Caramel Apples

拔丝苹果

Caramel Apples — Home-styleBeijing home cooking.

Ingredients

• Granny Smith apples
• granulated sugar
• water
• sesame oil

Instructions

1. Prep apples: Peel, core, and cut apples into 2.5-cm cubes. Toss with 1 tsp lemon juice to prevent browning. Pat *completely* dry with paper towels. (Cubes appear matte, no shine or moisture sheen.)
2. Coat: In a bowl, toss apple cubes with 40 g sugar (1/3 of total) until evenly coated. Set aside 5 minutes to draw out slight moisture. (Sugar begins to dissolve faintly on apple surfaces, turning slightly translucent.)
3. Fry apples: Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Fry apple cubes in batches until golden and slightly caramelized (2–3 min per batch). Drain on wire rack. (Edges of cubes turn light amber; surface bubbles gently in oil.)
4. Make caramel: Wipe skillet clean. Combine remaining 80 g sugar and 30 ml water. Heat over medium-low, stirring *only* until sugar dissolves. Then stop stirring—swirl pan gently. Cook until syrup turns light amber (160–170°C), ~6–7 min. Test with cold water: a drop forms brittle, snap-able threads. (Syrup bubbles become smaller, tighter, and golden—no large frothy bubbles.)
5. Combine: Immediately add warm apple cubes to hot caramel. Stir *once* with heatproof spatula to coat. Quickly pour onto oiled marble or cold plate. (Apples glisten under a thin, transparent amber glaze.)
6. Serve: Cut into portions while warm. Serve immediately with chilled sesame oil for dipping—pull threads by dipping apple into oil, then lifting. (Thin, continuous golden threads stretch 10–15 cm between chopsticks and apple.)