These toffee apples are the Bonfire Night classic: small, tart apples on sticks, dipped in glossy red toffee that cracks when you bite it. The toffee is sugar, a spoonful of golden syrup and a dash of vinegar, boiled in one pan until it reaches the hard crack stage. It sets in minutes with no chilling, so six apples take 30 minutes from start to finish.
Why this works
The toffee is boiled to 150掳C, the hard crack stage, where almost all the water has gone. At that point it sets glassy and brittle within minutes of meeting a cool apple, so nothing needs to go in the fridge.
Golden syrup and a little vinegar stop the sugar forming crystals as it boils, which keeps the toffee clear and smooth. Boiling water poured over the apples melts the wax coating shop apples carry, which would otherwise make the toffee slide off.
Key ingredients
- Apples. Small, firm and tart, such as Granny Smith or Braeburn. Small apples are easier to coat and easier to eat from a stick.
- Caster sugar. White sugar gives a clear toffee that takes the red colour well. Golden or demerara sugar makes it darker and more caramel tasting.
- Golden syrup. A spoonful keeps the toffee from turning grainy as it boils.
- Red food colouring. A gel colour gives a deep red without adding much liquid. Most are synthetic, but skip any that list cochineal or carmine if you are cooking for vegetarians or vegans.
Amounts for 3 to 18 people are in the recipe card below, in grams or cups.
Method
- 01
Get ready
Lay the silicone mat on a baking tray and set it beside the hob. Fill a small bowl with cold water for testing the toffee. Keep children and pets out of the kitchen until the apples have set.
Silicone Baking Mats, Set of 2 - 02
Clean the apples
Put the apples in a large bowl and pour over boiling water from the kettle to cover. After 30 seconds, lift them out and dry them completely. Twist off the stalks and push a stick firmly into the stalk end of each apple.
- 03
Dissolve the sugar
Put the sugar and water in a deep, heavy saucepan over a low heat. Stir gently until every grain has dissolved and the liquid looks clear, about 5 minutes.
- 04
Boil to hard crack
Stir in the golden syrup, vinegar and food colouring. Turn up the heat and boil without stirring for 10 to 12 minutes, until a sugar thermometer reads 150掳C. Without a thermometer, drop a little into the cold water: it should set hard at once and snap cleanly.
- 05
Dip the apples
Take the pan off the heat and let the bubbles settle for a few seconds. Tilt the pan so the toffee pools deep on one side, then dip each apple by its stick, twisting to coat it all over. Let the excess drip back and stand the apple on the mat, stick up. If the toffee thickens, warm it over a low heat for a minute.
- 06
Leave to set
Scatter sprinkles over the tops while the toffee is still tacky, if using. Leave for 5 to 10 minutes until hard. Fill the pan with hot water and leave it to soak: the leftover toffee dissolves on its own.
What to serve it with
Hand them out on Bonfire Night with mugs of proper hot chocolate, or wrap each one in a square of baking paper to carry outside.
Storing and reheating
- Fridge
- Keep them out of the fridge, where the damp softens the toffee. Leave them uncovered in a cool, dry place and eat within a day.
- Freezer
- Not suitable.
- Reheat
- Not needed. Serve at room temperature.
Questions
Yes. Drop a little toffee into a bowl of cold water. If it sets hard straight away and snaps cleanly, it is ready. If it bends or squashes, keep boiling and test again a minute later.
It didn't reach the hard crack stage, or the apples were kept somewhere damp. Boil it a little longer next time, and store the apples in a cool, dry place rather than the fridge.
Wax or water on the skin. Pour boiling water over the apples to melt the wax, then dry them completely before dipping.
They are best eaten the day they are made. Left uncovered in a cool, dry place they keep for about a day before the toffee starts to soften.
Recipe
Toffee apples in 30 minutes
Crisp apples dipped in glossy red toffee that sets hard in minutes. Made in one pan, with no chilling and no special kit. By Maya Brooks.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Makes
- 6 apples
Ingredients
Method
- 01Lay the silicone mat on a baking tray and set it beside the hob. Fill a small bowl with cold water for testing the toffee. Keep children and pets out of the kitchen until the apples have set.
- 02Put the apples in a large bowl and pour over boiling water from the kettle to cover. After 30 seconds, lift them out and dry them completely. Twist off the stalks and push a stick firmly into the stalk end of each apple.
- 03Put the sugar and water in a deep, heavy saucepan over a low heat. Stir gently until every grain has dissolved and the liquid looks clear, about 5 minutes.
- 04Stir in the golden syrup, vinegar and food colouring. Turn up the heat and boil without stirring for 10 to 12 minutes, until a sugar thermometer reads 150掳C. Without a thermometer, drop a little into the cold water: it should set hard at once and snap cleanly.
- 05Take the pan off the heat and let the bubbles settle for a few seconds. Tilt the pan so the toffee pools deep on one side, then dip each apple by its stick, twisting to coat it all over. Let the excess drip back and stand the apple on the mat, stick up. If the toffee thickens, warm it over a low heat for a minute.
- 06Scatter sprinkles over the tops while the toffee is still tacky, if using. Leave for 5 to 10 minutes until hard. Fill the pan with hot water and leave it to soak: the leftover toffee dissolves on its own.
