Gift idea: Halloween toffee apples

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Halloween and health don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Trick or treating is more popular every year, along with Halloween-themed parties. These homemade toffee apples are a good compromise between healthy and yummy. The contrast between the crisp, sugary shell and natural sweetness of a juicy apple make these treats a favourite. They’re also a good way to slow down the sugar rush of a lolly binge.

Halloween toffee apples
Makes 6

6 thick wooden skewers
6 medium granny smith apples
3 cups (645g) caster sugar
1 cup (250ml) water
¼ cup (60ml) cider vinegar
Orange food colouring
Celophane, to cover
Ribbon, to decorate

1. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Insert a wooden skewer through the core of each apple and place on the lined tray.
2. Combine the sugar, water, vinegar and orange colouring in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sugar is completely dissolved. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Cook, without stirring, brushing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water, for 5 minutes or until a sugar thermometer reaches ‘crack stage’ – 154°C. (Alternatively, remove toffee from heat and set aside until the bubbles subside. Drop a small teaspoon of toff into a glass of cold water. If the toffee becomes hard it is at crack stage). 
3. Remove pan from heat and set aside until bubbles subside. Dip an apple into the hot toffee mixture and roll to completely cover in toffee. Transfer to the lined tray. Repeat with remaining apples and toffee mixture. Set aside for 30 minutes to set completely.
4. Wrap each toffee apple with cellophane and secure with ribbon.

Photography: Ben Dearnley.  Styling: Amber Keller.