Friday Foodie Favorites: Brach's S'mores Candy Corn

     Yes, yes, I know back to candy corn...but these are different! These are S'Mores Candy Corns!  I just couldn't resist! And to top it off I found an awesome recipe for Candy Corn Biscotti!  The original recipe called for the traditional yellow, orange, and white ones, but I decided to mixed it up and use these instead!

Original recipe from Food Nasty

Here's what you need:

3/4 cup candy corn (I used the Brach's S'mores ones)

3 large eggs (room temperature)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp pure almond extract (I omitted this for these)

2 cups all purposed flour (sifted)

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Optional:

Milk or Dark melting chocolates

Graham crackers crumbs

How to make them:

Preheat the oven to 300˚F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and little flour.

Chop the candy corn into small pieces.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla and almond (if using) extract.

In a large bowl sift the flour with the sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Stir in the chopped candy corn.

Then add the egg mixture and stir until a dough forms.

Divide the dough in half.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into logs about twice as long as wide.

Place the logs on the baking sheet next to each other and bake for about 25 minutes or until they are firm to the touch.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.

Next move the logs to a cutting board and using a sharp knife, cut the logs into slices about 1/4-1/2 inch slices.

Place the slides of biscotti on a new baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, turn slices over and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until firm to the touch.

In you want them extra crunchy, bake longer (don't be alarmed if the candy corn starts running).

Remove from oven and let cool.

Melt chocolate in a microwavable bowl for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between.

Once biscotti's are completely cooled, dip the bottom into the melted chocolate, scrap any extra off.

Then dip into the graham cracker crumbs.

Set on a wire rack or wax paper, chocolate side up to let them dry.

When chocolate has set, ENJOY!

October Crafternoon

     The time has come once again.....It's our monthly Crafternoon!! Whoo-hoo!  This time my friend Jennie hosted our fun festivities!  With it being Halloween season we did a few different Halloween crafts!  They were really easy, a little messy, and we repurposed a few materials. Here's our collection of supplies.... empty wine bottles, tin cans, glass jars, painter's tape, spray paint, hot glue & glue gun, glow-in-the-dark paint, googly eyes, ripped material, black felt, scissors, and markers.

I decided to decorate some of the glass jars.

I used some painter's tape and cut out shapes for eyes and a mouth.

Then spray painted the jars....

Orange for the Jack-o-Lantern,

White for the Vampire,

Green for the Frankenstein,

and Frost for the Ghost.

While we let our spray painted creatures dry, we enjoyed some yummy snacks!

Jennie made this yummy cocktail that I 

renamed Hair of the Werewolf  (Gingered Pear & Brandy Cocktail).

We also enjoyed some Curried Chicken,

Onion, Gruyere, & Bacon Dip,

Pumpkin Dip,

Kettle Corn, 

and I brought an assortment of Candy Corn treats

including the Candy Corn Fudge &  Candy Corn Meringue I made.

Jeannie also had a Halloween Cookie station,

which the kids loved!

Me too!

What do you think of my Jack-o-Lantern and Ghost?

I got some skills! 

After my monster's were dry, I carefully and slowly peeled

off the painter's tape.

My friends getting their craft on!

Elizabeth was working on her Frankensteins

and Carrie was doing her Jack-o-Lantern.

Jennie made some Boo Bottles and a spider web bottle with glow in the dark paint.

Oooooo SPOOKY!

I also made a Mummy and stuck in some candy to give to Liam.

Here's how they turned out. 

I can't wait to put a tea light candy in the jar and see them lit up!

It was another Bat-Tastic Crafternoon!

Looking forward to next months!

Candy Corn Meringues

     I love me some candy corn! I made some of these Candy Corn Meringues to take over to my friend Jennie's house for our monthly Crafernoon.  Since we are making some Halloween crafts I wanted to bring something fun and festive!  I'm also bringing over some of the wonderful Candy Corn Fudge I made the other day.

Recipe found from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

Ingredients:

4 egg whites (room temperature for best volume)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 1/3 cup sugar

How to make them:

Preheat oven to 225˚F.

Line large baking sheets with foil.

Make sure your mixing bowl and whisk attachment to mixer are clean and grease-free.

In a bowl of you mixer, beat egg whites on high until foamy.

Add salt and cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks form.

Add sugar slowly over an 8 minute time period.

Once 8 minutes are over, your meringue should hold stiff peaks.

Set aside 1/4 of the meringue.

Split what is left into two clean bowls and color one with orange and one will yellow food coloring.

Fold coloring into meringue gently (DO NOT STIR) and stop folding as soon as it's barely mixed.

Put each color in a separate piping bags.

Pipe yellow rosette swirls with your meringue on the prepared baking sheet.

Top with a smaller orange swirl, then top with a white meringue star or swirl.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 225˚F.

Turn oven off, open oven door about  an inch and let cool for another hour.

Once cooled, remove from oven and ENJOY!

Friday Foodie Favorites: Candy Corn

     Well, with it being Halloween season, my favorite candy is popping up everywhere!  Last year I found the Candy Corn M&M's and the Candy Corn Oreos.  This year I discovered Candy Corn Taffy,     Candy Corn Jelly Bellys, and Candy Corn Cotton Candy.  With my love of Candy Corn I decided to make some Candy Corn Fudge for my ladies for our monthly Crafternoon tomorrow.  Check out the Candy Corn Merginues I made too!

Found the recipe on Something Swanky.

Ingredients:

6 cups white chocolate chips (I used the Nestle Toll House ones)

2 cans sweetened condensed milk

food coloring : yellow & orange

How to make it:

Line a 9x9 baking dish with wax paper

In a large saucepan, combine the white chips and sweetened condensed milk over medium-low heat.

Stir until completely melted and smooth, remove from heat

Pour 1/3 of the mixture into prepared baking dish and chill for 15 minutes 

(Keep remaining fudge in sauce pan, heat off)

Stir fudge over low heat until melted and smooth again (should only take a minute or two)

Pour 1/3 mixture into a medium bowl and whisk in some orange food coloring.

Pour over the chilled white layer in baking dish and chill for 15 minutes.

Again, reheat the remaining 1/3 fudge over low heat until melted and smooth.

Whisk in yellow food coloring, pour over orange layer in baking dish.

Let chill for 3-4 hours or overnight.

Cut into squares, top with a Candy Corn kernel and ENJOY!