In just a few short hours...
our house will be brimming with
all sorts of candy...
A deluxe assortment from
neighbors far and wide...
My kiddos will be overjoyed at first...
but the excitement ...and somehow
the deliciousness of all that
sweet and sugary haul
wears off pretty fast.
 |
| Here I am, Halloween night with my younger brother...Clownin' around since 1979!! |
All that candy...
...and in a few days the feeding frenzy
will fade to the background...
If your house is like mine...
you might be left with a few too many
fun size candy bars...
(I know...Is it really possible to be
left with too much chocolate??)
If somehow your pantry is
overflowing with
too many fun size sweets...
I know just what to do!!
Recycle!!
Yes, recycle
all those assorted fun size chocolates
into a really delicious dessert.
The greater the assortment of chocolates...
the better the dessert turns out!!
Every bite is different...
some with Twix, another bite with a little Baby Ruth...
It's pretty amazing and everyone so far
has LOVED it!!
It's great with a cup of coffee... and the best part...
It doesn't
scream... "Hey, I'm old Halloween candy!!"
Do you remember the Hello Dolly cookie
bars of the 70's and 80's
or the 7 Layer Magic Cookie Bar??
This recipe is along those same lines...
except I swapped out the chocolate chips for
assorted chocolate bars... that's right...
I used up all those mini candy bars... in this great dessert.
Candy Bar Cookies Squares!!
Bonus: Add a few Reese's Pieces or other
holiday colored M&M's and you can keep
this dessert going all through the holidays.
This is a really great way to transform that
Halloween chocolate into a company-worthy treat.
Here is the recipe:
Candy
Bar Cookie Squares
from Blue Ribbon Kitchen
BlueRibbonKitchen.blogspot.com
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
8 tablespoons butter melted
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup sugar
***
1-2 cups chopped, assorted mini chocolate candy bars (Halloween leftovers)
½ cup chopped nuts (peanuts, pecans or walnuts)
½ cup shredded coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Seasonal colored chocolate candies (M&M’s or
Reece’s Pieces)—for decoration on top-optional
Heat oven 350 degrees
Use non stick spray or line with parchment paper.
Melt butter and mix together with graham cracker
crumbs, salt and sugar. Press into 8 or
9 inch square baking dish.
Sprinkle graham cracker crust layer with the chopped
candy bars, nuts, and coconut. Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk evenly over
the top. Bake for 30 minutes on the
middle oven rack until the coconut is lightly browned and the filling is
melted. Once removed from the oven and
still hot, add the colored chocolate candies to coordinate with the season of
your dessert… (Example: red, green and white for Christmas, yellow and orange
for Thanksgiving)
Let cool, cut into squares and serve.
Another fun something to keep the kids busy...
How about making a Halloween gingerbread house??
Or a Thanksgiving gingerbread cottage??
Use up the unwanted candy and keep
the kids busy some chilly afternoon...
I LOVE creative ways to keep the kids busy and
doing unexpected crafts... it's fun for everyone, and
I think they love it too...
Here is the house I made for last week's Fox19 visit.
Here is the super-fun pretzel-legged spider...
a big WOW for any Halloween spread.
Use a store-bought loaf of round bread
and a roll to make the body!!
I even used store-bought guacamole...
It was super easy and made for a fun celebration.
All the details are just below.
Directions here:
Spider Bites: Spider Bread
display and Trio of Dips
Blue Ribbon Kitchen
Spider
Body
Large
round bread loaf- Cut a circle out from the center using a serrated knife, make
the cut large enough to hold your dip or desired container.
Smaller
roll or bun for spider head- use a wooden skewer or toothpick to affix head to
the body.
Pretzel
rods for legs:
Use
royal icing with light brown food gel to create a “glue”
Royal Icing: 2 Tablespoons meringue powder, 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, ¼ teaspoon of
water, adding very small additional amounts of water to reach a paste-like consistency. Add a few drops of brown food gel.
Using a
bread pan or a parchment lined shoe box, add a dollop of the thick icing to one
end of each pretzel stick. Lay the
pretzel rods together, with icing ends touching. Lay the pretzels creating a 90 degree
angle. Allow to dry overnight.
Before
serving: Place the spider body on a large serving tray or cutting board. Add
dip or a container of dip to the spider body.
If using a hot dip, transfer the hot dip to the spider body after
heating dip in a separate dish in the oven-and just before guests arrive.
Using the
end of a wooden spoon or utensil handle, poke four holes in each side of the
bread (spider body)
Gently
insert spider legs.
Serve
with chips, batty tortillas and vegetables.
Sources:
I
purchased my large and medium bread loaves at Jungle Jim’s, Check the Bakery Department of your grocery.
Meringue
Powder can be purchased Jungle Jim’s, Michael’s and Joann Fabric and Craft
Stores-in the cake section
Brown
food gel- Michael’s, Joanne Fabric and Crafts or Hobby Lobby, Cincinnati Cake
and Candy
Need some fun dips to go with your spider??
Here is a listing of some of my favorites.
I think if I went to a dip party...
I would be the happiest party-goer ever!!
I don't think I've ever met a chip or a dip I did
not like... Ha.
Each dip can be made-ahead too...so if you're busy it's a great way to
get a party going without being too busy right before guests arrive.
Halloween
Dips and Batty Tortillas
Blue
Ribbon Kitchen; BlueRibbonKitchen.blogspot.com
Spicy
Buffalo Dip
Mix together and bake for 30 minutes at 350-or until hot
and bubbly. Serve with celery, carrots
8 oz. cream cheese
softened
1/2 cup sour cream
¾ shredded fully cooked chicken
(can purchase already shredded or Rotisserie
cooked at grocery)
Buffalo hot sauce 1/4 cup
1 celery stalk chopped
fine
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
1 cup cheddar shredded
Spicy Sausage Cheddar Dip
Mix together, bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot and
bubbly, serve with batty tortillas and chips
1 lb Spicy sausage- cooked
well and drained.
1 can Ro*Tel tomatoes
drained
8 ounces Cream cheese
softened
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cup Shredded cheddar
cheese
Salt pepper 1/4 tsp each
Gruyere-Bacon and
Caramelized Onion Dip
Mix together, bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot and
bubbly
6 crisp strips of bacon
-fully cooked and crumbled.
8 ounces cream cheese
softened
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup or 1 small-medium
red onion caramelized
To caramelize onion, peel and slice onion into thin rings,
over low-medium heat melt 1-2 Tbs butter and add onions and a pinch of
salt. Let onions slowly cook, stirring
regularly. Remove from heat when onions
are softened and browned. Let cool.
1 cup grated Gruyere
cheese
1 tsp Fresh thyme
¼ tsp each of salt pepper
Jalapeño Popper Dip
Mix together, top with panko/butter topping. Bake at 350
for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly
4 Tbs jalapenos: 3 cleaned seeded and diced fresh jalapeños
(OR use 1 small can of jalapeños drained) about 4 tablespoons
8 oz. softened cream
cheese
¼ tsp cracked black pepper
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ Cup Monterey Jack
Cheese
***
Topping: ½ cup Panko
crumbs combined with 2 TBS butter, 1/4
tsp garlic powder
Batty Tortillas: Using a bat cookie cutter, cut Halloween bats out of
store-bought tortillas. Serve with your favorite
dip.
 |
| An oldie, but a goodie... Halloween...It's the BEST day EVER!! |
Wishing you and yours a Happy Halloween!!
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