Sugar-Free Apple Caramel Candy

Ingredients

• 4 Apples (Peeled, cored, and cut up; used to make the apple butter. The recipe does not specify an apple variety or size.)
• Ground cinnamon (A little, for the apple butter; amount not specified.)
• 0.5 cup Salted butter
• 1 cup Granulated allulose with fiber (The author states that allulose is required for the sugar-free version; erythritol or other sugar-free sweeteners will not work.)
• 0.25 cup Apple butter (Made by concentrating the apple puree until thick enough to mound on a spoon.)
• Sea salt (Optional, for sprinkling over the candy.)
• Heavy cream (Optional; add at the end for a softer chew and a nice finish. Amount not specified.)
• Ice-cold water (For the cold-water test; amount not specified.)

Steps

1. 1

   Make the apple butter if it has not already been prepared. Peel, core, and cut up 4 apples, then simmer them until soft.

2. 2

   Use an immersion blender to puree the softened apples.

3. 3

   Cook the apple puree at a gentle boil, stirring often and constantly near the end, until it is thick enough to mound on a spoon. Stir in a little ground cinnamon as described by the author, then measure out ¼ cup for the caramel and save the remainder for another use.

4. 4

   Line a loaf pan with parchment paper so the finished candy can be lifted out for slicing.

5. 5

   Melt the salted butter over medium heat in a saucepan.

6. 6

   Add the granulated allulose and the ¼ cup apple butter to the melted butter.

7. 7

   Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat for about 15 minutes, until it reaches the soft-ball stage.

8. 8

   Check the stage with the cold-water test: drop a small spoonful of the hot caramel syrup into a small bowl of ice-cold water. It should form a soft, pliable ball while submerged and slump down in your fingers when removed. The author cautions that candy thermometers can be inaccurate.

9. 9

   If using heavy cream, add it at the end for a softer chew and a smooth finish; the source does not specify an amount.

10. 10

    Pour the hot caramel into the parchment-lined loaf pan.

11. 11

    Sprinkle the surface with sea salt if desired.

12. 12

    Allow the caramel to set enough to cut, then slice it into candies. The source does not specify a setting time.

Notes

For the sugar-free version, use allulose rather than erythritol or another sugar-free sweetener. If sugar is acceptable, the author says granulated sugar can be used instead. The source does not specify the candy's setting time, exact yield, or the amount of optional heavy cream.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• candy
• sugar-free
• apple
• vegetarian
• stovetop
• fall