Method

• With toffee apples it is all about the preparation! Firstly you need to select smallish apples, slightly tart and spray free
• If by any chance they look as though they may have some spray or worse wax, you need to wash them in cold water and dry them well with a clean cloth
• You then need to remove the little twig that sticks out from the apple, (just twist it off)
• With a little force, push the ice block stick into the part of the apple where you have just removed the twig thing
• Add the sugar, water and vinegar to a clean, heavy base, deep sided pot
• Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then boil rapidly - DO NOT STIR ONCE THIS STAGE IS REACHED!!!! If you stir it at this stage, you will get cloudy toffee and it can crystallize
• Grease a bench well with a little oil or butter
• Once your toffee has been boiling for about 7-10 minutes or the bubbles are looking bigger and slower, get a glass of cold water and a dry spoon
• Carefully dip in the spoon and get a little toffee, drizzle it into the water and listen for a cracking sound
• Once the toffee in the glass has gone cold, check for the stage you are at
• If the toffee is still soft and sticky it is at the soft ball stage, we are wanting the hard ball stage
• It will take another couple of minutes to reach that point
• Remove a little more toffee as you did before and listen again as it drizzles into the water
• If should make a cracking sound and it should be set like toffee, yet snap if broken
• Turn off the heat immediately as you don't want it to cook any further
• After a few minutes, add the red food colouring - stand back as it will bubble
• Stir to mix and add more colouring if needed
• Carefully dip the apple into the hot toffee - only attempt one at a time - and allow the excess toffee to drain off, back into the pot
• Place carefully onto the greased bench and continue until all the toffee is used up
• When cool and hard, wrap in cellophane bags and tie with ribbon