After Trick-Or-Treating: The Candy Trade

When it came to trick-or-treating, my brother and I meant business. We planned our M&M and Cleopatra costumes over a month in advance, and we drove our ghost- and witch-covered pillowcases clear across town where the homes were closer together (less time wasted traveling!) and the parents at the doors were more generous.

 

After hauling in the loot, we drew a clear line across the living room carpet and dumped out our treasure, carefully sorting each piece into piles before haggling away at trades. (Mom hovered above us, not to prevent any arguments but to snatch up any nut-laden candy we threatened to throw away!)  

 

 

I could usually barter for a few extra chocolatey treats in exchanged for Skittles or Starburst, but with his intense attraction to peanut butter, I bet neither of us would have parted with these homemade butterfingers!

 

 

3-Ingredient Butterfinger Bars

makes about 4 dozen

Feel free to spread only half of the melted chocolate over the tops of the bars before cutting if you prefer more peanut butter taste.

3 c. candy corn

1½ c. peanut butter

2 c. (12 oz) chocolate chips

1. Line an 8×8” pan with parchment paper or tin foil.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the candy corn in the microwave for 15-second intervals, stirring between each one, until melted. Stir in the peanut butter. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan, and refrigerate for 1 hr. (If left longer than 1 hr, microwave the hardened mixture for 30 sec on 50% power, or until soft enough to cut through without it breaking into hundreds of tiny pieces!)
3. Remove the peanut butter mixture from the pan, and slice into 2×8” bars. Slice each bar into 10-12 rectangles.
4. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or tin foil.
5. Pour the chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl, and heat in the microwave for 15-second intervals, stirring between each one, until melted. Coat the peanut butter bars with the chocolate, and place on the prepared tray. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

 

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