LITTLE ROCK — For many, the scariest part of Halloween is the full bowl of candy.
Maybe you forgot to turn on your porch light. Maybe the neighborhood kids just didn’t show up. Or maybe it was a banner year for your little terrors and they came home with their buckets overflowing.
Whatever the reason, you have candy.
Lots and lots of candy.
What to do with all those treats, other than eat them or push them off on coworkers? Transform them into something new.
Some tricks for repurposing Halloween candy are no-brainers. M&M’s stand in for chocolate chips in cookies. The little bags of raisinettes and pretzels become part of brown bag lunches.
But what about all that candy corn? Or the bags of miniature candy bars? Incorporate them into all new sweet treats.
These snacks are so good there’s no need to wait until after Halloween to enjoy them.
Halloween Candy Bark 1 pound semisweet chocolate chips 5 “fun size” Butterfinger candy bars, roughly
chopped 5 “fun size” Snickers candy bars, roughly
chopped 1/4 to 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts 3 ounces white chocolate chips Handful dried cranberries Reese’s Pieces and/or M&M’s
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
In the top part of a double boiler over barely simmering water, melt chocolate chips, stirring until smooth.
Pour chocolate onto foil and spread evenly into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Sprinkle with chopped candy bars and nuts, making sure all pieces touch melted chocolate to adhere.
Put white chocolate in a small saucepan.
Stir constantly over very low heat until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
Drizzle white chocolate over candy. Scatter dried cranberries, Reese’s Pieces and M&M’s over, making sure pieces touch melted chocolate.
Chill bark until firm, 30 minutes. Cut or break bark into pieces. Store in an airtight container.
Sweet and Salty Candy Corn Bark 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips 1/2 to 1 cup pretzel sticks1/2 to 1 cup candy corn
Line a small rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Melt white chocolate in the top part of double boiler, or in the microwave according to package instructions, stirring until smooth. Pour chocolate onto foil and spread into thin, even layer. Sprinkle with pretzels and candy corn. Chill until firm. Break into pieces.
Chocolate-Toffee Pots de Creme
1 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup half-and-half 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 vanilla bean, split
lengthwise 5 egg yolks 5 ounces semisweet chocolate
chips 1/2 cup crushed chocolate
toffee candies such as
Heath bars, plus 5 whole
miniature bars
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the cream, half-and half, sugar and vanilla bean in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat just until bubbles form around the edges. Do not boil.
Place egg yolks in a 4-cup spouted measure and whisk.
Add a little of the hot cream mixture to the egg yolks and whisk again, then whisk the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan of hot cream. Add chocolate chips, let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth.
Strain mixture back into spouted measuring cup.
Pour mixture into 5 (1-cup) ramekins. Divide crushed chocolate toffee candies between ramekins, reserving whole candies for garnish.
Place ramekins in a large baking pan. Fill the pan with hot water to the same height as the mixture in the ramekins. Cover with foil; bake until set, about 35 minutes. Remove ramekins from the pan and let cool at room temperature for about an hour. Top each with a candy bar, then refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours.
Makes 5 servings.
Snickers Cheesecake 2 cups cookie crumbs (such as
chocolate wafer cookies or
graham crackers) 1/4 cup butter, melted 3 (8-ounce) packages
cream cheese, at room
temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 3 eggs 1 cup heavy cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extract About 4 cups chopped Snickers
candy bars, divided use
(see note)
Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Combine cookie crumbs and mix with melted butter.
Press into bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan.
Beat cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs and beat until combined. Add heavy cream and vanilla and continue beating on medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until batter is light. Fold in half of the candy bar pieces.
Pour batter over prepared crust.
Bake 1 1/2 hours, or until center is set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
When cake is completely cooled, run a knife around edge of pan, then open ring to release cake.
Top with additional chopped candy bars.
Makes 12 servings.
Note: One bag snack-size Snickers produces about 2 cups chopped candy.
Recipe adapted from Akron Beacon Journal Candy Bar Topped Brownies3/4 cup butter, diced, plus
more for greasing pan 5 ounces baking chocolate,
chopped 2 teaspoons instant espresso
powder 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 eggs 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 (3.5- to 4.5-ounce) caramel
filled milk chocolate bars,
squares separated
Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Line 13-by-9-inch baking pan with foil. Butter foil.
Combine3/4 cup butter, chopped chocolate and espresso powder in heavy, large saucepan; stir over medium low heat until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove chocolate mixture from heat.
Add sugar and vanilla and whisk until well blended. Add eggs and whisk until well blended.
Whisk in flour and mix until well combined.
Spread batter in prepared pan. Press milk chocolate squares lightly into batter (do not submerge), evenly spacing 24 chocolate squares (4 across the short side and 6 across the long side). Reserve remaining chocolates for another use.
Bake brownies until tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes.
Cool slightly in pan on rack, about 30 minutes. Cut so that each brownie has 1 chocolate square and serve.
Recipe adapted from epicurious.com Popcorn Mix 4 to 6 cups popped caramel
OR butter-flavored popcorn 1 cup pretzel sticks 1 cup candy coated
chocolates, such as M&M’s 1/4 to 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1 cup candy corn 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container.
Food, Pages 35 on 10/26/2011