One bite and all your dreams will come true.

It won't send you into a Sleeping Death in which you can only be revived by true love's kiss. I swear.

This Poison Apple may, however, cause you to dream about eating another one. Caramel apples are one of the best treats of the autumnal season and when combined with the sweet kick of cinnamon and some formidable color they're even tastier. The Evil Queen would be proud of this witchcraft.

If you're a freak of nature who has not seen Snow White you may be lost by now. That's okay. These simply serve as an eerily perfect Halloween treat. Now I realize Snow White is not typically Halloween fare but if you ask me the Evil Queen is creepy as all get out. I mean, can you imagine your stepmother disguising herself to tempt you with apples that send you into a sleeping death so she could be the most beautiful woman in the kingdom? That's messed up, y'all. I'd like to thank my mother for only dressing up as a wicked witch and not behaving like one.

Now if you're an even bigger weirdo who doesn't like Halloween or Snow White you could simply omit the black food coloring gel. I think that sounds like a snoozefest. A tasty snoozefest but a snoozefest none-the-less.

Now, I am ashamed to say that I ran out of natural light and didn't photograph my Poison Apples until the next morning. When I woke up I discovered that I had not "sanded" down the apple skins enough because the carmel had slid right off the surface in some spots. For the perfectly smooth looking Poison Apple remember to serve them thirty minutes after coating! No matter the appearance of the surface, these babies are downright dreamy.

Poison Apples

8 Honeycrisp or Green Apples
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
1 cup light brown corn syrup
1 14 oz can of evaporated milk
candy thermometer
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 drops cinnamon candy oil or 1 teaspoon cinnamon extract
8 drops black food coloring gel (like Americolor)
8 cookie sticks or popsicle sticks

Wash all 8 apples with hot water and rub with a clean, preferably new, scrubby sponge. This will rough up the edges and allow the caramel to stick to the surface more easily. Dry apples completely and set aside.

In a medium sized saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat. Immediately add in dark brown sugar and reduce heat to medium. Use a whisk to stir the sugar and butter together. After a couple of minutes the sugar will start to dissolve into the melted butter. Add in corn syrup and stir vigorously to create a cohesive liquid. The sugar syrup will be sticky!

Next add in the evaporated milk making sure to get ever last creamy drop from the can. Whisk into the sugar and butter for a beautiful, smooth, latte-colored caramel. Return to medium high heat and clip candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Stir constantly until the caramel reaches 250-260°F. Any lower and the caramel won't be sticky enough to adhere to the apples. If you cook the caramel too long it could turn to the "crack" stage and break your teeth off. Unless you like that...weirdo. I'm a gooey caramel girl myself.

Finally add in the vanilla, cinnamon, and black coloring and stir vigorously. The caramel will hiss and bubble but make sure to stir the liquids in completely!

Next, spear your apple cores with a cookie stick. I used a hammer to make sure mine were firmly secured. What can I say? I have violent tendencies. Holding onto the stick, dunk your apples into the black caramel until fully submerged lift out of the caramel and hold above the pot for sixty seconds or so to prevent severe pooling of caramel around the apples while they dry. Save any extra caramel for a spooky ice cream topper.

Let the caramel apples cool for thirty minutes before enjoying. Warning: will cause "demon mouth," or discolored tongues.

Happy Halloween!