NEVER TOO MUCH CANDY

While we are the first to put our feet down when it comes to the day-to-day whine for sweets, there's just something about October 31 (and several days before and after) that makes us melt like candy, if you'll excuse our pun.  So instead of figuring that the children will get way enough candy roaming the streets and keeping our homes fairly clear of it but for the big bowl of giveaways at the door, we decided to just go all out.  Pull all the stops.  So for dessert, after trick-or-treating (!), we're having good old-fashioned, homemade candy apples. 

Hold on.  Don't get turned off yet.  This isn't the mess that you think it is (at least it's not ALL that bad).  This is what our children look forward to year after year.  It's one of those traditions that can never be ignored, mostly because the kids will remind us that we "have to, have to" make these apples.  "It's just not Halloween if we don't have candy apples," says our 9-year-old in spite of the party we've put together, the costumes, the decorations, etc., etc.  Really, next to the jack-o-lantern, candy apples are Halloween for us.  Addictingly chewy and crunchy, sweet and tart, and full of all that candy we crave this time of year, they're better than you might think.  Give them a try, and see if you don't start your own tradition.

CANDY APPLES

6 medium-sized apples (we like Fuji or McIntosh)

6 approx. 6-inch wooden dowels

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

1 12-oz. bag milk chocolate chips

toffee chips

toasted, chopped nuts (we like pecans)

chopped dried fruit (try apricots or cherries)

Halloween sprinkles - lots of them!

Wash the apples in very hot water, making sure that you remove any wax stuck to the skins.  Poke the tops of each apple with a wooden dowel.  In a heavy saucepan, bring the cream, sugar, butter, and corn syrup to a boil.  Continue cooking over medium heat until the temperature reaches 245 on a candy thermometer (a great thing to have).  This should take about 10 minutes. 

One by one, dip the apples in the caramel, swirling them to coat.  Let them cool a bit on wax paper sprayed with cooking spray. 

While the apples cool just a little (not all the way), melt the chocolate chips, either in a double boiler or in the microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring after each round until the chocolate is melted and pourable.  Drizzle the melted chocolate over the caramel apples, using a spoon (alternatively, you can dip the entire apple into the chocolate, creating a layered chocolate caramel apple). 

Keep a broom handy, and let the kids go sprinkling on toffee chips, nuts, dried fruits, and, of course, the ubiquitous sprinkles.  Transfer apples to a serving platter.  Let them cool completely in the refrigerator.  You can either serve them cut into slices (we prefer this - less messy!) or whole on the sticks.  Whee!