Pare your Pippins, and weigh them, then put them into your preserving Pan ; to every Pound put four Ounces of Sugar, and as much Water as will scarce cover them ; boil them to a Pulp, and then pulp them through a Sieve ; then to every Pound of Apples you weighed, take one Pound of Sugar clarified, boil it till it almost cracks, then put in the Paste, and mix it well over a slow Fire, then take it off and pour it on flat Pewter-plates, or the Bottoms of Dishes, to the Thickness of two Crowns ; set them in the Stove for three or four Hours, then cut it into narrow Slips and turn it up into Knots to what Shape or Size you please ; put them into the Stove to dry, dusting them a little, turn them and dry them on the other Side, and when thorough dry, put them into your Box.
Edward Lambert, The Art of Confectionary (1761)
This twist on a toffee apple sounds like a rather tasty autumn treat to me. If I’ve read it right, and you remove the sugar from the boil before the hard-crack stage the result ought to be a fruity, soft(ish) toffee, yes? Not that I’m any sort of confectioner, so please do feel free to offer corrections or suggestions, via the comments.
By the by, is it just me or does “put them into your Box” sound like an eighteenth century version of “stuff them into your gob”?
If you’re inspired to make this apple-y bonfire toffee, please do let me know how it turns out, either by leaving a comment below, or by sending me an email with your notes and photos.