Toffee & chocolate apple bites

Friday 4 November at 10:50am

Dean's in the kitchen with some comforting treats to keep you snug and cosy around the Bonfire.

Use this recipe as a guide, leaving you free to create your own combinations of coatings and toppings.

Makes: Each apple makes 4 slices

Ingredients:Firm large crisp apples, you decide the quantity!Choose from 1 or a selection of the following:

For the toffee:This quantity is enough to coat 8 apple slices, or use to drizzle over the apples.225g soft caramel toffees1 - 2 tbsp milk

For chocolate:180g chocolate coats approximately 4 slices of appleDark, milk, or white chocolate, (good quality cooking chocolate works well)Choose from any of these, or your favourite toppings:Melted milk, dark or white chocolate, to drizzleRoughly crushed biscuits of your choiceColoured chocolate candy sweetsSmall pretzels, salted or yogurt coatedChopped nutsMini marshmallowsToasted coconutCrushed honeycombFreeze dried raspberriesChocolate sprinklesChocolate beansBronze crunch

Equipment:Firm lolly sticks, or see tips below

Lorraine helps Dean decorate his toffee apple pops

Method:

For the apples:

Wash and dry the apples. Thickly slice the apples with skin on if liked for the chocolate coatings. Peel the apples if coating in caramel. Pat the flesh dry.
Use a small knife to make a small slit in the base of the apples and insert the sticks. Coat in chocolate or caramel then sprinkle with your choice of toppings and drizzle of chocolate/s and caramel.

For the toffee:

For best results freeze the peeled apples with their sticks intact for 30 minutes. This helps the caramel stick to the apples.
Place the caramel toffees and milk in a small bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the base of the bowl does not touch the bottom of the pan. Allow to melt mixing until smooth. Leave to cool and thicken slightly.
Dip the peeled apple slices into the caramel using a spoon to pour the caramel all over the apples to coat. Drip off the excess. Place onto greaseproof or baking paper and quickly sprinkle with toppings otherwise the caramel will set. Leave to set.
For best results the caramel apples are best eaten within 1-2 hours of making to prevent them becoming too wet and the caramel from sliding off.

For the chocolate:

Place chocolate of your choice in a small bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the base of the bowl does not touch the bottom of the pan. Allow to melt.
Dip the unpeeled apple slices into the melted chocolate, coating both sides of the apple. Use a spoon to pour the chocolate all over the apple sealing the apple in the chocolate. Drip off the excess.
Place onto greaseproof or baking paper, while still wet sprinkle with toppings of your choice. Drizzle with melted chocolate or melted caramel if like. Leave to set at room temperature.

TIPS:

For best results use room temperature firm apples.

If you do not have lolly sticks, a wooden chopstick works well, or insert the top end of a strong plastic or metal teaspoon into the apple.

Freezing the apples for the toffee version will help the caramel to stick. Lay the apples out flat before freezing and ensure you insert the stick before freezing.

Package in a cellophane bags if liked.

Get more Bonfire Night recipes hereBonfire Night cupcakes