Firewater Friday - Cher's Serious Caramel Candy Apple

Robert Treat was an American colonial leader and governor of Connecticut between 1683 and 1698.   His family came to the New World from England to escape religious persecution.  The Treats were early settlers at Wethersfield, Connecticut but  eventually settled in Milford, Connecticut.  Robert  was one of the leaders of the New Haven Colony, serving in the General Court as its assembly was known.  Robert Treat had eight children.

Robert Treat’s great-grandson, Robert Treat Paine, signed the Declaration of Independence.

When the Connecticut Charter of 1662 forced the New Haven Colony to merge with Connecticut in 1665, Robert Treat left the colony with a group of followers.  They created a settlement in New Jersey in 1666 where they were joined by other dissidents from Branford, Connecticut led by Rev. Abraham Pierson, Sr.  The wanted to create a colony that followed the strict puritan rules similar to the one they had established in Milford, Connecticut.

Connecticut was the first of the original thirteen colonies to pen a constitution and is known as the Constitution State.

Treat and the party bought the property on the Passaic River from the Hackensack Indians by exchanging gunpowder, one hundred bars of lead, twenty axes, twenty coats, guns, pistols, swords, kettles, blankets, knives, beer, and ten pairs of breeches.

Robert Treat wanted the new community to be named Milford, New Jersey.  But Pierson, a devout Puritan, preferred the name New Ark or New Work.  Through whatever means, Pierson won the name calling contest.  The name was shortened and the place is now known as Newark.

Robert himself returned to Milford, Connecticut in 1672 and lived there the rest of his life.

Newark continued to grow and expand; soon becoming a major industrial center and one of the largest ports in the nation.

William W. Kolb, an established candy maker in Newark, invented the very recognizable treat known as the red candy apple. While experimenting in his candy shop with red cinnamon candy for the Christmas trade, he dipped some apples into the mixture and put them in the windows for display. He sold the whole first batch for 5 cents each and later sold thousands yearly. Soon candied apples were being sold along the Jersey Shore, at the circus and in candy shops across the country.

Cher’s Serious Caramel Candy Apple Cocktail

 ~ ½ Cup Liquid Apple Pie  ~

~  ½ Cup Dekuyper Buttershots Liqueur  ~

~  2 Tbsp Triple Sec  ~

Combine and shake the ingredients vigorously in a shaker with ice. Strain into a martini glass, garnish with apple slices dipped in caramel, and serve.

Note – if you’re not really serious about your caramel candy apple cocktail you can wimp out at substitute ½ Cup Dekuyper Sour Apple Pucker Schnapps  for the Liquid Apple Pie.