Lightly grease a sheet of baking paper and place it on a tray or baking sheet.

Insert bamboo skewers into the tops of each apple and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, water, corn syrup, and black gel food coloring.

Stir gently until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture comes to a simmer.

Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring. Use a wet pastry brush to wash down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan to prevent crystallization.

Continue to cook the sugar mixture until it reaches the hard crack stage (150°C/310°F on a candy thermometer).

1. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small amount of the syrup into ice-cold water; it should form hard, brittle threads.

Working quickly and carefully, tip the pan slightly to one side and dip each apple into the caramel, swirling to coat completely.

Place the coated apples onto the prepared baking sheet and allow them to cool and harden completely before serving.