| 1 | Remove stem from each small apple; insert wooden stir-stick, for holding, in centre of stem end. |
| 2 | Set aside. |
| 3 | Grease baking sheet; set aside. |
| 4 | In 12-cup heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, water and corn syrup; cook, stirring, over medium-low heat for 8 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. |
| 5 | Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, brushing down side of pan occasionally with brush, dipped in hot water to prevent crystallization. |
| 6 | Boil, brushing down side occasionally but not stirring, for 15-25 minutes or until soft-crack stage of 290f 143c on candy thermometer, or until ?ts syrup dropped into cold water separates into hard but pliable threads. |
| 7 | Remove syrup from heat; very quickly stir in red food colouring. |
| 8 | Immediately plunge bottom of pan into ice water and hold for about 15 seconds or until sizzling stops. |
| 9 | Holding each apple by the wooden stick and tilting the saucepan, swirl each apple in candy syrup until well coated all over. |
| 10 | Lift apple and quickly swirl over pan to allow excess to drip off. |
| 11 | Place on prepared baking sheet; let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or until hardened. |
| 12 | tip: choose the reddest small apples available. |
| 13 | Macintosh, spartan and courtland apples are excellent. |
| 14 | watch the boiling sugar mixture carefully, because the temperature rises quickly near the end of the cooking process and the mixture burns easily; plunging the pan into ice water stops the cooking and prevents burning. |
| 15 | Wear rubber gloves when swirling the apples to avoid sugar burns. |
| 16 | store apples, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days at room temperature. |
