INGREDIENTS
12 apples (about 2 per pound)
2 lbs. Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate
1 lb. cashews (coarsely chopped)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
2 cups heavy cream
4 TBS butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 – 8″ wooden dowels

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METHOD

1. Wash and dry apples and insert dowels into stem side using a mallet. Place prepared apples on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate as the process works best with cold apples.

2. Add the sugar, corn syrup, cream and butter to a large saucepan and boil over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until temperature reaches 240 degrees. While the pot begins to heat up, prepare a bowl of ice water, large enough to accommodate the pot. As soon as the temperature reaches 240 or just under, immediately plunge the pot into bowl of ice water. Add the vanilla and stir over ice water until the caramel has cooled and thickened.

3. Dip the apples into the caramel. You may need to use a spoon to help slather the caramel over the entire apple. Place the coated apples back on the baking sheet and refrigerate until cool and firm, approximately 30 minutes.

4. In the meantime, prepare your chocolate. Coarse chop all of the chocolate and melt half of it in a double boiler. Once the water has boiled, remove from the stove and return only long enough to keep it hot. Do not boil the chocolate or let it get too hot. Once the chocolate has melted, remove entirely from heat and add remaining chocolate. Stir with a rubber scrapper constantly until it is all melted. If necessary, you can heat the chocolate just slightly, but you do not want it get hotter than body temperature. When the chocolate feels cool, but has slight warmth left in it, it is ready to use. This process is called tempering and will give you a firm, shiny coating.

5. Dip the caramel-coated apples into the tempered chocolate and spoon to cover if necessary. You can set the pot back over the warm water from the double-boiler if it starts to get hard, but do not return it to the stove! Roll the apples in crushed cashews to cover bottoms and halfway up the sides and place on clean parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until set approximately 30 minutes.

5. Bag each apple separately in a candy bag available at craft stores and tie closed with a piece of ribbon and enjoy.

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HEALTHIER VARIATION

Serving: 1/2 apple ( 222 cal, 13 g fat, 1 g protein, 27 g carbs)

Use 6 apples (about 3 per pound) and only use 1/2 cup sugar, 1/8 cup dark corn syrup, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 TBS butter and 1/4 tsp vanilla for the caramel. Reduce chocolate to 6 oz. and cashews to 60 grams. Divide the crushed cashwes into 6 piles on a sheet of parchment and spread them out to form circles about 3″ in diameter. Use only about 2 TBS of melted chocolate per apple and set the apple ontop of a spread pile of cashews and roll the apple to cover the bottom and sides. You will need to be frugal and conservative while coating with the caramel and chocolate. Do your best to make it stretch and you will be delighted to be to not break a diet to have a taste of this Halloween delight.

* Nutritional information is approximate and provided as a general guide.

This is a general guide for hot water bath canning of acidic foods such as fruits to make preserves, jellies, jams, etc. Non-acid foods such as vegetables and meats must be processed by the pressure canning method. Consult the specific instructions that accompany your brand of mason jars for the exact procedures as they may differ between manufacturers. The process outlined below is suitable for Ball brand jars.

SUPPLIES
Very large stock pot or canner pot
Wire rack to fit in the bottom of the pot
Wire rack to cool and rest processed jars on
Sturdy tongs for lifting and lowering filled jars
Candy thermometer
Small ladle
Small stiff, non-metallic spatula or bamboo skewer
Paper towels
Mason jars, lids and bands

METHOD

1. Wash jars, lids, bands, and all equipment in hot soap water or run through the dishwasher. Only work with enough jars to use up the amount of food in the batch you are currently working with.

2. Set up the pot. Fill the pot halfway with cold water and move to stove. Place a wire rack on the bottom of the pot. Using tongs, pick up and stand the empty jars upright on the rack, allowing them to fill with water as you place them in the pot. Using a tea kettle or a large saucepan, add more water to the pot so that the water level is at least 1″ above the top rim of the jars, but ideally 2″ or more is better. Using tongs, add the lids to the pot. Position them carefully so they don’t slip under the rack. It is not necessary to put the bands in this prep bath. On high, heat the pot to 180 degrees. Maintain it at that temperature for at least 10 minutes and until ready to start canning your food. Do not allow the pot to boil. If the lids are subjected to high temperatures the sealing compound will activate and your jars will not seal later when you process them.

3. When your recipe is ready to can, keep it hot as you fill the jars and continue to keep the canning pot at 180 degrees while completing this step as well. Using tongs, remove a jar from the pot and hold it upside down over the pot to allow excess water to drip away. Place the jar on the counter and using a ladle, fill the hot jar with your hot food, leaving ¼” of headspace from the top. With the non-metallic spatula or a bamboo skewer, work your way around the perimeter of the jar in an up and down motion to remove any air pockets that might have occurred while filling the jar. Adjust headspace if necessary and wipe the rim with a clean, damp paper towel to remove any debris. Using tongs, remove a lid from the pot and position on the top of the jar. Screw on a band just to the point of resistance. DO NOT TIGHTEN. Air must be allowed to escape during processing to create a vacuum seal. The passage is one way – air will escape from the jar, but water will not enter it. Using tongs, pick up the filled and closed jar and place it carefully into the canning pot, keeping it upright at all times. Repeat until all jars are filled.

3. Increase the heat, cover and bring the pot to a boil. This can take as long as 40 minutes depending on the size of your pot and jars. Observe carefully and do not mistake the escaping air from the jars as the water coming to a boil. When a full rolling boil occurs, allow the pot to boil for 10 minutes.

4. Turn off the heat and remove the lid. Carefully remove the jars from the pot with the tongs, taking care to keep them facing upright at all times and not allowing them to tilt or be turned upside down. Allow the jars to rest on a cooling rack for 12 – 24 hours. You will notice that the bands are very loose when they come out of the bath. Do NOT tighten them. As the jars cool they will vacuum seal and you may here a “ping” sounds from the jars, this is normal.

5. After the resting period, remove the bands and test the seal by grasping the lid and trying to gently pull it off. It should feel very secure and appear to be dented inwards. This is a good seal. Wipe the jars off with a damp cloth and store in a cool dark place for up to a year. Jars that did not seal properly should be stored in the refrigerator and will keep for about 6 weeks, depending on the contents.

6. It’s not necessary to store the jars with the bands screwed on. They may actually rust over time and may end up being difficult to remove. If giving as a gift, lightly screw on a band as it will be needed to close the jar again once it has been opened. Cover the top with a piece of fabric or parchment paper, secured with a ribbon for a homemade gift.

* This is an overview of the basic method for processing acidic foods and is not meant to replace specific manufacturer or recipe instructions.

Autumn Equinox: The Enchantment of Mabon
by Ellen Dugan

Ellen Dugan never fails to entertain, delight and inform in her captivating books. This volume features everything you could want to know about the Autumn season including harvest festivals, folklore, magic and earth-based spirituality. It includes many craft ideas for both the artsy and the witchy, as well as seasonal recipes and activities and spells to bring abundance and joy into your life during the waning months of the Earth’s year.