Maçã do amor
Maçã do amor: apples on sticks dipped in a glassy, bright red sugar shell
A shiny red apple on a stick is the picture of a Brazilian festa junina stall, lined up in rows beside the quentão and pipoca. The 'love apple' is a small, tart apple dipped in hot sugar syrup that hardens into a thin, crackling, ruby-red shell; you bite through glass and hit crisp fruit. It is a good one to make at home for a June party because the syrup takes 15 minutes and the apples are ready as soon as the shell cools. Choose a plant-based red colouring to keep it vegan. Where it tends to fail: any water or wax on the apple skin stops the syrup sticking, so it slides off in a puddle. Chef's tip: dip the apples in boiling water for 10 seconds and dry them thoroughly to remove the wax before you start.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 6 small red applesfirm and tart
- 14 oz sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tsp white vinegaror lemon juice; stops the sugar crystallising
- ½ tsp red food colouringgel or liquid; plant-based for a vegan version
- 1 tsp neutral oilfor the tray
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What you'll need
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Dip 6 small red apples in a pan of boiling water for 10 seconds, then dry them very well. Pull out the stalks and push a wooden skewer or stick firmly into each stalk end, two-thirds of the way in.
Step 2: Brush a tray or baking paper with 1 tsp neutral oil.
Step 3: Put 14 oz sugar, ¾ cup water and 1 tsp white vinegar in a small, deep pan and stir over a medium heat just until the sugar dissolves. Then stop stirring.
3 minStep 4: Add ½ tsp red food colouring, swirl the pan, and boil without stirring for 12–15 minutes, until the syrup reaches 300°F on a sugar thermometer, or a drop in cold water sets hard and snaps cleanly.
15 minStep 5: Take off the heat and tilt the pan. Dip each apple and twirl to coat completely, let the excess drip off for a few seconds, and stand it stick-up on the tray. Work quickly; the syrup is extremely hot.
Step 6: Leave for 15 minutes until the shell is hard and glassy. Eat the same day, as the shell softens in humid air.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 74 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does maçã do amor take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of small red apples?
- Pears, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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