My PE teacher in elementary school always sang a song about Halloween and the last line was “Don’t be late, don’t forget to be home by 8 and check your candy.” As the suburban legend goes, people were trying to poison our treats, and candy apples were on the top of the list of Things You Can Put Razor Blades In, so I never tried one. So for the Halloween edition of Bushwick Cooks, I’m suggesting this confection — they’re easy to make but slightly messy, and of course, you get to control the amount of poison/sharp objects you put inside.

Ingredients:
6 medium apples (something on the tart side, like Granny Smith or Fuji)
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. red food coloring

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, corn syrup and food coloring. Bring to boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium high. Place candy thermometer in the saucepan and continue to boil until the temperature reaches 300 degrees (about 20 minutes). While the candy is boiling, insert Popsicle sticks into apples (you can find these at dollar stores) to get them ready for dipping. When the candy reaches temperature, remove from heat. Quickly dip the apples into the sugar mixture and spoon it over the whole apple to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and allow to cool.

(Thank you Martha Stewart for your instructions.)