Don't throw it out or let the stash under your bed crust away into expiration- whip that Halloween haul into something with a bit more style and presentation (but without a lot more preparation). Check out the four scary-easy recipes below, and put one (or two) together for a post-Halloween Beetlejuice movie night with friends:
Halloween Bark
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Experiment with different types of candy and colors, and add in food coloring, chocolates, pretzels, nuts, and sprinkles to your own creative discretion. For an experimental monster look, go for green and purple candy melts on the clearance Halloween aisle, + M&M's and Hershey's. For a more autumn-like color scheme, try Reese's Pieces, candy corn, Kit Kats, and crushed pretzels, or white chocolate + Heath bars + pumpkin spice.
Apple + Snickers Salad
Hey, it has apples in it, so that makes it healthy- right? Suuuure, we'll run with it. Prepare a package of instant vanilla pudding mix using the instructions on the box. Fold in 1 carton of whipped topping, + 4 chopped apples (any kind will do, but Granny Smith provides a crisp, tart crunch), + 1 1/2 cups of chilled and chopped snickers. Refrigirate until serving. Fans of ambrosia are certain to proclaim themselves fans of this concoction!
Candy Bar Brownies
Prepare your favorite homemade recipe or box mix of brownies (or blondies!) layering in chopped Reese's, M&M's, Reese's Pieces, Kit Kats, Snickers, Butterfingers, Rolos, Almond Joys, Heath Bars- you name it. For the peanut butter lovers, layer in a tier of chopped Reese's Cups before adding in the rest of the batter. After the brownie pan has cooled, frost with chocolate fudge frosting, and cover with crushed Butterfinger. For the caramel lovers, pile on Rolos and Twix candies. Hit up the clearance aisle for those fluorescent orange Oreo cookies to crumble on top.
M&M Fudge
Line an 8-inch square baking dish with wax paper (foil and parchment paper will also work) with enough slack hanging over the sides of the dish to help you remove the fudge later. Combine 1 can of sweetened condensed milk and 2 cups of chocolate chips (or 1 12 oz bag) in a pan over medium heat, stirring frequently until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/2 a cup (or more to your liking) of chopped M&M candies. Pour into the baking dish, and top with another 1/2 cup (or more) M&M's. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before removing and cutting into squares. For a more fall-festive fudge, substitute white chocolate, and add in Reese's Pieces and candy corn instead of the M&M's. Swirl in peanut butter morsels if desired.
Channel your inner Food Network host and chop, cut, and crunch to your delight. Experiment with layers of frozen and diced Musketeers added to parfaits, Heath bars in milkshakes, Reese's Pieces or candy corn in soft-batch cookies, or Pixy Stick sugar dusted over the top of a funfetti cake. As for a personal autumn favorite, grab any fun-size candy bar or Reese's Cup and substitute it for the normal chocolate between your Fall Festival s'mores. (You're welcome.)
