Home-Made Halloween Candy - Working Class Foodies

Actually, my guess is it had nothing to do with the recipe. Did the apples come from the Farmer's Market? Somewhere else? Most farmers use wax as a means of protecting thier crops. Make sure you either buy unwaxed apples or dip them quickly in boiling water and wipe the wax off. Just don't burn yourself. I grew up helping my Mum make candy apples for the carnival our family traveled with. I've made an uncountable amount. I know this advice comes late, but I did just discover your show. Maybe next year?

Wow, chocolate-covered brittle, I thought my family was the only crazy ones!  My mom makes peanut brittle every holiday season, she does her's in the microwave (but you CAN'T spread it out in the pan this way, it breaks the bubbles in the candy and makes it hard) & drizzles melted chocolate on top before breaking up the brittle.  I will have to try it with pumpkin seeds and dried fruit this year!

I think even though not everything works it showes how to experiance cooking and don't be shy not to stick to the recepie !
It showes the most natural way of cooking just by doing so ;)
I love tht not everything works because it showes that its human and that they have no problem with it. They could cut it out and so on ... but i like it that they dont. So we can learn from their problems !!
Thanks for this episode !
Greetings leda

i watched this episode when it came out and it has been haunting me ever since.  why would gourmet magazine put out a recipe that doesn't work?  i recomend that you read "understanding baking" by Joseph Amendola. the chapter on candymaking explains how the addition of acid or cream of tartar keeps the sugar from cristalizing, and allows it to atract moisture from the air.  if your wine had turned to vinegar (i saw the face you made) and you then reduced it, the acid level would invert the sugar and keep the syrup liquid.  also, cream of tartar is made from the residue on wine casks so even if the wine was good it could still be too acidic.  i hope this information helps you in future episodes.  you should also read "on food and cooking" by Harold McGee it will help you understand how ingredients react with each other.

I tried caramel apples a few years ago and the same thing happened. But who needs caramel apples when you have pumpkin seed peanut brittle? No one, that's who.

You should have made pumpkin pie too!

Oh my God! And you let us DOWNLOAD THE EPISODES TOO?!

I could cry. I'm so happy!

Hi guys,
great recipes, do you have a written down version as well?
Or am I just blind and can't find them on your site.
Keep going!

Hmm, I am excited to try to pumpkin seed brittle! I've wanted to try my hand at candy making for a while now (this shall be my excuse to finally get a candy thermometer!) and I looove pumpkin seeds.

I haven't tried making caramel apples before but I've made fudge so I know a little about candy making. My guess is that you should have added all the ingredients and stirred before the mixture came to a boil. By stirring it before it cooled to about 110 degrees the sugar crystals didn't set properly and then the caramel wasn't sturdy enough to hold to the apples properly at room temp. The website "the science of cooking" has a candy making section that would probably be helpful.

One more thing...don't forget to chill the apples until you're ready to start making the Caramel or Candy apples.

I've got what could be a solution for you: If you have to use wax-coated apples, quickly dip them in boiling water and then wipe away the wax coating. 

Does that help?  If so, let me know!  I love to hear from you!

I just discovered your show yesterday thanks to Threadbanger, and I really like it.  Now I've watched all of your episodes and I'm sad I have to wait for more.  Looking forward to following your show.

Also, I really appreciate the chocolate tempering information, as I have yet to be able to successfully coat my chocolate truffles in chocolate.  That's what I'm about to try this afternoon.

The proportions of the caramel are correct.  When you added the wine you should have turned down the heat, swirled, and added the cream.  Then let the mixture reduce a bit.  Then done a soft ball test- 238 degrees F should be softball- but only at sea level.  If it still wasn’t setting up right in the pan adding 2-3 grains of white sugar as you stir it helps sometimes- it can cheat a small crystalline structure- um, that translates as caramel that sets up enough to stick to apples.

Hey foodies - I just introduced my mom to your show, by re-watching this episode, and she made an interesting observation about your apple debacle. I know that you guys try to frequent farms and markets...but is there any chance that the apples you have were waxed? She said that might account for the caramel not sticking. *LOVE* your show - can't wait to see what comes next!

i love your show. you guys are the modern julia child, showing everyone that it doesn´t have to be perfect and anyone can do it.  one tiny thing bothers me though, ¿pantry? i can understand not costing salt or spices, they usually come out to one cent but butter and cream are expensive and they have to be refrigerated and have short shelf lives i feel like you are cheating.

HELP!  How did you get the husk off of the seeds?  Mine keep breaking into little bits all of over the place.  My puppies love the snack, but I'm pulling out my hair!

What an excellent video!  The brittle looked awesome.  When I make candy apples I always wash my apples with dish soap and water, rinse them really well and then dry them really well, sometimes I use a hairdryer to make sure they are really dry.  I've made the following candy apple recipe every year with my Mom for about 25 years, it never fails.

8 wooden ice-cream sticks
8 small apples, well washed and thoroughly dried
1 cup water
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup red-hot candies
1/2 tsp red food color

1. Insert wooden stick part way through stem end of apples.  Grease large cookie sheet; set aside.
2. In 2-quart saucepan combine remaining ingredients, over medium heat, heat mixture to boiling without stirring.
3. Boil, without stirring, seriously don't touch it, until a candy thermometer reads 290 F or when a little is dropped into ice cold water it separates into thin hard threads.  About 20 minutes.
4. You can also use a plastic pastry brush dipped in hot water, to brush sugar from the side of the pan as the mixture cooks.
5. When cooked remove from heat. Tip the saucepan; swirl each apple into mixture to coat.
6. Lift apple out of syrup mixture and swirl it over the saucepan a few more seconds to allow any drips to fall into the pan.  
7. Place apples on cookie sheet to cool.  Work quickly before syrup hardens.  To soften place over very low heat.  Cool at least 1 hour.

I really appreciate this show--especially that you share your failures as well as your successes since that's how it is for all of us.  But, one little thing in this episode:  a math correction.  You flash id="comment_list".34 as the price per candy apple when it should be .75 ¢.  (You do say that it is less than a dollar in the voice-over.)

Doesn't Ina Garten say you should always use a wine you would actually drink? :)

Love you guys!

i make candy apples every fall and i had the same problems with regular caramel but then i decided to just put it in the freezer or fridge uncovered on a sheet pan and problem solved

Hey Rebecca and Max! Love your show! I had the same exact problem with my caramel apples last fall! After being completely disappointed i found an article talking about this! They said it can be from the caramel not being sticky enough (i had added too much water to my caramels) and that the wax coating on the outside of the apples makes is hard for the caramel to stick. Now if you were using organic apples, then you didnt have to worry about that. But to get rid of the wax coating or anything else that may be inhibiting the caramel from sticking plop the apples in boiling water for 2 min. Then remove and very very thoroughly dry them. And Leta was right about not covering them. I hope this helps! I havnt tried again  yet this year...still kinda traumatized :( 
^..^< mewmew

Hey- I need some good vegetarian sides for my thanksgiving day celebration. help!

sad candy apples... i think there were a few issues. 

the cream should have been added after the sugar/h2o/reduced wine was brought to temperature. by adding it after, it will help reduce the heat better, as well as avoid separation of fat/water within the cream during boiling. 

when dipping apples, they should be free of wax, dried well, and at room temperature. dip, leave uncovered, and refridgerate. (covering will cause condensation as someone else mentioned.) 

candy is difficult, and another factor could have been humidity. not sure where you live, but if it is humid, don't make candy because it just won't set. better luck next time!

i just found your show through threadbangers, can't wait to see more episodes!

YES! Our first working class foodies appearance!

Candy hates condensation.  Next time, DON'T COVER THEM.  Then, if the candy has hardened and you want to wrap them, put them in the freezer or fridge.

HTH...

The husband and I love this show.  He insisted I comment to tell you what went wrong.  :)

You two are completely adorable! So sorry your candy apple recipe was a fail...but the brittle looks delish! Caramel is always tricky to work with...you have to move fast before it hardens (as in swirling the bottom of a creme caramel cup). Don't know why it slithered off of the apples...something to do with temperature difference between the sugar and the apples? Or the slippery surface of the apple itself? Hope someone out there can solve the mystery. Meanwhile, Happy Halloween!

I think you need to refridgerate candy apples after the caramel sets at least, if you store them in a hot place they will definitely melt.

You can't even tell you how happy I was to see that there was new post!  And, of course, it did not disappoint.  I made the cake for dinner tonight and I'll be sure to post the menu on the forums.  Thanks again!!! :)

I had some of my friend's (MDF Smash) Apple Cake today!  So good and she used your recipe.