The Baby Boomer generation was the last one to grow up getting these for Halloween, because it was still an era when people would allow their children to eat home made treats made by strangers. Bring the tradition back with some fresh, tart apples (or pears or crabapples if you want to get all fancy) this fall!
Ingredients
3-4 pounds small fresh-picked tart apples
1 chopstick per apple
1 1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 cups. sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Wash the apples, and insert the chopsticks into the blossom end. Put the milk, corn syrup and sugar into a covered sauce pan and heat slowly over a low flame, stirring to make sure sugar dissolves (be careful it doesn't boil over). Boil the mixture until it reaches the "soft ball stage" - 240 degrees on a candy thermometer, or a drop of the mixture forms a soft ball when dropped into water. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Dip the apples into the mixture or use a spoon to coat them. Place them on greased marble, pachment or waxed paper to cool. If the mixture hardens too much, reheat it on the stove. Note: be very careful of the hot candy! If it gets on your skin, it will burn you badly.
