How do these apples get so red? Red Hots, the spicy cinnamon-flavored candy. They’re probably restricted (if not outright banned) in Europe, thanks to Red #40 — but they’re colorful and the spicy cinnamon flavor goes well with apples. This is one of the recipes my mom had in her recipe index card box, though I don’t remember her making them when I was growing up.

I’ll be honest; I need to rework this recipe. When I made this batch, I cooked them down until most of the liquid evaporated (the original recipe didn’t specify a cooking time). I didn’t realize that this would make the candy element revert back to a solid state when cool, resulting in a very sticky dessert that could seriously rip out your dental work if you’re not careful. What I suggest below instead is to cook down half of the water and see if that makes them softer and easier to eat.

2 lbs. apples, cored, peeled, and sliced
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 c. water
11 oz. (2 boxes) red hots

Boil sugar, water, and red hots until the sugar and candy dissolves. Add the apples and cook until transparent and tender — maybe when the liquid cooks down to half its volume but no more. Stir occasionally to keep it from sticking on the bottom and ensure all apple slices spend time immersed in the liquid.