Think Outside the Wrapper: Using Your Halloween Candy for Spectacular Recipes

LongIsland.com

Turn your candy into something even tastier - try these recipes for cookies, blondies, and more!

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If you are already bored with your Halloween candy, get innovative and turn it into something new with another recipe!  These treats are still indulgent, but they can be made fun or classy enough for parties and other get-togethers.  Here, you can focus on some of the candies that your kids may have gotten in large quantities - Reese's peanut butter cups, Snickers, and Butterfingers, but there is also a "kitchen sink" recipe for all of the odds and ends that may have found their ay into your child's trick or treating bag.  Try these out for yourself and see what might be the new hit snack or dessert for your family!

Reese’s Crispies
Sort through your candy for your Reese’s peanut butter cups and make this chewy peanut buttery chocolate treat!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup corn syrup
  • 1 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 4 1/4 cup cocoa crispies
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 6 Reese’s peanut butter cups, chopped
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Melt sugar, corn syrup, and peanut butter together in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring until smooth and evenly combined. Remove from heat.
  2. Immediately stir in the salt and cereal until thoroughly combined.
  3. Add chocolate chips and stir again.
  4. Wait about one minute, then gently fold Reese’s candies into the mixture.
  5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and drop rounded tablespoons of the mix on the paper.  Cool and eat!

Halloween Candy Cookie Cake
This is a particularly indulgent way to use up Halloween candy in a flash, but watch out for sugar highs!

Ingredients:

  • 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped up Halloween candy

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Fully grease a 9 inch pie dish with butter or non-stick spray, and set it aside.
  3. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the butter until creamy.
  4. Add white and brown sugars and beat on medium-high until fluffy.
  5. Add eggs, and keep mixing until creamy, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  6. In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
  7. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing continuously until just combined.
  8. Add 1 cup of Halloween candy, stirring until just combined.
  9. Press the cookie dough evenly onto the prepared pie pan, and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of Halloween candy on top.
  10. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cake is lightly golden brown and cooked through in the center.
  11. Transfer to a cooling rack, allo to cool completely, cut, and enjoy!

 

Snickers Popcorn
Give your popcorn a sweet chocolaty twist by adding all of your leftover snickers bars!

Ingredients:

  • 8 quarts air popped popcorn (about 2 cups of kernels)
  • 1 cup salted butter
  • 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup salted peanuts
  • 30 "Fun Size" Snickers bars coarsely chopped
  • 3 oz melted semi sweet chocolate (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
  2. In a medium sized pot, mix butter, brown sugar, salt, and corn syrup over medium heat until it reaches a boil (about 5 minutes).
  3. Remove from heat and add baking soda, stirring constantly.
  4. Pour over the popcorn, and stir to coat the popcorn evenly.
  5. Put wax paper on your table or open counter space and lay the popcorn on the wax paper. Sprinkle peanuts over the top. Make sure the entire mix is coated evenly.
  6. Transfer popcorn to a large roasting pan and spread popcorn across the bottom evenly. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven and add the coarsely chopped Snickers.  Put the pan back in the oven for 3 minutes so that the Snickers can melt slightly into the popcorn.
  8. Remove from pan and transfer to the wax paper so the popcorn can cool.
  9. Drizzle melted chocolate on top if desired, and let set before eating.
     

Butterfinger Blondies
Even if you are not a fan of Butterfingers, you will be a fan of them once they are cooked into these heavenly Blondie bars!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp coarse sea salt
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped Butterfinger Bars (approx 16 "Fun Size" bars)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Put butter and white and brown sugars in a mixing bowl, mixing on medium speed until creamy.
  3. Add vanilla and eggs, and mix until incorporated.
  4. Turn the mixer to low and add flour, salt, and baking soda until just combined.
  5. Stir in chopped Butterfinger pieces.
  6. Spread the mix in a 9x13 baking dish and bake for 25 minutes, or until the middle is just set.
  7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before eating.

[Source: Oh Sweet Basil, Baker by Nature, Cookies and Cups]