members recipes

Makes 8 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
500g Tate & Lyle Demerara sugar
75g butter
225g Lyle’s Golden Syrup
150ml water
2 tsp malt vinegar
8 medium apples, wiped
Lollipop sticks

Method
Put the sugar, butter, syrup water and vinegar onto a large heavy based pan. Heat gently for about 5 minutes, stirring until the sugar had dissolved.
Using a clean pastry brush, brush the inside of the pan with cold water just above the level of the mixture, then bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for 5-10 minutes or until the temperature reaches the soft crack stage or 143oC.

Meanwhile push the wooden sticks into the centre of the apples. Place a sheet on parchment paper on a tray.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow the bubbles to settle. Dip the apples very carefully onto the toffee to coat well. Twirl each around a few seconds to allow the excess toffee to drip off and place on the paper to cool and harden.

Tip: the easiest way to test is the toffee has reached 143oC is to use a sugar thermometer. Alternatively, drop a little of the mixture into a bowl of cold water and if the syrup separates into threads which are hard but not brittle, it is ready.