Thursday, November 1, 2012

Halloween Candy Take Two!


Off the wedding train for a day to bring you an important public service announcement! Tons of leftover Halloween candy? Check out these fun recipes for ways to creatively use up those "fun" size bars and even Pixy Stix (aside from just pouring them into your mouth two or three at a time)!

Pixy Stix and Sweet Tart Cake
From EasyBaked.net

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 boxed white cake mix (plus the eggs, water and oil needed to make it according to package)
  • 8 Pixy Stix candies
  • 3-4 cups of powdered sugar
  • 1 c. margarine
  • 1-3 T. heavy whipping cream
  • Food coloring gels
  • about 1 c. of crushed Sweet Tarts and or Smarties (I think Bottlecaps or even Spree would work in this recipe as well)
DIRECTIONS:
Cake:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray 2  eight or nine inch round pans with cooking spray. 
  • Place a piece of parchment paper (cut to size) in the bottom of each pan and spray again.
  • Make cake mix according to package.
  • Pour about 1 c. of cake mix into each pan.  
  • Sprinkle contents of 4 Pixy Stix over cakes (dividing equally) ***note: blue and purple will show up the best in the baked cake, red and orange are very pale***
  • Use a knife to swirl colors together
  • Add the rest of the cake mix over the top (dividing equally) and repeat the Pixy Stix sprinkling and swirling.
  • Bake cakes at 350 for 30-35 minutes (use your cake mix directions as a guide and check often)
  • Cool cakes in pan over a wire rack.
  • When cool, tip pan over onto wire rack and remove parchment paper.
  • Use a serrated knife to make each layer level.
Frosting:
  • Cream together the powdered sugar and margarine in a large bowl. 
  • Beat on high for about 3 minutes (I used a whisk attachment).  
  • Add cream and beat for about another minute until a thick spreading consistency.
  • Crush candies in a small food chopper or processor.
  • Add crushed candies (and all the ensuing sugar dust!) to the frosting and fold it in. 
  • Add any food coloring you want to make frosting a desired shade.  (On its own the mix of candy colors make the frosting a terrible shade of gray). Adjust consistency if needed with powdered sugar.
  • Frost the cooled cake and decorate with remaining candies.
Chewy Butterfinger Cookies



makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies
  • 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 8 fun sized butterfinger candy bars, chopped
Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl and set aside. With an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter until creamy. Beat in egg until just combined.
Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in butterfinger pieces by hand.  The dough will be very thick. Drop by slightly rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool and enjoy!
© Sally’s Baking Addiction 2012 recipe & photos


Frozen Peanut Butter Cup Bananas


By Melissa Roberts , October, 2010 and featured in Real Simple

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Insert a wooden stick into each banana half. Freeze the bananas and the peanut butter cups for 2 hours.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the chocolate in a double boiler or medium heatproof bowl set over (but not in) a saucepan of simmering water, stirring often, until melted and smooth.
  3. Chop the frozen peanut butter cups. Line a plate with parchment.
  4. Coat the frozen bananas in the melted chocolate. Sprinkle with the chopped peanut butter cups. Freeze on the prepared plate until firm, 4 to 5 minutes.   

 Salted Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Cookies




 Ingredients
  • 8 1/2 ounces bread flour
  • 8 1/2 ounces cake flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 10 ounces light-brown sugar
  • 8 ounces granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons teaspoons salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
  • 10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 10 ounces mini peanut butter cups, halved
  • fleur de sel, for sprinkling

Directions

  • Sift together the dry ingredients: flours, baking soda, and baking powder.
  • In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until fluffy. Beat in sugars and salt. Mix in the eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter. On low speed, add the dry ingredients, a little at a time, until incorporated. By hand, mix in the chopped chocolate and peanut butter cups. Cover the dough with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 to 2 hours or overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  • Using a 2-inch releasable scoop, form balls of dough and place no more than 6 on each baking sheet. Sprinkle with fleur de sel. Bake in batches until cookies are spread, set in the center, and brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Keep dough refrigerated in between batches. 
  • Provided by: