Every year I have to guess how much Halloween candy to buy. It didn't use to be that way. I lived in a very large neighborhood in a small town for 18 years. You know, the kind of neighborhood where the parents drove to the end of your street from other parts of town, or even out of town. We had hundreds of kids (I'm not kidding). I have moved a couple of times since then so when Halloween rolls around, I have to guess. This is my second Halloween living in a very large apartment complex. Last year I bought candy, thinking that I would get a lot of kids. I didn't get even one single trick or treater.
This year, the apartment office sent out a notice saying they would open the doors to the apartment buildings between 3 and 5 for kids to go trick or treating. I sent the office an email asking if they could give me an estimate of how many kids there would be. I did not get a response. I got maybe 10 kids. Yes, I bought a lot more than 10 pieces. So, what did I do? I sat on the couch and ate a bunch of candy. I haven't had candy in a very long time, so it was kind of calling my name. Here's the thing. I think that no matter what your eating situation is, kids are looking for candy. I could hear my neighbor down the hall ask a few little kids, "What would you like? Peanut butter crackers or cheese curls?" Even I would say cheese curls, which is what every single kid said. Still, are you kidding me? That is NOT what kids are looking for on Halloween. Even if you are stuck with a bunch of candy like I am, get rid of it the next day. Take it to work, hand it out to others or you could do what I am doing. I am going to repurpose it and give it away in a pretty package.
The first thing I am making is chocolate bark. This is one of the easiest ways to get rid of candy. And there are a million different types of chocolate and candy that work well. It's kind of like throwing everything but the kitchen sink into it. You can follow my recipe, or use it as a jumping off point to make your own. Have fun. Oh, and while you are chopping up leftover candy, there is nothing stopping you from eating a few bars while you're at it!
3 cups of bittersweet chocolate (I used Callebaut 70.4%)
2 cups of Reeses peanut butter chips
packaged chocolate candy bars, any type (I used Mounds, Kit Kats, Three Musketeers and Butterfinger small bars
mini marshmallows
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Unwrap candy and chop into small pieces.
Measure Bittersweet chocolate and peanut butter chips.
Melt bittersweet chocolate over a pan of simmering water.
Melt peanut butter chips in microwave until smooth, 1 minute, then 30 seconds stirring in between.
Pour chocolate onto parchment paper.
Spread chocolate, with an off-set spatula, covering the parchment paper completely.
Sporadically press mini marshmallows onto chocolate. Sprinkle chopped candy over the chocolate between the marshmallows. Press gently into chocolate.
Using a fork, drizzle melted peanut butter over candies. Spread evenly with a spatular.
Place in refrigerator until chocolate hardens. Break bark into pieces. A little bit goes a long way, so you can break into smaller pieces if you want.
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