Halloween Recipe Ideas 2016: How To Make Candy Apples And Other Easy Treats

Nibbling on buckets filled with mini Snickers, Reese’s Pieces, Starburst and other bite-sized candies long after Halloween may be one of the best aspects of the holiday. However, there are more ways to satisfy your sweet tooth on Halloween than with family-sized bags of candy.

The holiday also serves as an ideal time to cook up some spells in the kitchen that will surely have trick-or-treaters and Halloween party-goers knocking on your door for more. From chocolate chip mummy cakes to caramel apples covered in candy corn, there are tons of ways to get into the Halloween spirit. Here are a few different takes on candy apples and other sweet treats that are sure to be a big hit at any Halloween bash.

Candy Corn Candied Apples: This People magazine recipe calls for four apples. Add two cups of candy corn, three tablespoons of butter and two tables spoons of light corn syrup in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Once melted, transfer to a bowl and let cool briefly. Push a popsicle stick in the top of the Granny Smith apples and dip them into the melted candy corn to coat. Take your candy corn candied apples up a level by rolling them in a mixture of dark chocolate and white chocolate chips if you choose. Transfer the apples to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and then let chill in the refrigerator for five minutes.

Witch’s Wicked Punch: This Woman’s Day punch may not contain any alcohol, but it’s sure to give drinkers a fright – especially if it’s made in a cauldron (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). The punch calls for three tubs of lime sherbet. Mix together two liters of cold lemon-lime seltzer and half of the sherbet into a bowl. Stir until well blended. Float the left over sherbet on the top of the punch and then pour the remaining seltzer over the scoops, which will create a foamy top. Make your punch even more spellbinding by lightly spraying the foam with black food coloring.

Mini Caramel Apples: Although this Today recipe calls for three Granny Smith apples, you can make your caramel apples bite sized by cutting them into slices or you can use a melon baller to make scoops. In a microwave safe bowl, combine one cup of sugar, two tablespoons of water and two tablespoons of light corn syrup. Microwave on high until the mixture starts to change color (between four and seven minutes) in two minute intervals. Let the mixture stand for about two minutes or until a golden caramel forms. Stir in two tablespoons of softened butter, 1/4 cup of heavy cream (room temperature) and a pinch of salt. Cut the slices or scoop out balls of an apple, and stick a toothpick at the top of each piece. Dip apples into the caramel and dredge them in finely chopped nuts. Let the apples chill until the caramel is set.

Caramel Apple Sangria: Use any kind of apples for The Sweetest Occasion’s caramel sangria. Chop up about five apples and set them in the bottom of a large pitcher, drizzling about 1/4 cup of caramel syrup over them. Add in one liter bottle of white wine, eight cups of fresh apple cider and one cup of unflavored or caramel vodka. Let the concoction chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours before serving. When it’s time to drink, swirl extra caramel syrup around the inside of the glass, then pour in the chilled sangria and apples.

Traditional Candied Apples: Use 12 lady apples for this Martha Stewart recipe. Combine two cups of sugar, 3/4 cups of water, 1/2 cup of light corn syrup and 1/2 teaspoon of red food coloring in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-high and let boil for about 20 minutes or until mixture reaches between 300 and 310 degrees. Stick a wooden stick into the top of each apple. Remove the mixture from heat as soon as it reaches temperature and quickly dip the apples into the sugar mixture until completely coated. Sit on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and let cool.