104 C.). Add the boiling water (very carefully as it may splatter). The temperature will go down a bit, that’s okay. Raise the heat to medium-high, stirring often and very gently, use your judgment while the mixture is heating up to the hard crack stage, if you think it smells like it’s burning, lower the heat just a bit, the mixture should begin to take on the aroma of toffee. Continue to gently stir until the mixture comes to the hard-crack candy stage at 300 F. (149 C.) degrees, this process could take 15 minutes or longer.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Carefully remove the thermometer and add the food coloring. Gently stir to mix in the color in completely. Dip and twirl an apple through the candy, leaving some apple peeking out on top (near the stick) to make it easier to cut or bite into. Allow excess candy to drip off into the pan. Place the apple on the baking sheet to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Repeat with the remaining apples.
Notes
The candy will have a nice toffee color when done, you can decide to leave it as-is or add a little red food coloring for a more traditional appearance.
To clean the thermometer and pan, add them together again along with a good squeeze of dish soap and a little bit of hot tap water to half-fill the pan. Bring to a low boil. As the candy heats up again it will melt. The soap and water will keep it diluted. Stir until any remaining candy in the pan and on the thermometer dissolves. Carefully drain down the sink while continuing to run the hot water.