toffee apples with a wild twist

Children love them, dentists hate them, but Bonfire Night would not be the same without them...

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Toffee Apples are a great way to use up those apples that are still hanging off the trees in your garden, allotments, orchards and the wild.  We've featured many apple recipes on our Instagram page, but this one is a real Bonfire Night classic.  And because we like to make all our recipes a little wilder, we've 'blinged' up our apples with some natural sprinkles!

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ingredients

8 apples of any variety (eating)

400g golden caster sugar

100ml water

4tbsp golden syrup

1 tsp cider vinegar

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Optional sprinkles - roasted chestnuts, toasted pumpkin seeds, acorns, or nuts of any variety

8 clean hazel sticks or lolly pop sticks

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method

Gather up 8 apples - if wild give them a wash and dry throroughly. If shop bought, plunge them into boiling water for a couple of minutes to wash off any wax then dry. This allows the caramel to stick to the apples properly.

Cut 8 hazel sticks to approx. 15cm long or take your lolly sticks and insert them into the apples after removing the stem.

Place them onto grease proof paper near the cooking area.

Finely chop your sprinkles of choice and put them on a plate near the cooking area.

Place the sugar into a solid bottom cooking pan and add the water.  Heat on a medium heat for about 5 mins until the sugar disolves. If you have a jam thermometer it is ideal to get the caramel up to a temperature of 150c or hard crack. When you reach the correct temperature or the sugar has all dissolved, add in the golden syrup and vinegar, stir quickly then turn off the heat.

You have to move quickly for the next bit - take each apple and swirl it around in the caramel so it is covered and dip the bases in your sprinkles.  The caramel will set quickly so work fast and place each one with the stick pointing in the air onto the grease proof paper.

Then tuck in and enjoy!

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sprinkles

Our sprinkles are of the foraged variety, but you can buy most items in your local supermarket. However, why not try collecting up some sweet chestnuts or acorns when out for a walk in the woods [acorns can only be eaten if soaked over a 24hr period in water, which must be changed every couple of hours], or save your pumpkin seeds from Halloween.

more from our autumn newsletter...