MAKE IT CUTE

 

If you look forward to Halloween *just* for all the candy, wait until you try these homemade versions of your favorite store-bought treats. We've rounded up recipes that are spooky-simple to make, taste even better than the originals and will satsify any sweet tooth. Yum.

 

Kit Kat Bars

Ingredients:

75 club crackers

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

½ cup whole milk

⅓ cup white sugar

⅔ cup creamy peanut butter

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup butterscotch chips

Directions:

1. Line an ungreased 13x9 inch baking pan with 1 layer of crackers, cutting to fit.

2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add cracker crumbs, brown sugar, milk, and sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Remove from heat and pour half of the butter mixture over crackers. Place another layer of crackers evenly over butter mixture. Pour remaining butter mixture evenly over crackers. Top with remaining crackers.

4. In a small saucepan, combine peanut butter, chocolate and butterscotch chips. Melt over medium low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over crackers.

5.Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Cut into bars and store into refrigerator.

 

Three Musketeers

Ingredients:

2 (16 oz) packages Chocolate CandiQuik Coating

2 (7 oz) jars marshmallow creme

Directions:

1. Line an 8×8″ pan with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick spray. Melt 1 package of Candiquik in tray, as directed on package. Place marshmallow creme in a medium mixing bowl and microwave for 15 seconds to slightly soften.

2. Pour the chocolate Candiquik on top of the marshmallow creme and use a spoon to stir together. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and smooth evenly across the bottom. (Mixture will be thick!). Place in the freezer for 30-45 mintues to firm up.

3. Melt remaining package of Chocolate Candiquik. Remove from freezer and cut into 2″ bars. Dip each bar in the tray of CandiQuik and place on wax paper to set. Enjoy!

 

Almond Joy Bars

Ingredients:

1 pkg chocolate almond bark

1/2 can + a little extra sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar

1 (14 oz) pkg shredded coconut

About 24 almonds

Directions:

1. Line a 13×9 inch baking pan with foil, extending the sides over the edge of the pan. Lightly grease the foil and set aside. Pour the milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Begin adding your powdered sugar, stirring until completely blended.

2. Now add your coconut to the milk mixture. Again, the mixture will be incredibly stiff, so if you need to, add a couple splashes of the remaining milk to thin it out. If it’s too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.

3. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and using a greased palm, press the mixture into an even layer of desired thickness. You may not use the whole pan; that’s okay if there’s extra room. Score the top of your mixture into bars of your desired shape and thickness using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter.

4. Top each bar with two almonds. Pop the pan in the freezer to harden and chill for about 30 mins-1 hr. Once chilled, prepare your almond bark according to package directions.

5. Carefully lower the bars, one at a time, into the melted chocolate, coating it completely. Place coated bars on a foil-lined baking sheet and once finished, put the sheet in the freezer once more to harden the chocolate for about 15 mins. Store these airtight.

 

Peppermint Patties

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

2 tbsp softened butter

2 tsp peppermint extract

2 tbsp cream

12 oz Melting Chocolate Wafers

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, butter, peppermint extract and cream. Beat them with a paddle attachment until the mixture comes together. Turn the mixer speed higher and beat until the candy comes together and is light and creamy. When you touch it, it should be soft but not at all sticky. If it seems sticky, add a little more powdered sugar.

2. Scrape the candy paste out onto a long piece of cling wrap, and form it into a thin tube, about 1 1/2 inch in diameter. Wrap it well in cling wrap and twist the ends so that it stays in place. Pro tip: To keep your candy round on the bottom, cut a slit in an old cardboard paper towel tube, and put the candy inside.

3. Chill the candy until it is very firm, about 45 minutes. Once firm, use a large sharp knife to slice off rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Melt the Melting Chocolate Wafers in the microwave. Melt in 30-second increments, stirring after every 30 seconds to prevent overheating. Use a fork or dipping tools to dip a patty completely into the melted coating. Let the excess coating drip back into the bowl.

4. Set the dipped peppermint patty onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper, and repeat the dipping process with the remaining peppermint patties. If they get too soft to dip, chill them briefly in the refrigerator until they’re firm again.

5. Let the patties set at room temperature.

 

Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups roasted salted peanuts

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon canola oil

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

12 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper inserts. Put peanuts in a food processor for 3 minutes until the peanuts are the consistency of fine breadcrumbs scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary. Add the honey, oil, sugar, vanilla extract and salt, and process until fully incorporated.

2. Divide the peanut filling into 12 balls about 2 teaspoons each. Flatten the balls into disks that will fit inside the muffin cups without touching the sides.

3. In a medium saucepan bring 1 inch of water to a low simmer. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over the saucepan without the water touching the bottom of the bowl. Stir frequently until the chocolate is glossy, smooth and fully melted.

4. Place about 2 teaspoons of chocolate in the bottom of each muffin cup. Top with a peanut butter disk gently pressing it, so chocolate partially coats the sides. Cover the peanut butter with about 1 teaspoon of chocolate smoothing it out with the back of a spoon.

5. Let the peanut butter cups sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours until they harden. Store in an airtight container, but do not refrigerate.

What's your favorite Halloween candy? Let us know in the comments!

by Cecelia Yost | 10/16/2016