Candy Corn Peanut Butter Candy

Think Butterfinger friends.  Think Butterfinger. 

As I ranted last week, I had to buy like a 4.5 or 3.5 lb bag of candy corn last week for a recipe.  They claimed to have no smaller bags.  Psshhht, whatever.  So after I used 1/2 cup out of it, what in the HECK was I going to do with the rest of it?  I had no ideas, except that I wondered what I could do with them if I melted those babies down.   Why didn't I just take a few and do it myself?  I have no idea.  But I went searching around in the world of Google and found this recipe at aboutfood,com. Normally I don't make other peoples recipes but this was to intriguing, and way to easy to not share with you all.

This calls for only 3 ingredients.  Candy corn, peanut butter and chocolate.  Oh and sprinkles if you are cool like me.  This was so easy, I don't even have much else to say about it.  ALTHOUGH.....make sure you do score the candy corn mixture like you are supposed to, because those babies will challenge your sharpest knife.  You can cut them however you like really, fat bars, skinny bars, "bites", the choice is yours.  I did a few skinny and few fat and a few bites. 

You will need:
3 cups of candy corn (traditional flavor)
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
12 oz. chocolate chips for dipping
sprinkles (optional)

Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment (or foil) and then spray it with non stick cooking spray.  I leave the ends long so I can lift my goods right out as you all know.  Set aside and in a large bowl microwave your candy corn, 30 seconds at a time.  The first few times it will seem it will never melt.  DO NOT over heat it, or it will get hard on you, thus 30 seconds and stir.  When it is melted, add the peanut butter and combine completely.  If you find the candy corn stiffens up on you, you can microwave it another 10-20 seconds to loosen it up so it can be combined easier.  When that is done press it into the bottom of your baking dish and make sure it is even and as level as you can get it.  NOW......  take a knife and score the bars however you will want them.  The world is your sandwich, make it how you want.  When these chill they will become very hard yet crispy.  (again, think Butterfinger).  Now, into the fridge and let chill about 1 hour. 

Melt chocolate chips, and add about 1 tsp. vegetable oil.  I find it makes dipping easier, by thinning the chocolate just a WEEEEEE bit.  Remove the bars from the pan, and using a large knife, cut along your score lines.  Now start dipping.  As these come to room temp they will soften, and become chewy.  Dip them, and place them on a parchment or foil lined cookie sheet and immediately sprinkle if you are sprinkling, so they will stick.  When you are done, refrigerate again for 30 minutes to an hour and dig in.  If you serve these chilled they will be almost the consistency of a Butterfinger, if you serve them at room temp, they will have more of a chewy consistency, but delish, either way!

ENJOY!

More "Picky's" for us non-bakers! Sweet Chex Mix!

Well, we all know its crunch time.  The baking, the shopping, the wrapping and preparing is in overdrive!  I am not sure how it happened but all my shopping is done and shipped and wrapped!  Amen for small miracles.  

 

I don't think there is a person alive who hasn't had the traditional Chex mix snack, right?  Well somehow I have never known there was a sugary, sweet version as well.  It is so easy and simple for us baking challenged cooks!  It is done in 15 minutes, and you can mix it with some Christmas candy or red and green M&M's!  Maybe some licorice bits?  

 

You can use any Chex cereal you want for this.  In fact, I have some Cheerios, and Honeycombs I am going to do this same thing with.  I don't see any reason you can't use almost any cereal of your choice with this one.  I also feel like you could choose to add any kind of nut you wanted.  

Here we go!!  Don't blink or you will miss it, it is THAT easy!

Sweet Chex Mix Snack

8 cups any Chex mix cereal

1 cup pecan pieces

1 cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and pour Chex mix and pecans into large roasting pan.  In saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar together.  Pour melted mixture over cereal mix and stir.  Bake for 8 minutes and then stir again. Bake 8 more minutes, remove from oven and stir one more time.  Let cool.   Store in Ziploc bags or airtight container until ready to use.  

 

This is so delicious.  I might consider adding a little cinnamon next time as well!  Change up the cereal mix or nuts, however you choose!

I love "picky's"!!

Your "picky lovin' chefwannabe"

Chris

Lucy and Ava's Favorite Peanut Butter Tookies (Dog Treats)

 

Yes, I said "tookies".  I have this other language I speak to the dogs.  Come on you dog lovers, I KNOW you know what I mean!! The dogs know what I am saying and I know what I am saying, isn't that all that matters?  I have been told that my language is used a bit more than the average, but, I talk to the dogs alot.  They never get mad, they always love me, and they love my music and TV shows!  The dogs I am speaking of are my sisters dogs, however, since losing our beloved black lab 2 years ago, we have adopted them as our children too!  Lucy is the biggest lapdog (105lbs of pure love and chub) of a female choc lab I have ever seen, and Ava is a pretentious, yet sweet, red pointer lab.  


I have been on the lookout for a great recipe for dog treats for awhile.   I have found many of them, but they all seemed to require specialty ingredients and I wanted to find something you could make out of your own pantry.  I got this one from the vet clinic!  Lucy is my taste tester so I gave her a taste of the dough and she loved it!  (I know because she TOLD me, duh) :)   I used a heart, and a dog bone for cookie cutters.  The bone was probably bigger than I might have liked   but if you have a big dog, they will be just fine.  

This recipe calls for organic peanut butter, however I used regular peanut butter and for the record, its perfectly fine for dogs.  I had to pick up wheat flour but that was it, everything else is regular pantry staples and I think wheat flour will be now as well.  So, let's get to the recipe so your doggies can get some special "tookies" of their own tonight!


Lucy and Ava's Favorite Peanut Butter Tookies:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil 

 

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine oil, peanut butter and water. Add flour, one cup at a time, forming a dough. Knead dough into firm ball and roll to 1/4 inch thickness.  I just do this in my stand mixer.
 

 

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

You can see the bones are a little bigger than the others, so it really is just personal preference. The amount you get will depend on the size cookie cutters you use.  I hope your dogs and puppies LOVE these "tookies" and what great Christmas gifts in little cellophane bags to accompany cookie trays to your human friends! (who have dogs)  

 

Your "dogs are angels in disguise"chefwannabe

Chris