Toffee apple skewers
By Nick Nairn
Ingredients
| Quantity | Item |
|---|---|
| 1 | Apple cored and cut into 8 pieces |
| 150g | Caster sugar |
| 1 tbsp | White vinegar |
| 8 | Small skewers or tooth picks |
Method
Making caramel is an excellent basic to master. The secret is not to stir the sugar as it melts as this will cause clumps to form. One word of caution: please wear gloves whilst making caramel as sugar can give a nasty burn and is almost impossible to remove if it drips onto the skin.
Heat a thick-bottomed pan (about 18-20cm in diameter). Sift the caster sugar into the centre of the pan to make a pyramid half the diameter of the pan. The heat will slowly start to melt the sugar.
The pyramid will start to collapse as the sugar melts. When this happens, give the pan a shoogle (that鈥檚 a shake to those of you unfamiliar with Scottish vernacular!) and allow the sugar to continue to melt. At this stage you can add the vinegar.
When there is more liquid than dry sugar, use a heatproof spatula to carefully work in the rest of the sugar and break down any lumps, but it鈥檚 important not to over-stir as this can cause the sugar to clump and appear crystallised. Keep an eye out for hot spots and use the spatula to gently push the sugar around to incorporate cool sugar to areas that are overheating.
Continue heating the sugar until it begins to change colour. This can happen very fast so watch carefully. The ideal colour is a rich, mahogany brown. If the colour is very pale the caramel will be too sweet and not set hard on your apples, too dark and it will taste burnt. When it鈥檚 ready, the sugar will give off a distinctive smell of caramel. If you do see it darkening too quickly, simply take the pan of the heat and continue to stir.
When you are happy with the caramel skewer the apples and dip them carefully into the mix. Gently tip the pan to completely cover the apple and then stand the apples onto a tray lined with parchment paper and leave for a few minutes to cool before eating.
