Halloween Candied Apples

Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. Wash and thoroughly dry the apples. Remove any stems and insert the wooden skewers about half way into the center of the apple. Set apples on prepared baking tray until ready to coat.

In a medium saucepan, set over medium heat, combine sugar, syrup and water. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves, then continue to cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 250ºF. Occasionally wash down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent the sugar from crystallizing.

Continue to cook, brushing down the sides of the pans, until the mixture reaches the firm ball stage (285º F), syrup will be golden in color. Remove from heat; carefully stir in the vanilla and red food coloring. Syrup will be extremely hot and sticky so avoid splatter.