Candied apples - carnivals, fairs, fall, Halloween. They bring back all sorts of childhood memories. You can make them at home and your kids or grandkids will love making them with you. You may not love the mess but I bet that's not the part they'll remember!

~ Red Candied Apples ~

8 Firm red apples
8 wooden sticks (washed popsicle sticks work great!)
3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. red food coloring

Wash and dry your apples (make sure they are firm, unbruised apples). Remove the stem. Insert a wooden stick where the stem was. Grease a cookie sheet to set dipped apples on.

Put sugar, syrup and water in a pot. Heat and stir to dissolve. Boil without stirring until liquid is 300F (150C) on your candy thermometer. At this temperature a drop of syrup in cold water will separate into brittle threads. Remove from heat.

Mix in cinnamon and food coloring. Dip apples in syrup. Drain over saucepan. Set on cookie sheet. If the syrup starts to harden reheat it. Let apples cool before eating!!

~ Caramel Apples ~

8 firm apples
8 wooden sticks
1 1/3 cups evaporated milk
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla

Wash & dry apples. Remove stems. Insert wooden stick where stem was.

Put milk, syrup, and sugar into pot. Heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Boil, stirring continually, until soft ball stage (240 F or 115 C). Soft ball stage is when a drop in cold water forms a soft ball. Remove from heat.

Add butter and vanilla. Dip apples. Let excess caramel drip off over pan before setting on a greased cookie sheet. Reheat caramel if it starts to thicken. Let cool before eating.

Reprinted with permission.