Description
Delight in these festive Striped Candy Apples, featuring a crisp apple base coated in a glossy, hard candy shell with vibrant red and green stripes. Perfect for parties or holiday treats, this recipe combines the classic sweetness of candy apples with a visually appealing twist that is sure to impress.
Ingredients
Scale
Apples and Sticks
- 6 medium apples, washed and dried
- 6 wooden sticks
Candy Coating
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup water
- Red food coloring
- Green food coloring
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Insert sticks: Insert wooden sticks into the stem end of each washed and dried apple to create a handle for dipping and serving.
- Prepare syrup: In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, light corn syrup, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves completely, ensuring a smooth syrup base.
- Boil to hard crack stage: Increase heat and allow the mixture to boil vigorously without stirring, using a candy thermometer until it reaches 300°F (hard crack stage), which ensures the candy coating will harden properly.
- Divide candy syrup: Remove the saucepan from heat and immediately divide the hot candy syrup evenly into two separate heatproof bowls for coloring.
- Add colorings: Stir red food coloring into one bowl and green food coloring into the other bowl, mixing each well to achieve vibrant hues; add vanilla extract to either bowl if desired for flavor enhancement.
- Dip apples: Dip each apple first into the red candy syrup, allowing excess to drip off, then quickly roll or drizzle the green candy syrup over the coated apple to create distinctive stripes.
- Cool and harden: Place the striped candy apples on a greased baking sheet to cool fully, allowing the candy coating to become hard and glossy.
- Serve: Once cooled and hardened completely, serve the candy apples as a delicious, colorful treat.
Notes
- Use a candy thermometer to accurately reach the hard crack stage and ensure crisp candy coating.
- Work quickly when dipping and decorating as the candy syrup hardens fast once off heat.
- Greasing the baking sheet prevents the candy apples from sticking while cooling.
- Optional vanilla extract adds a subtle depth of flavor to the candy coating.
- Store candy apples in a cool, dry place to maintain crispness; avoid refrigeration to prevent sticky texture.
- For extra variety, try different food coloring combinations or add edible glitter for festive flair.
