Toffee Apples & Parkin

 

PLEASE BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WHEN MAKING TOFFEE APPLES !! The mixture gets dangerously hot so don\'t be tempted to lick the mixture off the spoon otherwise you\'ll end up with a burnt mouth ! And I wouldn\'t recommend making these with young children either..just let them enjoy the end product :)

Ingredients
8 small apples (i used Golden Delicious)
2 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon red food colouring (optional)

Method
1. Cover a baking tray with a large sheet of greaseproof paper.
2. Wash and dry your apples and insert thicken wooden skewers, lollipop sticks or chopsticks into each apple.
3. Combine the water, sugar and vinegar in a small heavy based pan.
4. Bring the mixture to the boil and add the food colouring if you\'re using it.
5. Heat the mixture to 150C and simmer for about 20 mins. If you don\'t have a sugar thermometer then just test the mixture after 20 mins by dropping a spoonful into a cup of cold water. The mixture should become hard and will crack when you tap it with the back of a metal spoon.
6.Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to stop bubbling before dipping the apples,one by one, into the mixture (you\'ll need to tilt the pan a little).
7. Rotate the apple, letting it drain a little then place on the greaseproof paper to cool down and harden.

Source - JamieOliver.com

Recipe

Ingredients

1. 8oz lard
2. 1lb golden syrup
3. 8oz Demerara sugar
4. 1lb plain flour
5. 1lb medium oatmeal
6. 1 tsp ground ginger
7. 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
8. pinch of salt
9. splash of milk as required

Equipment required

1. Medium saucepan
2. Mixing bowl
3. Spatula
4. 2lb loaf tin
5. baking paper to line the tin

Method

Pre heat the oven to 140℃. In a sauce pan over a medium heat gently melt the lard, syrup and sugar.

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, oatmeal, ground ginger, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt. Gradually stir in the melted syrup mixture and mix together until thoroughly blended.

Test the dropping consistency of the mixture by seeing if it falls from the spatula. Add a splash of milk.

Pour the mixture into a prepared cake tin and bake at 140℃ for 1hour 45 minutes.

Cool the Parkin in the tin for 30 minutes and then turn out.

When cool keep the Parkin in an air tight container for 2 to 3 weeks before use.

Source – Woman’s Hour