How To Make The Perfect Rose Candy Apples; More Perfect Rose Hard Candy Apple Ideas To Try
Hard candy apples are hugely popular in the west and can be commonly found at Halloween fairs, Guy Fawkes Night, and even during apple harvest season. While Halloween and Guy Fawkes night don’t have anything specific to do with candied apples, they occur right on the verge of annual apple harvests and have thus become synonymous with this popular treat and many of its variations.
With globalization, apples are available around the year, and so are candied apples. Today, anyone can make them at home too. Although it needs to be noted that Candy apples and caramel apples are two different things, let us see how.
Candy Apples vs Caramel Apples
Candy apples are simply whole apples that are coated in hard sugar candy. The candy can be made of white sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup with the addition of water, cinnamon powder and various food colouring. The sugar-to-water ratio must be perfect for the candy to harden once cooled.
A wooden stick is poked through the apple, then the apple is coated in the sugar syrup and placed to dry.
Caramel apples, often known as toffee apples, are made using caramel. They may have various toppings, such as nuts and chocolates. These are different from candy apples in taste as well as the process involved. They are coated in soft and hot caramel and then left to dry.
How To Pick The Perfect Apples And Prepping Process
Granny Smith Apple, the green tarty apple, is the most commonly used apple in making the Perfect Rose Hard Candy Apple. Their tart flavour and crisp taste pair perfectly well with the sweet sugary candy coating on them. Crisp Granny Smith apples are also tougher than other apple varieties and can hold the sugar coating better. With the added benefit of longevity, Granny Smith apples are your best bet for authentic taste and lasting candy apples.
Many prefer gala apples, but their sweet taste may feel overpowering with the added candy coating. You can go for Fuji apples to make more traditional Rose Candy Apples. Their red colour means you will not have to add any colouring to your sugar syrup. The smaller size of Fuji apples makes them much easier to take a bite.
How To Make Candy Apples
Tools And Equipment
- Cookie sheets are perfect for resting your candy Rose Candy Apples to cool.
- Non-Stick Spray to add a layer of non-stickiness to the sheets.
- A thick-bottomed heavy-duty boiler for making sugar syrup. You can also use a saucepan instead.
- The right temperature is key to achieving the Perfect Rose Hard Candy Apple.
- Flower mould or ice tray for the rose shape.
Ingredients
Recipe for 6-8 Rose Candy Apples
- Apples – 6-8 Apples of your choice
- Sugar – 3 cups or 700ml
- Light Corn Syrup – ½ Cup or 120ml
- Water – 1 Cup or 240ml
- Vanilla Extract – 1tsp or 5ml (you can use any other flavouring of choice)
- Candy Apple Sticks
Preparation
- Remove the stems from your apples and wash and dry them thoroughly.
- After drying them, insert the candy sticks into them.
- Set your cookie sheets ready on a tray and spray them with non-stick or butter spray.
Preparing The Sugar Syrup
The total process should take about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Add the sugar, corn syrup and water into your choice’s heavy boiler or saucepan.
- Turn on the stove to medium to high heat.
- Wait for it to begin to boil.
- Place the candy or food thermometer into the pan, making sure it is not touching the bottom of the pan, which will be hotter.
- Keep an eye on the thermometer as it boils. Once it reaches 302℉, remove the pan from the stove, use a spatula, and stir in the flavouring of choice. Avoid stirring it too much, as it can get air into it and cause bubbles to form later. At this stage, you need to work fast.
- Once the flavouring has been incorporated, quickly dip the apples in and start coating them.
- Tilt the pot slightly to dip in as much of the apple as quickly as possible. Let the excess drip off the apple, then place it into the sheet to cool.
The cooling process is too quick, and the apples will be ready for consumption before you know it.
Making Perfect Rose Hard Candy Apple
To make a rose candy apple, we need some colour first!
As you add the ingredients into the saucepan, add white food colouring to create a good base. To this, add the colour you want your rose candy apple to have – red, pink, and purple are popular colours.
- Spray the mould or ice cube tray with butter spray to make it non-stick.
- As soon as you have dipped the apple in the syrup and let the excess drip, place it in the mould immediately.
- Once it cools down, the shape will be formed.
Colour Gradient Rose Apples
To achieve a colour gradient, such as a pinkish rose apple with darker red tips or any other combination you like, you will need to make two syrups simultaneously. This can be a little tricky and complicated, so you must be careful and quick to make it successful.
Add white food colour to both saucepans. Mix in the different colours you want. Once they have reached the right temperature, dip the lower part of the apple in one colour and the tips in the darker colour syrup and place it in the mould quickly.
Speed is of the essence to achieve this!
Other Variations To Try
You can also melt chocolate and pour it into the mould before you place your candy apples in them. This will give you a delicious chocolate-tipped rose candy apple. Otherwise, you can sprinkle food-grade glitter into the mould and various nuts or chocolate chips.
Key Notes
Picking the right crisp and firm apples is key to making the perfect rose candy apples. While the process does not consume much time, it requires quickness in action to achieve perfect hard candy apples. Practice with the basic recipe first before you try the variations.
