Cookery Corner
October Theme Bark and Candy Apples
Ingredients
Bark
200g white chocolate
1 tsp orange food colouring (oil-based is best)
75g dark chocolate
1 tsp black food colouring (oil-based is best)
70g orange, yellow and brown sweets
Candy Apples
8 medium apples
8 cinnamon sticks (6 inch) or craft sticks (flat wooden sticks with round ends)
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp orange food colouring
Icing sugar
2 oz black fondant, if desired
1 tube (4.25 oz) Betty Crocker™ green decorating icing
Method:
Bark
Line a 23 x 33cm baking tray with baking parchment. Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Alternatively, microwave in 5-second bursts until smooth. Stir through the orange food colouring and set aside.
In a separate bowl, melt the dark chocolate using the same method and then mix in the black colouring.
Pour the melted orange coloured chocolate into the lined tray and spread to the sides to an even layer. Drizzle over the black coloured chocolate and swirl it with the end of a skewer to make a pattern. Evenly sprinkle over the coloured sweets and edible eyes. Chill for 1-2 hours until set, then break into shards. This will keep for up to two weeks in an airtight container.
Candy Apples
In heavy-based saucepan, mix together the granulated sugar, water, corn syrup and food colouring. Heat over a medium-high heat until bubbling. Boil uncovered for 15 minutes without stirring, to 300°F on a candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into cup of very cold water separates into hard, brittle threads (watch carefully so mixture does not burn.) Immediately remove from the heat and allow to stand until the bubbling stops.
Dip each apple into the hot sugar mixture, turning to coat and letting excess drip off. Place on a cookie sheet and let stand until set.
Lightly sprinkle a flat surface with the icing sugar and roll the fondant to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a paring knife, cut out eyes, nose and mouth for each jack-o’-lantern. Attach the leaf tip to the icing tube; pipe leaves on each apple. Remove the leaf tip from icing tube; attach small round tip. Pipe some vines and use icing to attach eyes, nose and mouth to each apple, pressing gently. Allow to stand until set.
This week, the children in Cookery Club had a choice between doing both a october-themed chocolate bark and/or a candy apple. They did amazing job melting and pouring into the moulds to create some amazing chocolate bark. They did a fantastic job of covering and decorating their candy apples.
Big cook, little cook
If you and your children enjoy cooking, please share your own recipes and photos with us through the contact us email (contactus@langleyparkprimaryacademy.org.uk) and we will add these to our Cookery Corner.