There are so many wonderful new Halloween children’s books but for this post, I’m going back to an old classic: The Candy Witch by Steven Kroll. First published in 1979, this book is both delightful fun and thought provoking for young kids. In The Candy Witch, Maggie the little witch lives with her family of good witches and they all enjoy using their magic to help people. But when Maggie’s magical efforts go overlooked because she is the youngest witch in the family, she decides to practice some bad magic to get her family’s attention. I love that this story is a magical twist on a very common family dynamic. Youngest children so often feel overlooked or left-out when older siblings are getting attention for accomplishments or activities. The Candy Witch is a good book for starting conversations with a younger child, or their older siblings, about the frustrations and hurt feelings that sometimes come with being the youngest.
The Candy Witch is also just a really fun read. This is one book that both my elementary age kids still look forward to reading every Halloween. My kids love the way that Maggie uses her magic to do silly things (like turning a dining room into blueberry pie) but I think they mostly love this book for the sheer amount of candy that is featured! When Maggie realizes that her attempts to get attention are making children sad, she makes up for it by throwing an enormous Halloween party for all the children in town featuring mountains of candy. The retro illustrations, with a limited palette of purple, orange, and black, add a whimsical feeling to the book and add to the festive, Halloween feel.
Discussion Questions for The Candy Witch:
- How do you think Maggie feels when her family doesn’t notice the good magic she does? Have you ever felt that way?
- What do you think Maggie could have done instead of deciding to get attention by doing bad magic?
- What would you do with your magic if you were a witch? Would you rather play funny pranks or do good deeds with your magic?
Since a large part of the appeal of The Candy Witch comes from the masses of candy that Maggie conjures up, it only made sense to feature a sweet recipe in this post. I have always wanted to try making candy apples and I love the illustration in this book of a pedestal in the town square brimming over with candy apples. I tried three recipe for candy apples before hitting on one that seemed to consistently turn out shiny, ruby red, crunchy candy covered apples. The first recipe I tried turned sugary long before the syrup got to the correct temperature, while the second recipe just didn’t get to quite the right texture. After finding a method that worked well for me, I tweaked it a little by adding some extra flavor to the candy coating. I wanted to add some autumn spice, but not have a full-on cinnamon flavored coating. I think cinnamon can be an overwhelming flavor, and is especially strong for some kids to enjoy. In my quest for just the right flavor, I stumbled upon a new McCormick Spice extract that is Pumpkin Pie Spice flavored. This extract has a little bit of cinnamon flavor, but is not as spicy as plain cinnamon, and adds some subtle hints of cloves and nutmeg. Adding just a bit of the Pumpkin Pie Spice extract, along with some vanilla extract created a candy coating that was a little spicy, a little buttery, and perfectly sweet!
If you would like to make a more natural candy apple, or try to avoid food coloring, try a natural food coloring such as India Tree Natural Decorating Colors.
Vanilla Spiced Candy Apples
Insert caramel apple sticks or small popsicle sticks into the apples until each stick reaches about halfway into the apple. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly butter the parchment to prevent the candy apples from sticking. Set aside.
Add the sugar, corn syrup, water, and food coloring to a heavy, medium pot. If the pot is too thin on the bottom, the sugar syrup may burn easily. Stir to combine the sugar mixture, and then heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has completely dissolved. To tell if the sugar has dissolved: Drop a little of the hot syrup on a plate and allow it to cool for a minute or two. Rub the cooled syrup between two fingers; if it feels gritty, the sugar has not yet completely dissolved and needs to cook a little longer.
Once the sugar has dissolved and the syrup no longer feels gritty, turn the heat up to medium-high and boil the sugar syrup, without stirring, until it reaches 300ºF on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes. Remove the syrup from the heat and quickly stir in the extracts. Working quickly (the candy will harden fast) dip each apple into the candy coating, tipping the pan to completely coat each apple, then place the candy coated apples on the prepared baking sheet. Allow candy to harden and cool for 30 minutes before eating.
Ingredients
Directions
Insert caramel apple sticks or small popsicle sticks into the apples until each stick reaches about halfway into the apple. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly butter the parchment to prevent the candy apples from sticking. Set aside.
Add the sugar, corn syrup, water, and food coloring to a heavy, medium pot. If the pot is too thin on the bottom, the sugar syrup may burn easily. Stir to combine the sugar mixture, and then heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has completely dissolved. To tell if the sugar has dissolved: Drop a little of the hot syrup on a plate and allow it to cool for a minute or two. Rub the cooled syrup between two fingers; if it feels gritty, the sugar has not yet completely dissolved and needs to cook a little longer.
Once the sugar has dissolved and the syrup no longer feels gritty, turn the heat up to medium-high and boil the sugar syrup, without stirring, until it reaches 300ºF on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes. Remove the syrup from the heat and quickly stir in the extracts. Working quickly (the candy will harden fast) dip each apple into the candy coating, tipping the pan to completely coat each apple, then place the candy coated apples on the prepared baking sheet. Allow candy to harden and cool for 30 minutes before eating.
