Candy Overload Bark

Need a way to get rid of that extra Halloween candy that you seem to have every year? Or a way to use or eat it differently other than unwrapping it and placing it in your mouth? Haha..... This candy bark is perfect! It can be very versatile, even though obviously my theme usually has chocolate involved somehow...

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. Wilton candy melts (I used bright orange with a few lime green and black pieces)
3 mini Butterfinger Cups, chopped
3 mini Snickers Bars, chopped
5 Halloween Oreos (orange filling), chopped
Halloween sprinkles (mine had pumpkins, bats and ghosts)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line  a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay out the orange candy coating pieces flat side down. Break up the lime green and black candy coating and randomly place on top of the orange. Bake for 5 minutes, checking frequently to make sure the edges are not browning. After removing from the oven, use a spatula to run along the top of the melted candy coating, and yes, it is okay if the colors start blending together to create the most strange brown color you have ever seen. The point is for it to be Halloween-esque and be creepy and weird looking!

While the candy coating is still hot/warm, spread out the three kinds of candy as random as possible. Add the sprinkles and gently press down with your hands to push the candy in deeper. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Cut, or break the bark into smaller pieces before serving. These would make a great gift or to bring to a party!

Chocolate Stout and Sea Salt Bark

Ingredients:

6 Creme Brulee Stout Truffles (before candy coated)
4 oz. Milk Chocolate candy coating, melted
10 pretzel sticks (more or less)
Sea Salt

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Spread the melted chocolate onto the wax paper in a very thin layer. Slice the stout truffles and randomly place on top of the melted chocolate. Sprinkle with pieces of pretzel sticks and a small amount of sea salt on top. Place in the freezer to set for at least 15-20 minutes.

Cherry Almond Chocolates

Ingredients:

1 bag white chocolate candy melts (I used Ghirardelli)
1 c. dried cherries
1/2 c. slivered almonds
Small silicone candy mold (I used hearts for Valentines Day)
Edible Glitter

Cut three candy melts in half and place in one mold section, and repeat for the remaining molds. Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes on 50% powder. Check to see if the chocolate is melted, if not, keep heating at 25 second intervals on 50% powder. Place 2 dried cherries and a few slices of almonds in the melted chocolate. Sprinkle with edible glitter. Refrigerate for 15 + minutes until the chocolate is set. Flip the mold over and using your finger, push the chocolate gently out of the mold. Refrigerate the chocolates until needed.

Hostess Cake Balls

 Ingredients:

1/2 batch chocolate cupcakes (baked and crumbled)
1/2 container chocolate frosting, slightly melted (microwaved)

Mix the above ingredients together with your hands or a spatula in a medium size bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (one that is small enough to fit in your freezer, and flat). Roll 1 inch sized balls out and make a finger indent for the filling in the middle of each ball. Place on the parchment and set in the freezer.  Meanwhile...

Filling: 
2 tsp. hot water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 jar marshmallow fluff
1/2 c. shortening (I use Crisco)
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

In an electric mixer, combine the above ingredients together, whipping for at least a minute on high speed. Spoon into a piping bag and cut a very small part of the tip off. Pipe the filling into the indents, not going too high above the chocolate ball. Take a small portion of  the cake batter and flatten into a disk shape. Place on top of the filling in the bottom half of the cake ball, and gently bring the sides of the disk shape down and smooth out the sides, resembling as much of a circle shape as possible without pushing the filling out. Place back into the freezer for at least 20 minutes until the top is firm.

Melt semi-sweet or milk chocolate in a double boiler, adding nothing, and stirring frequently. (I used semi-sweet for half of the batch, and milk chocolate for the other half, hence two different colors in the pictures). Dip the frozen balls into the chocolate with a fork and make sure they are fully covered. Tap the fork in the side of the bowl so that the excess chocolate slides off of the cake ball. Place back onto the parchment sheet and repeat for the remaining cake balls. Place back in the freezer for at least 5 minutes.

Microwave white chocolate in a piping bag at 50% for a minute, squeeze the bag, and if the chocolate needs more time, heat for 30 more seconds at half heat. Cut a very small tip and pipe the white chocolate onto the cake balls in a swirl pattern. Place back into the freezer until the white chocolate is set.

These are a LOT of work, but they do taste almost identical to Hostess cupcakes (especially the filling), and turn out amazing!

Sugar Cookie Bark

This recipe was adapted from the original recipe which can be found at the blog   Sprinkle Bakes. 

If you aren't following her blog, you should be. Her work is AMAZING and I hope to have the time some day to make cooking and baking more of a priority and focal point of my life. Since her recipe is fool proof, I am just leaving a link to her recipe instead of re-posting it on here.

Instead of the sprinkles, I used red and green coarse sugar. This recipe is very easy to make and they look so darn cute when you are done!

Candy Cane Pretzel Bark

 

This is one of the easiest ways to make a chocolate bark for the Holidays. So easy in fact, that most of the explanation on how to make it can be solved with one picture.....

You place a single layer of candy melts (in this case candy cane flavored) on the bottom of the Wilton candy mold. Microwave for two minutes at 50% power (30 second intervals at 50% if further melting is needed). Remove from the microwave and tap the mold onto the counter a few times to smooth out the top.

I added chopped candy cane Hershey's Kisses and pretzel pieces scattered on top. Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 20 minutes. Remove carefully from the mold and store in an airtight container or freeze.

Raisinet Peanut Cookies

 This recipe was made for the purpose of saving my sanity. Do you ever have those days at work where you come home and just want to scream into a pillow? Yes.....that was what my day was like. At least I have a child like husband (he never really grew up, and always makes me laugh because of it) and an oven to come home to. Oh yes....and let's not forget my Tala bear (my 4 year old husky).

 I was going to make a raisin oatmeal cookie, but that idea was really boring, and I NEEDED chocolate. So I grabbed some chocolate covered raisins (that of course I had handy in the pantry) and peanuts, which I also usually have because they are one of my favorite kind of nuts (other than those few select family members that could also fit in the "nuts" category (-; ...).

Ingredients:

1 2/3 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 sticks margarine, softened
3/4 c. dark brown sugar
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 c. Raisinets
1 c. peanuts, unsalted and not roasted, just plain ol' peanuts

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In an electric mixer on medium speed, combine the margarine, sugars, vanilla and egg until well combined (about 1-2  minutes). Add the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt and mix together. On a very low speed, add the Raisinets and peanuts. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll 1 1/2 tsp. of the dough into a ball and place them 1 1/2 - 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Let sit on the baking sheet for a minute, then remove from the baking sheet and let cool fully on a wire rack.

Coconut Chocolate Hearts

Ingredients:

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 Tbs. coconut oil (unrefined or refined), divided
3 Tbs. shredded coconut, divided
2 packets Splenda

In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and 2 Tbs. coconut oil on medium-low heat, stirring frequently. In another small bowl, microwave the remaining 2 Tbs. coconut oil for 25 seconds. Stir in the shredded coconut and Splenda. In a silicone mini heart shaped mold, fill each with 1 tsp. of chocolate. Add 1/2 tsp. coconut mixture to the middle, and then cover the coconut until the chocolate reaches the top of the molds. Sprinkle with extra coconut on top. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for the chocolate to set (or freeze and it will take about 10 minutes).

(Makes 12 hearts, 3 WW points each)

Candy Log Roll

This recipe is adapted from my husband's side of the family. They used to eat this around Christmas growing up, so I thought I would try my take at re-creating it. (Don't mind the mustache's....it was for a mustache themed birthday party!)



Ingredients:

1 large container of green candied cherries, cut in half
1 large container of candied pineapple, cut in half
1 box of chopped dates
1 box of graham crackers, crushed
1 bag of mini marshmallows (I used about 3/4 of a bag)
2 cans, give or take, of sweetened condensed milk
1 large bag of sweetened coconut

Mix the above ingredients together, using just enough of the sweetened condensed milk to hold everything together. If you use too much, the logs will be falling apart and harder to attempt to roll in coconut. Divide the batter into 5-6 portions, depending on how big you want the logs to be. Form into a log shape on top of parchment paper or tinfoil and roll up tightly, twisting the ends to hold the logs together. Place them on a plate and into the refrigerator for a few hours until they are fully set. Slice the logs, as you need them, and serve. Make sure to store these in the refrigerator. They last anywhere from a few weeks up to two months in the fridge. (They are literally pure sugar candy logs). And, like most things, the longer it sits in the refrigerator, the dryer it will be as time goes by.

Chocolate Candy Pretzel Bites

A nice bite of sweet, salty and crunchy!

Ingredients:

Any type of Hershey's kiss, tinfoil removed
Small circle pretzels
M&M's or round candies to add in the middle

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a parchment lined baking sheet, lay the pretzels out. Add a Hershey's kiss to the center of each pretzel and bake in the oven for 3-5 minutes.

Place an M&M in the middle of the Hershey's and press down slightly to make the chocolate fill the inside of the pretzel circle. Let cool on the baking sheet, and place in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes to make the chocolate set better. You can store in an airtight container or freeze until ready to serve.

This recipe is unbelievably versatile. The Christmas version above is "Candy Cane Hershey's" with white chocolate peppermint M&M's. The recipe below, for a Thanksgiving or fall version, is "Pumpkin Spice Hershey's" with plain M&M's.

Cherry Cotton Candy Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix
1/2 c. applesauce, natural
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 c. water
1/2 c. cherry juice
2 eggs
blue food dye (not necessary)
cotton candy frosting (home made or store bought)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcakes tins with paper liners. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, applesauce, oil, water, cherry juice, eggs and about 10 drops of blue food dye together. Divide evenly among the cupcake tins, filling 3/4 of the way full. Bake 15-17 minutes until the center comes out fairly clean with a toothpick. The batter stays really moist, so there might be a small amount of batter that comes out with the toothpick. As long as it isn't runny, and just moist, you are set. Let cool fully on a wire rack. Frost with cotton candy frosting. You can top them off with a piece of cotton candy, or in my case I decorated them like fish for my nephew (which is why i added the blue dye).