Candy Apple Cracklins

Candy Apple Coating

Ingredients

• 6-8 medium granny smith apples (washed, dried & stems removed)**
• 3 cups of white sugar
• ½ cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or other flavoring)
• 2 Tbsp white food coloring (I recommend AmeriColor Bright White Soft Gel Paste or Lorann White Food Coloring)
• 1-2 tsp. of gel coloring (whichever color you want your apples to be! - I used Americolor Electric Pink andAmericolor Orange) - the more color you use, the brighter the apples will be!)
• Candy Apple Sticks (or craft sticks or short dowels)
• ** I used rather large Granny Smith Apples. I love the tartness of the green apples, but I wish they had been smaller. They were hard to wrap and I wasn't able to dip as many as the recipe indicated!

Other things you'll need:

• Cookie Sheet
• Non-stick Spray
• Heavy Duty Boiler or Sauce Pan
• Candy Thermometer
• Rubber Spatula

Instructions

1. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, and food coloring (both the white and color you want the apples to be) in a heavy boiler (sauce pan). Turn on medium to high heat and let the mixture come to a boil.
2. Be sure to have a candy thermometer inserted into the mixture but not touching the bottom!
3. Let the candy come to 302°F (hard crack stage). This will take about 20 minutes. There's no need to stir or disturb the mixture while it heats... just be patient!
4. While that's going on... make sure your apples are ready (washed, dried, and on the sticks!), then spray a cookie sheet with non-stick butter spray. The "butter" flavor isn't necessary, but butter makes everything better, right? If you don't have butter, just use regular non-stick cooking spray.
5. When the candy reaches 302°, immediately remove it from the heat and use a rubber spatula to stir in the vanilla (or other flavor). Stir it gently to get the flavor evenly incorporated.
6. You'll want to work quickly because the candy will start to cool immediately. As soon as the flavor is evenly mixed in, begin dipping your apples.
7. I like to tilt the pot to get them really well coated, then let the excess drip off for at least 10 seconds while spinning the apples. After they're dipped, I set them on the buttered cookie sheet to harden. Be careful!!! This sugar is HOT and it will hurt you if you touch it!!
8. It will only take a couple of minutes and the candy will be hard and ready to eat! They keep well at room temperature for 2-3 days but do not refrigerate... they will get super sticky!

Recipe from: http://rosebakes.com/how-to-make-hot-pink-candy-apples-or-any-other-color-orange-blue-purpl/