This homemade candy corn recipe is one of our favorite retro Halloween sweets.  It’s so much more tasty than store-bought candy corn, and surprisingly easy to make.

An Alton Brown recipe that I found years ago, my family wouldn’t let me get through the season without making a batch or two (OK, maybe more than 2). In fact, it’s an essential centerpiece of our treat table for our annual pumpkin carving party. Its probably the most-talked-about recipe my friends – and my kids’ friends’ – ask about.

Even if you’re not a big candy corn fan, this one is definitely a keeper. Unlike store-bought candy corn, this leaves no strange, waxy aftertaste. Yes, it’s sugary, but you’re only eating it during Halloween season . . .  unless you change the colors and create red, white and green candy corn for Christmas!

• 4 1/2 ounces powdered sugar, approximately 1 1/4 cups
• 1/2-ounce nonfat dry milk, approximately 6 1/2 teaspoons
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 1/2 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1/2 cup
• 3 3/4 ounces light corn syrup, approximately 1/3 cup
• 2 1/2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons  unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 drops yellow and orange gel paste food coloring

Combine the powdered sugar, dry milk and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 4 to 5 times until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Set aside.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup and water in a 2-quart pot. Put over medium heat, cover and cook for 4 minutes. Add the butter, clip on a candy thermometer, and bring the mixture to 230 degrees F, about 1 to 2 minutes. When the sugar syrup reaches 230 degrees F, take the pot off the heat and remove the thermometer. Add the vanilla and the dry mixture, stirring continuously with a silicone spatula until well combined. Pour onto a half sheet pan lined with a silicone baking mat. Cool until the mixture is cool enough to handle, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Add 2 drops of yellow food coloring to 1 piece and knead the dough until the color is consistent throughout. Add 2 drops of orange to the second piece, and knead until the color is consistent throughout. Leave the third piece white. Roll each piece of dough into a strand, about 18-inches long. Cut each strand in half.

Roll 1 of the white pieces into a strand that is about 1/2-inch thick and about 22-inches long. Repeat with a yellow piece and orange piece. Lay the strands side by side and press them together using your fingers. Cut the strand into 4-inch pieces. Lay the strands, 1 at a time, onto the silicone mat and press into a wedge shape, like a triangle. Use a wire butter slicer to cut the candies into pieces. If you don’t have a wire butter slicer, use a knife, metal bench scraper or pizza cutter to slice the dough into small pieces. Repeat the procedure with remaining dough. Lay the finished pieces on a piece of parchment or waxed paper to dry for 1 hour. Store in an airtight container with parchment paper between each layer.

The post A Classic Halloween Treat: Homemade Candy Corn appeared first on Family Eats.

Peanut butter cups hold a special place in my heart – they were my Dad’s favorite candy. He used to have a bag of small peanut butter cups in the house – solely for him, unless we asked. My kids used to send him a few after their Halloween haul, and he happily received the package. This homemade version is even better than the store-bought one, and a recipe I’m positive Dad would approve. These are made with milk chocolate, but if you desire, choose your own favorite chocolate, and even experiment with add-ins to the peanut butter.

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• 1¼ cups powdered sugar
• 24 ounces milk chocolate (chips, or finely chopped)
• ¼ cup vegetable shortening 

Line mini-muffin tin with paper liners, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine peanut butter, butter and brown sugar in a sauce pan. Over medium heat, stir constantly, until melted, and mixture begins to bubble.

Once heated, remove pot from heat and stir in the powdered sugar,  ¼ cup at a time. Sir until combined completely before adding more powdered sugar. Once combined, set aside until cool.

Melt the chocolate chips and shortening together in a double boiler on the stove, or in the microwave (30-second increments), until completely melted. Stirring frequently.

Spoon the melted chocolate into the bottom of each lined muffin cup.

Use a heaping teaspoon, scoop out the peanut butter mixture, rRoll it into a ball, and then flatten it slightly into a disk that will fit in the tins. Place the peanut butter disks on the baking-sheet-lined parchment paper. Refrigerate both the chocolate in the tins and the peanut butter disks for about 30 minutes.

Once chilled, place a peanut butter disk on top of each chocolate-lined muffin tin. Then add more melted chocolate to the tin, ensuring it is covered on top and around the sides. Once chocolate is poured, tap the tin on the counter to help settle the chocolate within the tins.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes

The post Peanut Butter Cups appeared first on Family Eats.

I’m a fan of Tootsie Rolls, but I’m not a fan of all the hard-to-pronounce ingredients that they are made of. So, this Halloween, I thought I’d try making a few of my favorite. I dug up this recipe on A Cozy Kitchen blog, and found that it is relatively simple to make, and produces pretty good results — albeit a bit soft. If you’re planning on giving them as part of a gift, don’t forget to wrap them.

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1/4 cup dry milk powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a large bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, confectioner’s sugar, dry milk and salt.

Add the corn syrup, melted butter and vanilla extract to a small bowl. Using a fork, whisk vigorously until everything is completely combined.

Stir the syrup mixture into the dry mixture. It will at first appear like there isn’t enough liquid to bring the tootsie roll dough together, but keep going. Using your hands knead the mixture together for a few minutes. Eventually it will go from powdery to chocolatey and smooth. Form the dough into a round disc.

Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1/2-inch slices. Take one slice and roll it into a long, thin rope; cut the rope into 1-inch tootsie rolls. Transfer the cut tootsie rolls to a baking sheet or cooling rack. Repeat the process until you’ve formed about 30 tootsie rolls. Place the tootsie rolls in the fridge for 1 hour and until firm. Wrap the tootsie rolls in parchment or wax paper that are 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch squares.

Yields 34 Tootsie Rolls

The post Enjoy the Nostalgic Flavor of Homemade Tootsie Rolls appeared first on Family Eats.

A favorite treat for Halloween season, these chocolate covered pretzels always magically disappear! Make them all year round, for other holiday, birthdays, or just every day, by mixing up sprinkles as well as substituting with milk or dark chocolate.

1 package pretzel rods

1 package chocolate chips – white, milk or dark – your choice

Sprinkles

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Once melted, work quickly using a silicone brush, and brush chocolate on pretzels. Cover in sprinkles and set on cooling rack until dry.

The post Witches’ Wands appeared first on Family Eats.

These cute little cookies are a delight for any age. Perfect for making throughout the Fall season, but also ideal for making an appearance at any time of the year.

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter (room temp)
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, melted
• extra chocolate chips
• 18 whole roasted and salted cashews

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft. Continue to beat, add the sugar slowly, then beat until the mixture is very light and fluffy. Mix in the dry ingredients.

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and vanilla, then add them to the dough a little at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Transfer about one-third of the dough to a separate bowl and stir in the melted chocolate chips to make a chocolate dough. Shape the chocolate dough into a 10-inch long log, working very quickly before the chocolate solidifies. Wrap in wax paper and put in the refrigerator.

Roll out the remaining dough (vanilla) into a long rectangular shape as long as the chocolate log. Set the chilled chocolate log in the center of the vanilla rectangle and wrap it up s that a cross-section resembles a bullseye, with the vanilla outer layer and a chocolate center. Wrap the log in wax paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours; you can freeze the dough for up to 1 month.

Decorate and bake the cookies

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter 2 baking sheets. Place the chocolate chips and cashews in small bowls for easy access.

Unwrap the logs and cut them into 1/8-inch slices. Join the two slices together by placing them side by side on a baking sheet and pinching them. Slightly pinch the two opposite sides of the rounds into point ear shapes. Place a chocolate chip upside down in the center of each chocolate eye, then embed a cashew int o the center of the two joined circles. Repeat with the remaining slices, spacing the owns 2-inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, watching closely, until lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store the cookies in a large tin, with the layers separated by sheets of wax paper. Keep the tin in a cool place, or freeze the cookies ahead of time.

Source: Coming Home: A Seasonal Guide to Creating Family Traditions, by Rosanna Bowles; ©2010 Stewart, Tabori & Change, New York

The post Owl Cookies appeared first on Family Eats.

This quick and easy sauce is delicious when served with a variety of desserts, including pie, crumbles, ice cream, brownies . . . you name it! But, don’t just keep this for desserts, when drizzled over apples, it is a fun afternoon snack for the kids.

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 In a 2-quart saucepan, melt butter on low heat.

Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and milk, stirring to combine. Increase heat to medium (or perhaps just below medium).

Stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil.* Use a spoon that won’t melt — the caramel gets pretty hot!

Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla and cinnamon.

Serve warm or cold with apple slices, or drizzle over ice cream.

The post Caramel Sauce appeared first on Family Eats.

This recipe has been in the family since I was a kid, and one that I’m glad I began to make. I usually whip up a batch or two to give away as tasty treats during the holiday season, but this caramel corn recipe is also perfect for enjoying during Halloween, or heck, any time of the year.

• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• ½ cup light corn syrup
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 quarts popped popcorn

Melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt.. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, boil without stirring 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in soda and vanilla.

Gradually pour over popped corn (which has been sprinkled with peanuts, cashews, pecans), mixing well.

Turn into 2 large shallow baking or roasting pans. Bake in 250 degree oven for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool completely.

Break apart and store in tightly covered container.

Makes about 5 quarts caramel corn.

The post Baked Caramel Corn appeared first on Family Eats.