I love toffee apples, they are such a great accompaniment to the autumn celebrations of Halloween and Bonfire Night. I have always bought my toffee apples ready made but this year I fancied learning to make my own. Then Tate and Lyle got in touch and offered me a limited edition ‘Trick Or Treacle’ black treacle tin, along with a recipe for toffee apples.

The tins come in three different collectable pumpkin designs and prices start at 88p per tin.

Ingredients;

8-10 small Cox’s apples, stalks twisted off.

1 x 100g bag microwave sweet popcorn (optional).

225g Lyle’s Trick Or Treacle.

450g demorara sugar.

110g unsalted butter.

1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar.

8-10 wooden ice-lolly sticks.

2 baking trays, lined with parchment paper.

Method;

Put the apples in the sink, pour over boiling water and let it drain away. This removes the wax coating from the apples to help the toffee stick. Polish dry.

Push the sticks halfway into the core of the apples at the stalk end.

If using popcorn, prepare according to instructions.

Combine the treacle, sugar, butter and vinegar in a large heavy-based pan. Stir constantly over a low heat with a wooden spoon for about 15 mins, until the sugar is dissolved.

Bring to the boil without stirring until the mixture reached 149-154 degrees celsius, or the hard crack stage. If you don’t have a thermometer check by dropping a teaspoon of the mixture into a bowl of cold water, it should go hard and brittle instantly. If it’s not continue to boil it.

Remove the pan from the heat and tilt it, then quickly dip the apples, one at a time, in the toffee. Twirl them to completely cover and place on a baking tray to harden.

*If you are using popcorn, scatter it onto the apple after covering in toffee before it has set.

Once set store the toffee apples in an airtight container in a dry place and eat within 24 hours.

Enjoy.