Maple candy apples
These candied apples call for nothing more than maple syrup and the apples. Simply cook a pot of syrup until it reaches 248 degrees, or “firm-ball” stage. Simple as this sounds, give yourself plenty of time. It takes about an hour for the syrup to gently boil to the right temperature, and you’ll want to keep the heat low enough that the syrup doesn’t boil over and burn.
The first thing you’ll want to do is give your apples a good cleaning. Beyond the natural dirt, you’ll need to remove any wax. Blanch your apples for 10 seconds or so in boiling water treated with a little lemon juice or cider vinegar – the acid in the water will help to break down the wax. Wipe the apples clean, then chill them in an ice bath to bring the temperature down so the residual heat doesn’t cook the apples.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Butter or grease the paper and set the sheet aside.
In a small, heavy pot, add the syrup. Very slowly boil the syrup over medium heat until a candy thermometer reaches 248 degrees, about 1 hour. Watch the syrup carefully so it does not boil over the sides of the pot, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the boiling slow but steady. Remove the pot from heat.
At this point, you can create two types of maple candy coating: For a glossy coating similar to “sugar on snow” candy, simply dip the apples in the hot mixture. For a coating similar to molded maple candies, stir the mixture until it begins to crystallize and become opaque before dipping the apples.
Dip the apples in the hot mixture, coating them on all sides and allowing any excess to drip back into the pot. Transfer the coated apples to the baking sheet to cool completely.
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