Mac-candy apples for the McIntosh apple’s 200th birthday

I was  thrilled to be invited to participate in the first ever Ontario Apple Growers blogger challenge- the search for the best candy apple recipe. The challenge was inspired by the 200th anniversary of the McIntosh apple and the grandiose Winter Apple Ball, a free family event taking place at the Westin Harbour Castle this Family Day, Monday, February 21st.

Some fun McIntosh apple facts:

•    The original McIntosh tree was a chance discovery by John McIntosh in the Village of Dundela, Ontario in the spring of 1811.
•    Many apple varieties we know today stem from the McIntosh including: the Cortland, the Lobo, the Melba, the Macoun and more.
•    The original McIntosh tree was severely damaged by a house fire but continued to bear fruit on the side that was unaffected until it died in 1906.  In 1912, a plaque was installed in honour of the tree.
•    Every McIntosh tree and apple in the world is a descendent of the original McIntosh tree.
•    The McIntosh apple represents approximately 25 per cent of Ontario’s total acreage.
•    The McIntosh apple is grown in greater quantities than any other apple in Canada and the north-eastern United States combined.
•    It is reputed that Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple incorporated and Mac computers named the company after the McIntosh apple in 1976 after spending the summer working on a friend’s apple orchard.  For a different take on the story, this article in Mashable is a good read too!

Of course, I can’t see anything with “Mc or Mac” in the name without thinking of two of my favourite things – my MacBook Air and macarons.  Since creating a candy apple with a computer theme just seemed too tricky, I went with the latter.  Having never made a candy apple (we call them toffee apples in Australia) nor tiny macarons before, this was  a total experiment that I think we can call a success.

The McIntosh apple is in season mid September to May.  It is medium-sized apple with an irregular round shape.  Its skin is green with a red splash and its flesh is white and juicy.  It’s mildly tart, becoming sweeter as it ripens. It’s an excellent apple for eating fresh, or for baking pies and sauces.

And making candy apples…

Happy Birthday McIntosh!

If you are in Toronto on February 21st, although general registration for the Winter Apple Ball is closed, you still have an opportunity to attend if at least one member of your family (4-18 yrs) registers to participate in the apple-bobbing World Record attempt.

Disclaimer: The Ontario Apple Growers were part sponsors who helped me attend IFBC last year.

89 thoughts on “Mac-candy apples for the McIntosh apple’s 200th birthday”

  1. Mardi! I love this! Your candied apple is gorgeous and how brilliant and adorable with the tiny macs! Mac-Intosh b’gosh! Love it! Now I’d love to taste!

    Reply
  2. I could put my teeth into this no trouble! Look forward to more photos of toffee apples (ha!) Like the colours too. My first attempt never looked as good as this.

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  3. A candy apples with teeny tiny little macarons on it, how could it not be a sure fire winner? It’s so cute! Great job and what a fun event to be a part of.

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  4. Mardi! J’aime beaucoup tes petits macarons! I love looking look at your macarons now in which you make with ease compared to the challenges you used to have! True perseverance!
    As for your candied apple, I’d line up for one of those at a carnival any day!

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  6. Oh, this is just brilliant! Those mini macs are amazing against the gorgeous, shiny red candy coating. These would sell like hotcakes!

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  7. What beautiful apples!

    I’ve never seen mini maca1roons before. Thanks for posting the link on how to make them…I just added that to my list of new recipes to try.

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  8. I have never had a good toffee apple. They would have them sitting there looking all delicious and tempting in the fruit & veg section at Coles, and I would bug my Mum for one when feeling particularly annoying as a child. The toffee bit would be pretty good – a sugary overload to get stuck in your teeth – but the apple was always brown and awful. They were also distinctly lacking in macarons. My Mum is very lucky about this, as I cannot begin to imagine how badly I would have bugged her for one of your creations. I think Dad may have been called in for a little smack to sort that out!

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  9. I love my Mac laptop, too, and do everything on it–including blogging about macarons like you! Great post about the background of Mac apples. And your mini-macarons on the candy apple are soooooo cute!!!

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  10. Mardi, I’ve just been browsing through your blog and these are freaking adorable! I love them and the photos. Macs are one of my favourites. Growing up, my grandma lived just a few blocks from the Sun Rype Apple Juice factory in Kelowna, BC (part of the huge Okanagan apple producing region) and the site of apple crates piled to the sky is a huge part of my summer memories as a little kid. These are so fun and a big reminder of that. Love it!

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  11. Hello,
    I want to ask you permission to use the foto of your candied apple for my blog’s October favorites round up. All credit will be linked to your blog as I normally do with all my round ups. You can respond to my request via my email and consider this an invitation to visit my little humble blog. Thank you,
    Jackie

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  12. Pingback: How Do You Like Them Candy Apples? | Yummly

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