Pommes d'amour (or Pommes de tire) with red wine caramel

Preparation

1. Insert a wooden stick halfway into each apple (stem part). Place the sheet of parchment paper on a lightly greased baking sheet.
2. Bring wine to the boil in a saucepan over medium heat to reduce. Stop cooking when only 125 ml (1/2 cup) remains. Remove from heat.
3. In a large saucepan, bring the sugar and water to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking until you obtain an amber caramel. Add the reduced wine and stir, then add the 35% cream and simmer until the candy thermometer reads 145°C (290°F).
4. Remove from heat and immediately place the saucepan in the bowl of ice cubes, allowing the temperature to drop to 95°C (200°F).
5. Hold the apples by the stick, dip them into the caramel and stir to coat, letting excess drip off. Place the apples gradually on the parchment paper and let stand until the caramel has set, about 30 minutes.

For me, pommes d'amour are synonymous with funfairs, because that's the only place I could eat them. In Quebec, they're called pommes de tire. They're usually coated in a red-colored caramel. For this recipe, which I wanted to be very different from the usual, the caramel is flavored with a red wine reduction. It's extremely fragrant, and once you've tasted these pommes d'amour, you won't want any more.