I really dig Halloween, it’s the kickoff to all the fun holidays! The nights grow cooler and the leaves change colors. I don’t know why, but the air smells better to me when fall comes around. I’ll throw on my jacket and take a nightly walk around the neighborhood with D, just to smell the air and feel the electricity. Maybe it’s finally cool enough to cook at night and every home has something yummy in their oven. Who knows…but I love it. Cool air and sweet smells. It’s just perfect + I love all of those adorable kiddos in costumes running around with their families, carving pumpkins etc.
I made these for a couch-full of friends last night. We carved pumpkins, drank whiskey ciders and watched Children of the Corn for the first time. Does Isaac (the leader of the kids) remind anyone of Joffrey from Game of Thrones or is it just me? Same guy! And I’d punch both of them in the face if I had the chance. Gawww ;)!
I thought some sultry moody poisoned apples would be a fun treat to keep the Halloween vibes going . This was my first attempt at making candied apples. They’re fairly easy to make (just be patient when waiting for the 300F boil). I’d advise only dipping the apples once! You want to achieve an ultra thin crunchy cinnamony shell on top of the red delicious apples. I dipped mine a few times too many. Oops.

Ingredients
6 red delicious apples
6 branches from your yard (washed and dried)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups brewed black tea
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup beet juice
5 drops cinnamon oil

Silpat mat
candy thermometer

Directions
-Insert the branches into the center of each apple. Set them aside.
-In a small saucepan with candy thermometer attached, bring sugar,  (filtered) black tea, corn syrup and beet juice to a boil over medium high heat. Do not stir until the thermometer reaches 300F.
-Carefully add 5 drops of cinnamon oil. Stir until combined.
-Remove from heat and dip each apple into hot syrup. You may need to turn your pot on an angle to dip the apples deeper. Let each apple drip for a few seconds over the hot syrup to create a thin shell. After each apple is coated, place it on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat mat (non-stick) and allow to cool until the shell is hard and slick.