What could be better than honey crisp apples with a sweet, crunchy coating and hints of bourbon? (The answer is nothing.) Pair the candy apples with Aged Bloomsday cheese, and you’ve got a fun spin on the classic apple-pie-with-cheddar-cheese combo. 

Our friend Mark Gillman crafts Aged Bloomsday from raw cow’s milk at Cato Corner Farm in Colchester, Connecticut. After aging for 12 months, the cheese is firm and dense, with a beautiful natural rind and hearty protein crystals dotted throughout the paste. Aged Bloomsday is bright and tangy with a scrumptious cheddary bite. 

Ingredients

• 4 medium Honey Crisp apples

• 1/2 cup water

• 2 cups sugar

• 1/2 cup light corn syrup

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

• 1/4 cup bourbon whiskey

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• popsicle sticks

• Aged Bloomsday

Directions

1. Wash and dry the apples. This can be done the day before to insure that they are completely dry. Push a popsicle stick into the center stem of each apple.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper with butter or cooking spray.

3. In a medium size sauce pan, over medium-high heat, stir together the water, sugar and corn syrup, until mixture is bubbly and lightly boiling.  

4. Reduce the heat to medium and position a candy thermometer or instant read thermometer on the side of the pan. Continue to cook the mixture until the thermometer reads 275 degrees.

5. Using extreme caution, stir in the bourbon a little at a time, along with the cinnamon, and vanilla seeds. The mixture will bubble up slightly with each addition of the bourbon. The mixture is extremely hot, use extra care during this step.

6. Allow mixture to reach 300 degrees and turn off the heat, allowing the mixture to cool slightly to 275 degrees. 

7. Tilting the pot slightly, quickly and carefully dip each apple, one at a time into the syrup, allowing the excess to drip off. Place apple on baking sheet and allow to cool completely, about 30 minutes or overnight. Reheat the mixture if the syrup cools to quickly and falls below 265 degrees.

8. Apples can sit uncovered at room temperature overnight, up to 24 hours.