Tag Archives: candy

Candied Apples

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Candy Apple slices decorated for Halloween

 

Happy Halloween, readers! I hope all of you are enjoying this sweet holiday. One of the things that makes this time of year so special is the many different kinds of apples which are available at the farmer’s markets. My husband and I recently took a trip to the Pennsylvania Dutch Amish country for the fall harvest. I used some of my bounty to make this recipe for candied applies.

 

Candy Apple slices decorated for Halloween

 

 

 

Ingredients

o   2-3 apples of different colors and varieties (such as Rome, Granny Smith, Gala or Yellow Delicious)

o   16 wooden apple sticks (also called apple batons)

o   16-oz container caramel dip

o   2 8-oz containers chocolate shells

o   Tubes of decorative icing, white and orange

o   12-oz bag finely chopped pecans

o   Sprinkles

 

Instructions

1. Melt chocolate according to directions on container.

2. Warm caramel dip in saucepan over low heat until smooth.

3. Core apples and cut into eight equal slices. Insert a wooden stick into each slice.

4. Carefully dip half the apple slices into the chocolate and half into the caramel.

5. Coat some of the slices with sprinkles and some with pecans. Allow to set and then decorate with icing. Get creative!

6. Stand up apples in a fun display. A trick to get the apples to stay upright is to use a head of cabbage as a stabilizer. Hide it in your base and cover with something decorative. I like to use a ceramic container and cellophane.

 

 

Happy cooking!

The Petite Gourmande

© 2016 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved

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Working with Chocolate

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Chocolate cooling on wax paper

Working with chocolate can be intimidating and it’s easy to make mistakes.

But I encourage you to try and you’ll see that with a little practice you can master it!

Melted milk chocolate on a spoon, dripping

Here are a few tips that will help you be successful:

o Break or chop chocolate into small pieces. It will help the melting process go more quickly and it will be easier to stir.

o Use a double boiler when melting, instead of directly over heat. Chocolate is quick to melt and quick to burn.

o If you prefer, you can melt it in the microwave. Do it in a microwave safe bowl and at reduced power. Melt at 10-15 second intervals and stir in between. Keep going until your mixture is smooth and creamy.

o Do not mix any milk, cream, or water into chocolate when it’s melting if you want it to firm up again. It’s important to keep the chemical composition consistent.

o Your bowl, spoon, cutting board, and any other tools should be clean and dry. As mentioned above, you don’t want any water to interfere with the melting process.

o When cooling, use wax paper. It will keep things clean and peel away easily.

Chocolate cooling on wax paper

o To store, make sure you use an airtight container and keep it in a cool, dry place at 60–75°F. Poor storage conditions will cause the chocolate to develop a light-colored powdery surface, this is caused by sugar or fat crystals rising to the surface and is called “bloom”. Making sure the chocolate doesn’t get too warm will prevent this.

o If stored properly, dark chocolate actually improves with age like a fine wine.

o Like with any recipe, a higher quality ingredient will make for a better product. I like to use a fine chocolate to get the best results. But if you are just starting out and practicing, use any type you want!

macaroons3

 

Remember to have fun with it and enjoy!

Happy cooking!

The Petite Gourmande

© 2016 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved

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