Halloween Treats - What to do with Leftover Candy

Cappuccino Love Bites


Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 35 mins

Yield: Serves 48 "cookies"

Ingredients
1 cup butter flavor shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons instant coffee crystals
48 Hershey's Hugs chocolates (milk chocolate kisses with stripes) or chocolate kisses with almonds


Directions
Beat shortening in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.

Add 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Beat until mixture is combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally.

Beat in egg, liqueur, and vanilla until combined.

Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer.

Stir in any remaining flour.

If necessary, cover and chill dough in the refrigerator about 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350°F

Lightly grease cookie sheets; set aside.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar and coffee crystals.

Roll dough balls in sugar mixture.

Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.

Bake in preheated oven about 10 minutes or until tops are cracked and sides are set; do not let edges brown.

Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie.

If desired, while chocolate is still warm, swirl it gently using your finger or with a knife.

Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool completely.

Makes 48 cookies.


Chocolate Covered Krispies


Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Yield: Serves 2 "dozen"

Ingredients
8 ounces Milky Way bars, cut up
3/4 cup butter, divided
3 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


Directions
In a saucepan over low heat or in a microwave safe bowl, melt candy bars and 1/2 cup butter.

Stir until blended.

Stir in cereal.

Pat into a greased 11x7 inch pan.

In another saucepan or microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and remaining butter.

Stir until smooth.

Spread over cereal mixture.

Refrigerate until firm.


Freckle Bread (Red Hots)


Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Yield: Serves 1 "loaf"

Ingredients
1/4 cup water, lukewarm
1/2 cup milk, lukewarm
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 cups flour
1/2 cup red-hot candies


Directions
Combine all dough ingredients except cinnamon candies and mix and knead together -by hand, mixer or bread machine- until you have a soft, piable dough.

Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 45 minutes to one hour or until full and round. To test, poke dough with index finger approximately 1/2 inch deep. If the impression remains, the dough has sufficiently risen.

Gently deflate the dough, and pat into a 8" x 10" rectangle. Knead in the cinnamon candies in 3 stages, using about 1/3 of the candies each time.

Shape the dough into a loaf and place in a greased or parchment lined 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan. Tent the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 40-50 minutes. Dough should just crest the top of the pan.

If making buns, divide the dough evenly into 9 pieces and shape into smooth, round balls. Place buns in greased 9x9" square pan. Tent the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 30-40 minutes. Buns will be full, puffy and barely touching one another.

Bake bread (or buns) in preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes (20-25 minutes for buns). If bread browns too quickly on top, tent loosely with aluminium foil. Place pan over parchment or foil lined cookie sheet to catch any drips of hot candy. Bread is done when internal temperature reads 190 degrees on an instant thermometer.

Remove bread from pan and allow to cool on wire rack. Place rack over a piece of parchment to catch any drips of hot candy. Candy will set as bread cools.


Rainbow Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza


Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Yield: Serves 16

Ingredients
1/2 cup brown sugar, light and packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate)
16 ounces frosting
Optional
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup coconut, flaked and toasted
1/4 cup chocolate candy
candy sprinkles
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat together brown & white sugars, butter, egg and vanilla until creamy. Add flour and baking soda, mixing well. The dough will be stiff. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread evenly on a 12 inch pizza pan. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. (I made this yesterday and mine took 20 minutes in a deep dish pan). It looked a bit undercooked, but after cooling, it made a nice chewy cookie. Cool completely. Spread frosting over top of cookie, leaving a 1/4 inch border around the edges. Sprinkle with optional ingredients if desired. Cut into 16 wedges.


Snickers and Candy Casserole


Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Yield: serves 24

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
5 Snickers candy bars, diced, divided (I used 40 miniature Snickers Bars cut into 4 pieces each)
1 (12 ounce) package mini marshmallows, the large bag (I used a 16 oz. container of Marshmallow Fluff)
1 (18 ounce) box Crispix cereal (I used a 12 oz. box of cereal)

Directions
1.Melt butter with 2 Snicker Bars.
2.Add marshmallows and stir to melt.
3.Add cereal.
4.Add remaining diced bars.
5.Press into greased 9 x 13-inch pan.
6.Allow to cool for 20 minutes.
7.Cut into bars before serving.


M & M Crunchy Refrigerator Treat


Cook Time: 30 mins

Yield: Serves 3 "dozen"

Ingredients
2 tablespoons Crisco
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 2/3 cups M&M's
3 cups corn flakes


Directions
In a metal sauce pan on low heat --

Melt the Crisco and peanut butter.

Add the M&M's.

Using a metal spoon, crunch and stir M&M's until chocolate melts.

Add corn flakes and remove from heat.

Mix well; let stand to cool.

Drop by your choice of measuring spoon on wax paper-lined cookie sheet.

Chill until firmly set.


Little Devil's Food Cupcakes


Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
Cupcakes:
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch-process)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
2 large whole eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons sour cream

Frosting:
8 ounces semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream

Optional flavorings for 1 batch frosting: 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur, eau de vie (fruit brandy-such as: framboise, a raspberry-flavored brandy), or dark rum; or 1/2 teaspoon mint extract or orange extract
Fresh raspberries, colorful candies, or chopped pistachios (optional)
Directions
For the cupcakes: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk the flour with the cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Beat the butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually add the sugar. Beat until light and smooth, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and beat in the whole eggs and yolk 1 at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

With the mixer at low speed, beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 4 additions. Slowly add in buttermilk and sour cream and mix briefly to make a smooth batter. Divide the batter among the muffin cups filling them 2/3 full. Bake until the centers of the cupcakes spring back when pressed gently, about 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the tin on a rack for 10 minutes then remove from the tin and cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting: Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour cream over chocolate and shake the bowl gently so cream settles around the chocolate. Set mixture aside until the chocolate is soft, about 5 minutes. Whisk gently until smooth, taking care not to incorporate too many air bubbles. Stir in 1 of the flavorings, if desired. Dip the tops of the cooled cupcakes into the frosting. (Frosting can also be chilled and whipped, then piped or spread onto the cupcakes.) Set them upright and let stand 1 or 2 minutes, until frosting is slightly set, then decorate with fresh berries, candies, or chopped pistachios, if desired. Let cakes stand on rack until frosting is completely set.


Chocolate Caramel Layer Bars


Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Yield: Serves 32 "bars"

Ingredients
18 1/4 ounces of pudding-included chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup evaporated milk
35 vanilla caramels, unwrapped
12 ounces miniature M&M baking bits


Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 13" x 9" pan. In large bowl, combine cake mix, butter and 2/3 cup of the milk. Mix well. Spread half of batter (about 2 cups) in greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small saucepan, heat caramels with remaining 1/3 cup milk over low heat until melted, stirring constantly.

Remove pan from oven, sprinkle with 1 cup of the candy-coated baking bits. Drizzle with caramel mixture. Drop remaining batter by heaping teaspoonfuls over caramel mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 2/3 cup of candy-coated baking bits.

Return to oven, bake at 350 degrees F for an additional 20-24 minutes or until center is set. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. Cut into bars.

Leftover Halloween Candy???

What's that????

Those pics are making me hungry