Fun Candy Treats

Southern Living, Oct 2004 by Harrington, Shirley

Turn leftover Halloween goodies into irresistible desserts.

I was teaching foods in a Texas high school when Southern Living published a luscious three-layer Milky Way Cake in Our Best Recipes, Volume Three. Editor John Alex Floyd, Jr., remembers the recipe caused a run on the candy bar at grocery stores 'round the South. More than a quarter of a century has passed, so it's about time to offer the recipe to you again. This time we transformed it into Heavenly Candy Bar Cupcakes (layer cake directions are provided as well) and developed an easy frosting. We've also included two other recipes using popular candies and cookies. Grocery store owners, get ready.

HEAVENLY CANDY BAR CUPCAKES

MAKES 36 CUPCAKES

PREP: 20 MIN., COOK: 5 MIN., BAKE: 18 MIN.

9 fun-size or 21 mini chocolate-coated caramel and creamy nougat bars

½ cup butter or margarine

2 cups sugar

1 cup shortening

3 large eggs

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1½ cups buttermilk

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate-Marshmallow Frosting

Garnishes: chopped frozen fun-size chocolate-coated caramel and creamy nougat bars, candy corn

MELT candy bars and butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring until smooth. Set aside.

BEAT sugar and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer about 3 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

COMBINE flour and salt. Stir together buttermilk and baking soda. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture, alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in melted candy bar mixture and vanilla. Place 36 paper baking cups in muffin pans; spoon batter evenly into paper baking cups, filling two-thirds full.

BAKE at 350° for 18 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from pan, and let cool completely on wire racks. Spread cupcakes evenly with Chocolate-Marshmallow Frosting. Garnish, if desired.

NOTE: For testing purposes only, we used Milky Way Bars.

Chocolate-Marshmallow Frosting:

MAKES 4½ CUPS

PREP: 15 MIN., COOK: 5 MIN.

3 cups miniature marshmallows

¾ cup butter or margarine, cut up

¾ cup evaporated milk

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

6 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

MELT first 4 ingredients in a 2-quart saucepan over mediumlow heat, stirring 5 minutes or until mixture is smooth.

TRANSFER chocolate mixture to a large bowl. Place the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice and water. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed with an electric mixer. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat 5 minutes or until frosting is cool, thick, and spreadable. Stir in 1 tablespoon vanilla.

Heavenly Candy Bar Cake:

SPOON batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch cakepans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove cakes from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack. Spread half of ChocolateMarshmallow Frosting evenly between cake layers. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Garnish, if desired. Makes 12 servings. Prep: 15 min., Cook: 5 min., Bake: 30 min.

CHOCOLATE MINT SNOWBALLS

MAKES ABOUT 5 DOZEN

PREP: 20 MIN.

1 (18-ounce) package cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies

1 (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese

1 (12.5-ounce) package chocolate-covered creamy mints

2 (12-ounce) packages semisweet chocolate morsels

1 tablespoon shortening

PULSE half of cookies in a food processor 3 or 4 times or until crumb consistency. Add remaining cookies to crumbs in food processor, and pulse until crumb consistency. Cut cream cheese into 4 pieces; add to food processor, 1 piece at a time, processing well after each addition.

ROLL cream cheese mixture into 1-inch balls. Push one chocolate-covered mint into the center of each ball; roll each ball smooth.

MICROWAVE chocolate morsels and shortening in a glass bowl at HIGH for 90 seconds or until melted, stirring every 30 seconds.

DIP balls in melted chocolate mixture; place on wax paper to harden. Store in refrigerator. SHAWN MOORE

KENTON, OHIO

NOTE: For testing purposes only, we used Oreo Sandwich Cookies and Junior Mints.

FUDGY PEANUT BUTTER CUP PIE

MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

PREP: 15 MIN.; STAND: 20 MIN.;

FREEZE: 2 HRS., 10 MIN.

1 (1.75-quart) container vanilla ice cream with peanut butter cups swirled with fudge

1/3 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter

1 (6-ounce) ready-made chocolate crumb piecrust

6 (0.6-ounce) peanut butter cup candies, halved

Chocolate-peanut butter shell coating

ALLOW container of ice cream to stand at room temperature 20 minutes to soften.

SPREAD peanut butter over crust; freeze 10 minutes.

SPREAD softened ice cream evenly over peanut butter in crust. Arrange peanut butter cup candy halves, cut sides down, around edges of crust. Drizzle chocolate-peanut butter shell coating evenly over ice cream.

FREEZE at least 2 hours. Cut frozen pie with a warm knife to serve.