When I was a little girl I used to make apple candles that stood up in their own candlesticks. I always ate the fresh, juicy slices as I cut them off. [Fig. 216] shows how the candles look when finished. The stem is the wick, and as it is usually dark at the end, it is a very good imitation of a candlewick that is partially burnt. The dotted lines on [Fig. 217] show how to cut away the apple to leave the candle and its holder.
First cut off a slice at the blossom end, so that the candle-stick will stand without tipping. The dotted line at the bottom of [Fig. 217] indicates where this cut is to be made. Then run your knife around the apple without cutting all the way through to the core, where you see the middle dotted line on [Fig. 217]. After that, begin at the sides and gradually shave down the upper part little by little, being careful not to cut below the slit you have made around the apple. When the middle part standing up around the core is the size of a real candle it is time to stop cutting. Because of the core inside you cannot make your candle very slender, but you can cut off the sharp edges and make it round.
Fig.217 - Cut away apple leaving candle in candle-stick.
A Roasted Apple
Another thing I used to love to do with my apple when I was a little girl was to tie a long string to the stem and hang it before an open fire to roast. I think you will enjoy it too.
Tie one end of the string securely to the stem of your apple, and don't break the stem off in doing it ([Fig. 218]); then tie the other end to something heavy on the mantel-shelf that will hold it securely. The apple should hang in front of a grate of glowing coals, or near the red-hot coals of a wood-fire.
