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“Trick or treat Smell my feet…”
That is all that you hear around our house from the mouth of our 4 year old son once the weather starts to get a little cooler and the leaves start to change color. The build up to Halloween is sometimes too exciting for those who get to dress up as ghouls and fairy princesses and go door to door collecting candy. It can also be a little much for those who have to get the costumes together, decorate the house with a ghostly flair and get the treats that will be handed out. Of course, chances are, you will start to buy the candy once it hits store shelves (probably sometime in July these days) in the truest effort of ‘holding on to it until Halloween’ (real meaning: ripping the bag open as you drive home and housing 5 fun size Snickers bars). By the time Halloween has arrived, you have gained five pounds and your kids are on what seems like never ending sugar highs.
Halloween night has finally arrived and you are waiting at the door for your neighborhood children to promenade in their festive gear… one piece of candy for you, two for me…By the time your children have returned with their bounty, you are so excited to see what they have gotten … and so nauseous that you never want to look at another piece of candy again. And by the third day, even the kids have had enough of Clark bars and Jujubes. Yet, you still have one large bowl of candy for each child left over. What do you do with this overload of sweets? Toss it? Feed it to the dog?
One thing to think about is the shelf life of the candy you have on hand. Chocolate candy bars usually last around 6 months, where wrapped fruity sweets (like Skittles, Willy Wonka type candy or Starburst) can last up to 8 months. Gum is good for 4 to 6 months (4 months for sugary sweet gum and 6 months for minty, regular gums like Trident or Chiclets).
Some good ideas for gum or hard candy are to freeze it. These items can be frozen for up to a year and will thaw overnight if left at room temperature. Pure chocolate (like Hershey’s mini bars) can be kept frozen for up to 12 months as well. This is a good thing to have on hand if you are going to make homemade Christmas or Easter candy (to use in place of chocolate melting wafers) or if your sweet tooth pops up during a snow storm and you can’t get out of the house to the market to fulfill your craving.
Candy bars like Snickers or Mars bars can be frozen, but won’t look too pretty once you pull the out of the deep freeze, so it is probably best to not freeze these. Some ideas for these kinds of sweets are:
* A reward jar: Stash all of the candy you know your kids and spouse love in a large clear jar or jug. When any of you do something worth rewarding (passing a spelling test, going to the potty, acknowledging you got a haircut, etc.) reward those you love with a sweet of their choice. Chances are by the time the candy has met its shelf life, the jar will be empty.
* Place the candy no-one in your home likes out during parties or gatherings. If you are a no nut family, fill your nicest candy dish with Snickers and Almond Joys. There is bound to be someone at the event who loves them.
* Fill stockings or festive gift bags for teachers or caregivers and babysitters with chocolate candy bars for a special holiday thank you.
One of the best ways to use up Halloween candy is to make candy bar brownies (see recipe below). These can be frozen and are a great thing to have around for spur of the moment visitors (leave them on the counter for half an hour for a quick thaw) or a treat while watching some football on TV.… even as a play date snack.
Who knew that Halloween candy could go so far?
Candy Bar Brownies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
15 to 20 small candy bars (like Snickers, Milky way, Twix, etc.)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
2. Chop candy bars into tiny pieces using a chopper or food processor.
3. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
4. Spread candy evenly bits over top of brownie mixture.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.
Audrey and Matt Mariani.
For more tips and recipe ideas visit www.countryfamilyrecipes.com |
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