Tag Archive: Candy

10 Sweet October Recipes

Written on September 30, 2013 by Wannabe Chef in Recipe Round-Up

October is one of my favorite months because it’s filled with chocolate and candy and unreasonably sugar-filled drinks. November is another favorite month because it has chocolate and candy at 50% off but we’re not quite there yet.

Whether it’s using pumpkin or chocolate or candy corn, there are tons of recipes out there to make October a little sweeter and add a personal touch to the season. Here are a few of my favorites from this blog.

Snacks

Pumpkin granola is full of Autumn flavor without too much added sugar. It’s a great topping to yogurt or smoothies on a Fall morning or even all on its own.

Sweet & salty Halloween Chex mix is the perfect party snack for kids or adults. With pretzel sticks and candy corn, it’s too addictive to have just one handful.

Homemade pumpkin cream cheese beats the flavored cream cheese you get at a bagel store in flavor and price. It’s a great way to spice up breakfast on-the-go in the morning.

Spiced almond butter cookies are as good as any 4-ingredient cookie gets. It’s deeply nutty and slightly spicy with cinnamon and nutmeg to round out the flavor. Have a few next to your favorite cup of tea.

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are a seasonal way to make a classic cookie recipe. The pumpkin in them makes the softer and puffier so cakey cookie lovers should take note.

Candy

Peanut butter pumpkins are the tastier, homemade counterpart to Reese’s pumpkins. They’re a lot easier to make than you’d imagine and a killer dessert to bring to a party or give out as a Halloween gift.

Homemade chocolate turtles are another crowd-pleasing homemade candy to impress your guests. They’re addictive so definitely make these for a crowd or you’ll be eating one after the other.

White chocolate candy corn bark is a simple, kid-friendly recipes with just a few ingredients but totally fun and seasonal.

Cakes & Bread

Gluten-free pumpkin bread is good any time of year(obviously, because I made this back in June), but especially good on an Autumn morning with a cup of hot dark roasted coffee.

Chocolate-pumpkin baked custard is not your typical dessert and great to make for a group of people who want something different. It’s reminiscent of a flourless chocolate cake but lightened up a little with the addition of pumpkin.

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7 Homemade Candy Recipes

Written on October 29, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Recipe Round-Up

2 days from Halloween and it almost slipped my mind to post about candy recipes. I guess this hurricane talk has really distracted me.

I’ve been noticing some of these recipes getting more attention lately but didn’t realize why until just this weekend. Of course the only thing better than fattening, sugary candy is homemade sugary candy and now is definitely the right time of year to treat yourself.

Here are my 7 favorite candy recipes I’ve made over the past couple years. I don’t think any of them disappoint.

Chocolate Covered S’mores

Homemade Peppermint Patties

Peanuts & Pretzels Bark

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

White Chocolate Candy Corn Bark

Homemade Mounds Bars

Homemade Peanut Butter Pumpkins

If you make any of these, please comment on the original recipe page and tell how it went! I love hearing from readers who’ve tried recipes.

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Candy Party Mix

Written on October 26, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

This kind of treat has a lot of names. “Monster mix” and “Trash mix” come to mind; let’s call it a party mix since that sounds more elegant when you’re stuffing your face with candy at 8pm.

After Halloween everyone’s always stuffed with more candy than they know what to do with. This is a great recipe to use it up and have something fun and festive to put out at a party or the office. Adding some salted nuts helps to break up the sweetness and add a little crunch factor without making it into a “healthy, boring” treat.

Adapt to use what you have; swap out chocolate covered raisins instead of the almonds or use pretzel M&Ms. It’s entirely versatile.

Candy Party Mix

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 3 cups):

1 cup salted peanuts
1/2 cup chocolate covered almonds
1/2 cup M&Ms
1/2 cup Reese’s miniature peanut butter cups(or regular sized peanut butter cups cut into quarters)
3/4 cup small Swedish Fish

Method:

Mix all of the ingredients together and enjoy.

You’re welcome for the sugar rush.

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Homemade Peanut Butter Pumpkins

Written on October 3, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

The seasonal candies are always my favorite part of the holidays. I’ll usually wait until the day after each holiday to go to the store and buy it all half-off, but why wait when you can make your own? I’ve made my own peanut butter cups before and it’s never been a hassle. Pumpkins seemed like a bit more of a challenge but oh so worth it.

This recipe is also my entry in a Smart Balance recipe contest that starts today. They’ve asked 20 contestants to make a recipe using one or more of their products and put them on their Facebook page for fans to vote for. I love the Smart Balance peanut butter because of its rich, amber flavor. It has added plant-based omega-3s which are always good for a vegetarian diet.

Besides peanut butter, this recipe is super simple and uses only 4 other ingredients you probably already have: buttery spread(or butter), powdered sugar, and chocolate chips. The process doesn’t take much time at all even though there are quite a few steps. Just make sure to have room in your freezer to cool these quickly so you can move from one step to the next without waiting too long.

I found the pumpkin cookie cutter on Amazon and got it along with some other shapes; they also probably sell them in most craft stores around this time, too. You can use different cookie cutters for different holidays and keep the recipe year round. The basic steps will always be the same.

Homemade Peanut Butter Pumpkins

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 16 pumpkins*):

1 cup Smart Balance creamy peanut butter
1 Smart Balance buttery stick(1/2 cup), melted
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
Pumpkin shaped cookie cutter
Wax paper

*The yield will vary based on the size of your cookie cutters. I used a pretty standard 3-inch cookie cutter and got 16 pumpkins.

Method:

In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter and melted buttery stick until it’s homogenous.
Sift in the powdered sugar stirring it in until it’s completely mixed in.
Get out 2 sheets of parchment paper and place the peanut butter dough between the two. Press down until the dough is about 3/8-inch thick.
Cut out as many pumpkins in the dough as you can. Put the dough into a freezer for 10-15 minutes until the dough is stiff.
While the dough is in the freezer, melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler until it’s smooth.
Take the dough out of the freezer and remove the pumpkins from the extra trim.
On a separate piece of parchment paper, spoon tablespoons of melted chocolate about 3 inches from one another.
Take each pumpkin and place them on top of the melted chocolate, pressing down and moving them around to cover the bottom. Repeat with all the pumpkins.
If you desire, decorate the pumpkins by making faces or lines with a toothpick.
Place the pumpkins back in the freezer until the chocolate is hardened. Take off the parchment paper and keep these in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
Keep repeating this process with the extra dough and melted chocolate until it’s entirely used up.

The peanut butter parts holds its shape but stays pretty soft so you can bite straight through it into the thin chocolate. I handed these out to friends last week and even though it was still September it definitely stirred some Halloween excitement. These would definitely be a hit at any party this time of year. If you like the recipe, too, don’t forget to vote!

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What I Miss As A Vegetarian

Written on October 16, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Uncategorized

5 months ago yesterday was the last time I ate meat. I can still remember it, but wasn’t very exciting; it was grilled chicken from an airline meal on a plane coming back from London. At that point, I was already set on becoming a vegetarian, and wrote about it on the blog a few weeks later.

I haven’t written about being a vegetarian very much since because—honestly—it doesn’t seem like a big deal to me. I eat the same 90% of the time as I did before being a vegetarian. My grocery cart is virtually identical as before. I’ve eaten out a few times as a vegetarian and it’s been slightly difficult, but not even close to as difficult as it is to eat out gluten-free so it’s nothing I’m not used to. Basically it’s going well, I’m a happy eater, and I’m never at a lack of recipes to try.

Even before becoming a vegetarian, I was aware of the reasons some vegetarians choose to eat meat again: They start craving chicken and red meat; they develop vitamin deficiencies that leave them feeling weak; they gain weight; they can’t eat enough to feel full anymore.

None of those have affected me on a vegetarian diet. If I crave animal protein, I can usually curb that by eating eggs, tempeh, or something sodium-rich. I’ve been running faster than before. I’ve gained muscle lifting. Any weight I’ve gained I assure you is from sugar and chocolate—not vegetables and beans. And if I’m not full, I just eat more.

But there is one thing I miss, and it’s something nobody told me to expect before becoming a vegetarian: I miss cooking meat. Not eating it; just cooking it. You can’t replicate the smell of a roasted chicken pulled straight out of the oven filling up a kitchen, the sound of sizzling from searing a steak so that the outside turns a deep brown and the inside is pink and bloody, or the complex flavor that bacon grease adds to golden home fries. Tofu and tempeh just don’t work that way.

Does that mean I’m going to stop being a vegetarian? Of course not. While I miss these intricate parts of cooking, being a vegetarian for ethical reasons is much more important to me. Maybe if I’m lucky my family will let me cook and carve the Thanksgiving turkey, but I’ll take an extra helping of potatoes on my plate instead, please.

Sidenote

This week is also the first time I’ve made a “vegetarian blunder”, i.e. ate something not vegetarian.

I could have sworn Brach’s candy corn were gluten-free and vegetarian, but after I finished off my first big size bag I looked at the ingredients and sure enough gelatin was on there. I’ve always avoided things made with gelatin like most commercial marshmallows in the past, and while I considered making an exception for sweet, sweet candy corn I couldn’t accept my own hypocrisy. Luckily, I’ve found a solution:

The generic CVS brand candy corn and candy pumpkins are both completely vegetarian. While I remember these having a somewhat stale texture from my childhood, I’ve eaten 2 bags over the past 2 days and they get an “A” grade from me. They’re still clearly not health food, but if you’re a vegetarian who just can’t see yourself giving up candy corn, give these a shot and you won’t be sorry.

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Halloween Crack Corn

Written on October 5, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

I must have been living under a rock or sheltered as a child because I never knew the amazing combination of candy corn and peanuts until Holly posted about it. I really should have guessed that two of my favorite food groups(because they definitely deserve their own food groups) would only be even better put together. And combined with popcorn it’s a crunchy, crackly, filling snack that tastes eerily like kettle corn.

The truth is I don’t see a time when this wouldn’t be good. You can make it as an afternoon snack or a dessert late at night, put it in a bowl and serve it at a Halloween party or put it into goodie bags to give out at a kid’s party. There’s no one who wouldn’t like this.

Halloween Crack Corn(inspired by Holly’s post)

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(for 2 servings):

3 cups of popcorn(click here to see how to DIY)
1/2 cup candy corn
1/2 cup peanuts

Method:

Combine all of the ingredients together and toss until evenly mixed. Pour into a serving bowl and eat up immediately.

This makes for a very filling afternoon snack when you eat the whole thing yourself. That is until you remember you have all the ingredients to make more.

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Homemade Peppermint Patties

Written on September 29, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

While I definitely have a sweet tooth, you could count the different candies I like with one hand: peanut butter cups, Snickers, Swedish fish, and Peppermint Patties. Oh, and candied ginger, but that doesn’t really count; I mean, it has ginger in it so that practically makes it a medicine.

I might be jumping the gun with Halloween still over a month away, but I’ve been really excited to make my own candy for a while. The last time I made these peppermint patties was for a New Years Eve party, so almost 9 months ago. That’s way too long for something this good. The filling is soft, smooth, and refreshing while the outside is dark and crunchy. Well I don’t need to tell you—you’ve probably had a Peppermint Patty before, and these taste just like the real deal!

Homemade Peppermint Patties(gluten-free/vegan) recipe here.

Recipe notes:

I had to use more than the amount of powdered sugar listed in the ingredients. My best guess is that the temperature affected the dough since the last time I made them was the dead of Winter. Just keep adding powdered sugar by the 1/4 cup until you can break off a piece and roll it into a ball without the sugar sticking to your hand.
I froze completely the filling part before dipping it in chocolate, which I think made the process easier.
I used chocolate chips again, but I think real bakers chocolate would be better since the coating had some trouble staying hard after being melted.
I froze the filling and finished patties on aluminum foil and it didn’t stick like I thought it might.

I was debating covering the tops with white non-perils but the chocolate hardened before I got a chance so I didn’t bother. You could spend the extra time to make sure all the sides are covered evenly and the coating is smooth; I, however, like when not every dessert is identical or perfect. It shows that it’s homemade and unique.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Written on July 26, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

This is by far one of my favorite dessert recipes; it’s one I come back to again and again, the kind I don’t need to look at the recipe anymore to know how to make.

Chocolate and peanut butter is already an established pair, so you don’t really need to do much to doctor or dress these up to make them a crowd favorite. Just a smooth layer of sweet peanut butter covered by a soft chocolate ganache is plenty impressive enough.

The best part about this recipe is that it doesn’t need anything more than 4 ingredients that should always be in your pantry. If you want to elevate the flavor without much work, try using a special peanut butter like roasted honey or even almond butter.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars(adapted from Oh Baby Bars)

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 24 servings):

3/4 cup peanut butter, runny or no-stir
7 Tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
10oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

In a large bowl, melt 6 tablespoons of butter along with the peanut butter until completely liquid.
Add the powdered sugar into the peanut butter and butter mixture and beat until completely incorporated. Press the peanut butter mixture into a loaf pan or a 9 x 9 pan for smaller portions.
Melt the chocolate chips and remaining tablespoon of butter together and mix. Pour this over the peanut butter layer.
Refrigerate until the chocolate has set. Cut at room temperature into 1 x 1 square servings.

Totally worth the effort.

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Double Chocolate Oh Baby Bars

Written on February 11, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Now this is a chocolaty recipe for Valentine’s Day.

I’ve been wanting to make Jenna’s Oh Baby Bars(again) for a while now when I remembered the jar of chocolate peanut butter I just made. Oh yes; it was meant to be. These are a layer of firm, sweet chocolate peanut topped with a soft chocolate coating. What more can I say? Give these as a gift on Valentine’s Day along with bigger pants.

Double Chocolate Oh Baby Bars(adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients(makes 16 squares):

3/4 cup chocolate peanut butter
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup melted butter(or Earth Balance)
10oz semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon butter(or Earth Balance)

Mix together the chocolate peanut butter, melted butter, and powdered sugar until it’s a homogenous dough.

Press the mixture into an even layer in an 8×8 baking pan. Don’t worry if there’s some bumps or texture to the top because it won’t be noticeable at the end.

Melt the chocolate and remaining tablespoon of butter and mix until it’s smooth and creamy. Pour the melted chocolate over the dough and spread it into an even layer.

Allow the pan to chill in the refrigerator until it’s firm enough to cut into squares. Serve at room temperature for the best texture.

These are so good that they’re not going to last until Valentine’s Day. I might have eaten those 3 within 3 hours. Don’t judge; you’d do the same. The chocolate flavor is extremely song but there’s no lacking of peanut butter flavor, either. Next time I might add a sprinkling of sea salt to the top to round it off.

Yum.

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Candy Recipe Round-Up

Written on January 29, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Recipe Round-Up

Valentine’s Day is only 2 weeks away.

Scared you a little, didn’t I?

Valentine’s Day is full of expectations. If you’re in a relationship, you’re expected to do nice things for each other and be all lovey-dovey. If you’re not in a relationship, well, you’ve probably thrown your expectations out the window by February 14th and are ready with a pint of ice cream.

At the end of the day, nothing says “I love you” like “Here, eat all of this sugar and for this one day I won’t judge you,” so here are some suggestions for what sweet treats you can make to surprise your sweetheart.

Jenna’s Oh Baby Bars:

These are a must for anyone who loves chocolate and peanut butter. And who doesn’t love chocolate and peanut butter? Well, unless your date’s allergic… And they’re even easier to make than peanut butter cups. I recommend using a small loaf pan so that the layers are nice and thick.

Peppermint Patties:

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Peppermint patties are the perfect dessert for a date because they’re also a breath mint. These were surprisingly easy to make, too.

Mound Bars:

Coconut is one of those love or hate flavors. But if you know someone who loves it, then chances are they’ll love you for making these for them. They taste much fresher and lively than the ones you buy from the store.

Vegan Truffles:

This is probably the most tedious recipe but also the most impressive. Make your own truffles with pure chocolate, no refined sugar, and all fresh flavor. These are a must-eat for any true chocolate lover.

Espresso Bark:

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If you think you’ll need a pick-me-up after dinner to stay awake, espresso bark is the perfect combination of chocolate and caffeine. Of course, if you want to spend your night making inappropriate jokes you could always make Nut Lovers Bark, because who doesn’t love salty nuts?

Now that I’ve reminded you, you have no excuse to forget this year and put things off until the last minute, so get candy crafting!

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