The Most Perfect Caramel Candy Apple

 This is the season for candy apples. They are not only fun to eat, they're festive to look at. They can be easily made and made to perfection.It just takes some skill and patience.

Before you start get yourself a good candy thermometer. A perfect coat is what makes a candy apple great. If; the coating is too soft, it may slide off or becoms too hard. OXO has an excellent brand that also works for a deep fryer along with Polder which also works for cooking jellies and jams too as well as deep frying.The recipe is easy.It's three cups of sugar and half a cup of corn syrup mixed with one cup of water. Red food coloring is added when the mix hits 300 degree Farenheit or the hard crack stage. You can test this by dropping a drop of the syrup into a glass of cold water. It should form into a hard droplet not unlike hard candy. The apples are placed on lollipop or popsicle sticks and one by one swirled into the red goo. Place on  waxed paper or a butter greased cookie sheet(  doing it this way gives extra flavor).What apples should you use? I'd prefer  small Granny Smith simply because their tartness is a nice foil to the sweetness. Fuji, Jazz and Gala, all reds, also make for good candied apples. Keep in mind that some apples come with a waxy coating which will make the coating slide off. To remove it , boil six cups of water with one tablespoon white vinegar. quickly dip the apples in this for five seconds and thoroughly dry.

Caramel apples are another yummy treat right now. The question is to use Kraft caramels or take it an extra step to heaven with home made caramel. The Kraft way has always been the easiest. It's just cutting up the caramel, putting them in a microwavable bowl with two tablespoons of water. The apples are then dipped into the caramel , then swirled and finally placed on parchment paper. They can be hardened in the fridge for one hour or until firm. Homemade caramel is much more labor intensive but worth it. It's more chewy and buttery, think a rich taffy that won't pool at the bottom. You will need heavy cream or heavy whipping cream which is the backbone. You cannot use milk or milk substitutes. Corn syrup is also required because that's what makes the caramel stick to the apple. Brown sugar is used instead of white.It's softer and better tasting than the granulated for this. Butter gives caramel that creaminess and extra flavor as does vanilla extract. All the ingredients except the vanilla are cooked until the caramel reaches the soft ball stage about 235 degrees Farenheit. The vanilla extract is added a few minutes later. Let it cool before dipping the apples in. Keep in mind that caramel burns the sides of the pan so use a wet pastry brush to clean it. You can dip both kinds of apples in coconut flakes or chopped peanuts for added flavor.

Happiness right now is a candy or caramel apple. Make these homemade candy and caramel ones for a perfect fall treat. They're fun, festive and delicious!!

Our Own Central Perk

Friends nostalgia is sweeping the country, especially here in the New York area. As we know, the beloved comedy was set in Manhattan and debuted this much a quarter of a century (gasp!!!) ago.Monica, Phoebe, Ross, Rachel, Chandler, and Joey hung out at a hip downtown coffee shop, Central Perk. It turns out there's one here in Bergen County, in Hasbrouck  Heights, New Jersey. It's the KTB  -Sean Ryan Coffee Shop , located at the southern end of the town's busy Main Street,

It is a trendy , eclectically decorated place, usually filled with Hasbrouck Heights (or the Heights as we locals call it) high schoolers. It's a great meeting place with a game cupboard - full of really neat ones like the classic Monopoly and Yahtzee. These are for all ages - and a great way of passing a rainy Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

The cafe also has poetry readings on Tuesday where young artists can showcase their work. The cafe also highlights jazz groups too for a night of good music and good coffee.

 There are cozy clusters like this, tables for two and longer, Baroque dining room tables surrounded by a variety of fancy, ornately carved dining room chairs. The decor reminds of the famed Raffiela's in lower Manhattan.

                                         These are some of the pastries they sell

There are plain and chocolate croissants as well as apple turnovers. Check out the generous crumb cake squares that can be shared. Individual cake slices as well as tiramisu  can also be bought.There is also a good variety of different macaroons, from chocolate ganache to red velvet.

 KTB also has a large variety of breakfast dishes such as omelets and French toast along with lunch dishes such as vegan and meat paninis and pitua bowls.

Of course being a coffee shop there is also a variety of coffees and teas. Their Arnold Palmer is perfect on a hot day, served in a mason jar, Southern style. Their cappuccino is huge, served in a cup , more of a bathtub.

The cappuccino was strong  - and generous. The macaroons, chocolate and red velvet were a bit too sweet - not what I 'm used to. It would be nice if KTB offered big and small cupcakes as well as different types of cookies too. Maybe their North Arlington branch has these. It would be worth visiting just to see what they have.

If you want your own version of Central Perk, then come to KTB in Hasbrouck Heights. Visit during the day for a quiet coffee or tea or head to it in the evening for jazz and poetry readings. It's a nice escape for you and your friends.