Jack O Lantern Candy Apples Recipes

JACK-O'-LANTERN CANDY APPLES

Steps:

• Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. Wash and dry apples; remove stem and blossom ends. Insert stick into stem end of each apple.
• In 3-quart heavy saucepan, mix granulated sugar, water, corn syrup and food color. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Boil uncovered 15 minutes, without stirring, to 300°F on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into cup of very cold water separates into hard, brittle threads. (Watch carefully so mixture does not burn.) Immediately remove from heat. Let stand until bubbling stops.
• Dip each apple into hot sugar mixture, turning to coat and letting excess drip off. Place on cookie sheet. Let stand until set.
• On surface lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar, roll fondant to 1/8-inch thickness. Using paring knife, cut out eyes, nose and mouth for each jack- o'-lantern. Attach leaf tip to icing tube; pipe leaves on each apple. Remove leaf tip from icing tube; attach small round tip. Pipe vines. Use icing to attach eyes, nose and mouth to each apple, pressing gently. Let stand until set.

CARAMEL APPLE JACK O'LANTERNS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash and dry apples thoroughly and remove stems. Insert a candy stick into the top of each apple and set aside.
• In a liquid measuring cup, combine heavy cream, vanilla extract, pumpkin spice and orange gel food coloring. Stir until color is evenly blended and set aside.
• Fill a large, heatproof bowl halfway with ice and water and set aside.
• Add sugar and corn syrup to a tall saucepan and stir with rubber spatula just to mix. Remove spatula and begin to melt sugar and corn syrup over medium heat. Once fully melted, add in heavy cream mixture and stir until incorporated.
• Clip candy thermometer to side of saucepan and slowly bring to a boil over medium heat, but do not stir during this process. Once caramel reaches 242-244°F, remove saucepan from heat and place directly in ice water for a couple seconds to halt cooking process. Remove from ice water and stir in butter until incorporated.
• Pour caramel into a tall, heatproof liquid measuring cup and immediately begin dipping apples until completely coated. Allow excess caramel to drip off for a few seconds, then transfer to parchment paper. Once all apples are dipped, chill them in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before decorating, or up to 2 days.
• Before serving, roll out a small amount of black fondant and carve jack o'lantern faces from it. Arrange faces directly on the caramel apples and twirl pieces of green sour candy belts around candy sticks and down the sides of the apples to resemble pumpkin vines.
• Prep tip: Make sure apples are at room temperature before dipping so that the caramel adheres well to the skin.
• Note: If caramel cools too quickly before all of the apples are dipped, reheat in the microwave for a few seconds until warm and pourable.