VT Mommies The Voice of Vermont Moms
It seems that every holiday, we end up with an abundance of leftover candy, whether I bought it, it was given to the kids, or it came by way of the Easter Bunny or through an egg hunt. By the time day 3 or 4 has rolled around, I’m plain old sick of the candy. And even though I realize it isn’t healthy, I feel like throwing it out is such as waste (I know, my mind works in mysterious ways). So I’ve decided to find uses for that leftover candy. I’m sharing with you a few of these re-purposed candy concoctions.
Peeps
Peeps seem to be a staple Easter candy, but I’ve never understood the appeal. I’ve always preferred exploding them in the microwave to eating them (super fun but messy if you don’t turn the oven off soon enough; heat them for a few seconds, you get mutilated marshmallow giants, but overheat them and you’ve got one heck of a cleaning job). Regardless, I’ve seen several versions of marshmallow/peeps martinis in the recent weeks and decided I needed to try some.
I didn’t genuinely love either of the recipes I tried, so I experimented with my own. Here’s the final formula and a photo of the results. It was sweet without being overly sweet and definitely made me want more than one.
- 2 oz Pinnacle Marshmallow flavored vodka
- 1oz Torani vanilla flavored syrup
- Colored sugar for the rim
- Pink bunny Peeps
I rimmed the martini glass with pink sugar. I then added ice to my martini shaker and poured the vodka and syrup over the ice. Shook gently and strained the cocktail into the glass. I added a pink bunny Peep for a garnish. Truly delectable.
You could also consider doing a wine and chocolate pairing as another use for Peeps. (Oh, you didn’t expect me to post and not include something about wine, did you?) Ghirardelli Intense Dark Espresso Escape 60% cacao chocolate can be paired with a tawny or ruby port, Brioche, and marshmallows (think S’mores!) as a unique pairing experience.
Mini Candy Bars
Mini candy bars are an easy add-in for your standard brownie recipe. This quick recipe I got from my mom years ago is a tried and true way to use up a few of those extra minis.
- Brownie mix, prepared as stated on the package
- Mini candy bars, about 24, unwrapped
- Mini-muffin tin
Preheat the oven to 25 degrees lower than what the directions on your brownie mix suggest. Once you’ve prepared the brownie mix, scoop mix to fill mini-muffin tin cups about 2/3 of the way full. Gently push one candy into the middle of each muffin cup. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (check and adjust based on your own oven).
M&M candies
M&M candies are a perfect substitute for chocolate chips in just about any recipe that calls for chocolate chips as an add-in (think chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies or brownies with M&M candies). They also make great sundae toppers.
York Peppermint Patties
Peppermint patties make a great treat when frozen. We always have a few frozen patties in the freezer at our house for a rainy day. I’ve also chopped them up (by hand, with a knife as they are gooey) and mixed them into boxed brownie mix before pouring in the pan.
What do you do with your leftover candy (other than simply eating it)?
