Admit it — as soon as your little ghouls and goblins return from shaking down the neighborhood for candy on Halloween, you’re digging through those plastic jack o’ lanterns to find your own favorites. Now that Halloween is a seriously epic holiday and the abundance of candy continues to grow every year, you might find yourself with leftovers that even you can’t polish off. Or at least you (probably) shouldn’t.
But don’t take that candy to the dentist’s office or dump it in the garbage just yet. There are plenty of grown-up ways to use your leftover stash in delicious desserts, libations, and other more refined treats. These creations may not pass muster in a fine dining kitchen, but they’ll certainly satisfy your own sweet tooth without going overboard.
Candy-Infused Booze
Okay, so maybe this isn’t exactly refined, but it’s still pretty damn delicious. Best of all, your kids can’t guilt you out of it unless they’re above the legal drinking age. Skittles, Starbursts, gummy bears, Jolly Ranchers, and other hard candies are perfect candidates for spending a couple of days in your favorite neutral-spirit. You basically just mix the candies with the spirit, wait for it to dissolve and fully infuse the booze with flavor, and strain the non-dissolved remnants away. With so many holiday parties around the corner, this is a pretty easy and quick way to enjoy fun cocktails when you’re dealing with the relatives.
Candy Corn Chocolate Bark
Holiday gifting season is coming up, which means that you’ll need to think of creative ideas for all those hostesses, teachers, and hairdressers in your life. Candy corn can be used through Thanksgiving without feeling seasonally out-of-touch, and a decadent chocolate bark a great way to show your gratitude. In addition to candy corn, you can also add chopped chocolate bars, peanuts, and other finds from your kid’s trick-or-treat stash to make it even more interesting.
