Candy Bar Cupcakes
Ingredients
• 9 fun-size or 21 mini chocolate-coated caramel and creamy nougat bars
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 3 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Chocolate frosting
• Garnishes: chopped frozen fun-size chocolate-coated caramel and creamy nougat bars, candy corn
Preparation
• 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.
• 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 Chocolate-Marshmallow 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.
Crunchy Caramel Apples
Ingredients
• 16 wooden sticks
• 16 small granny smith apples, chilled
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light-colored corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Toffee bits
Preparation
• 1. Push wooden sticks into the top of chilled apples; keep apples in fridge until caramel is ready.
• 2. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a large saucepan; bring to a boil and stir until dissolved. Then boil, without stirring, 9 minutes or until light golden.
• 3. Combine half-and-half, vanilla, and salt; slowly stir into pan. Boil until candy thermometer reaches 235° (45 minutes), make sure to stir frequently to avoid burning the caramel.
• 4. Pour caramel into a bowl sitting in a hot water bath. Swirl apples in caramel, and place on baking sheet lined with wax paper. Sprinkle with toffee bits, pressing the candy into the warm caramel until a majority of the apple is covered. Let cool. Makes 16 caramel apples.
Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
Ingredients
• 1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan or dish. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; butter the sides of the pan.
2. Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Combine sugar, eggs, and vanilla in mixer; beat until well combined (3 to 5 minutes). Beat in flour mixture.
4. Divide batter between two medium bowls (about 2 cups per bowl). Stir chocolate mixture into one bowl. In other bowl, stir in pumpkin, vegetable oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer half of chocolate batter to prepared pan smoothing top with a rubber spatula. Top with half of pumpkin batter. Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer. Work quickly so batters don’t set.
5. With a small spatula or a table knife, gently swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with nuts.
6. Bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.
Pumpkin cookies
Ingredients
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
• 1 cup Libby’s pure pumpkin
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets
COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.
BAKE for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
