Halloween Candy Taking Over....10 Tips on Getting Rid of It.

Leftover Halloween Candy Taking Over Your Home? 10 Ways to Get Rid of It.

There is a bowl of Halloween candy that we have aquired from various stops through October.  It now sits and stares at me {struggle}, and the questions and whining haven't stopped-"Can I have a piece of candy?"  We allowed the big boy to pick out his 20 most favorite items and bag it up.  He is allowed to have one piece a day in conjunction with his school behavior [which warrents a piece each day since he is the "golden boy"].  I don't have a problem with that as I want him to enjoy all the fun he had getting it from the farm, fall festival and a few houses on Halloween night.  However, the rest of it must go...Many parents have this same dilemma.  So here are a few ideas on how to deal with leftover Halloween candy.

• Save it for making a gingerbread house for Christmas.  Our family makes a gingerbread house in early December each year, using Halloween candies for decoration.  Our gingerbread house each year is just for decoration.  Quite frankly, after it has been sitting out for a few weeks gathering dust, no one thinks of eating it.  You could make several gingerbread houses and use them for gifts.
• Allow your children the option of trading in their candy for small toys or stickers from the dollar store.  Set a "price" for each item in pieces of candy.  For example your child can "buy" a sheet of stickers for 10 pieces of candy.
• Participate in the Halloween Candy Buy Back.  Participating dentists purchase Halloween candy from children for $1 a pound and then send it to soldiers stationed overseas.  This would be a nice way to  bring a bit of joy to a soldier serving our country.
• You can also send it to troops overseas through Operation Shoebox.
• Donate it to a local homeless shelter, Red Cross emergency shelter, women's shelter, or nursing home.  Some may accept candy for their staff, or to pass out to their residents.  Be sure to call first to check.   This could be a great way to encourage your children to think of others.
• Send it in to your child's class for their reward jar. While I don't agree with the policy, some teacher's think candy is great for a reward jar.  By donating leftover Halloween candy to their classroom, at least it saves the teacher from having to buy it out of their own pocket.
• Turn leftover Halloween candy into a fun learning activity. Visit Candy Exeriments for all sorts of fun ways to turn the leftovers into a learning experience for your kids.
• Encourage creativity in your kids and use the candy for crafts.   Allow the kids to create mosaics from the non-melting candy.  Provide a few basic craft supplies and some glue then let your kids go nuts.
• Freeze some of the chocolate candy and use it throughout the year to jazz up cookies and other baking..
• Send it into the office with a parent.  It will disappear quickly!

I have a few recipes in the near future that I will bag some up and save for, but as for our house...it's time to say good bye.

Fall Recipe: Candy Corn Cookie Bark

Oooooo- can you imagine two great tastes together.  This could be another great gift idea for holiday party host, or a cookie exchange.  Easy.  Delicious.  What are we waiting for.....

I found this recipe in a dated issue of Bon Appetit from December 2009.  It is called Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies-I went Fall on the recipe and added candy corn and fall M&Ms.  I also saw on the web for a recipe for a pretzel-Oreo-candy corn crunch somewhere (there are several recipes if you Google).  I thought, my boys love candy corn, my boys love cookies.  I have a few events I can bring something this week-so I made up a batch and combined the two recipes. This is what I came up with....

I was not impressed with the candy crunch with pretzels-I may try it again in the future, but I absolutely fell in L-O-V-E with the cookie based bark.  It was so easy. 

Creating a cookie base went fast in my mixer-

 I missed the photo op for pressing the dough out in my bar pan (jelly roll baking sheet with sides), baking, and spreading a big handful of semi sweet chocolate chips over the top when finished cooking.  They melt within two minutes so that you can spread it across the top, and add all the goodies.... I used Autumn Mix candy corn (I like love the chocolate bottom ones), Fall colored M&M's (plain), and Fall colored non-perils.  I turned it upside down on my cutting board and used a BIG knife to help cut in random pieces for the platters.

 

Just a fun fall recipe....try it for yourself, give it as a gift, or make with your kiddos...

Candy Corn Cookie Bark

nonstick spray

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

6 oz. bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate, chopped

candy corn, other candy

Preheat over 350. Spray a 13x9 metal baking sheet with nonstick spray.  Line with parchment paper leaving ends long to remove cookie, (I did not do this, I just popped cookie out onto a cutting board that was flat again the pan).  Using electric mixer, beat butter until creamy, gradually add sugar until mixture is light and fluffy.  Add vanilla, egg yolk to mixture.  Gradually add flour and salt to butter and sugar mixture. Beat on low just until blended.

Drop by tablespoons onto prepared pan, spacing evenly.  Using moistened fingertips, press dough to form even layer over bottom of pan.  Pierce dough all over with fork.  Bake cookie based until light golden brown and slightly puffed and edges come away from the sides of pan, about 30 minutes.  Place pan on rack; immediately sprinkle chocolate over.  Let stand until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes.  Using an offset spatula, spread chocolate over top of cookie in a thin even layer.  Immediately sprinkle candies and light press into chocolate.  Top with candy sprinkle (non-perils).  Refrigerate to harden chocolate before breaking/cutting in pieces.  Cut in random pieces and stack up on your favorite platter or cake server.

Can be made 1 week ahead, store in refrigerator in tight container.

ENJOY

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