What do Thanksgiving and Halloween have in common? Leftovers. Just as few people relish a weeklong procession of turkey sandwiches, piles of candy begin to lose their luster not long after the costumes are put away and the cardboard spiders come down. Thankfully, some of our favorite chefs have come up with some ingenious ways to use leftover candy: as their recipes below attest, you can indeed teach an old Butterfinger new tricks. —Rebecca Flint Marx
SPICED CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM JAM-PACKED WITH HALLOWEEN CANDY
From Hedy Goldsmith, Michael's Genuine Food and Drink, Miami
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 1/3 cups whole milk
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 vanilla beans, split
6 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
5 tablespoons sugar
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 66 percent), chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
2 cups chopped candy or candy bars (such as Snickers, Kit Kats, Reese's peanut butter cups, or M & M's)
3 tablespoons cocoa nibs
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Directions
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In a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream, milk and salt. Scrape all the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the saucepan along with the bean pods. Cook over medium heat until just boiling, about five minutes. Remove, cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
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Whisk egg yolks and sugar until just blended.
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Over medium heat, bring cream mixture back to a simmer. While whisking constantly, add in egg yolks until blended. Pour whole mixture back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the custard coats the back of a spoon, three to five minutes.
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Pour custard through fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Add chocolate, cinnamon, and chipotle. Stir until melted.
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Chill the mixture in the fridge until very cold, about two hours, stirring frequently. The chilled custard can be covered and refrigerated up to two days before churning.
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To churn, pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the ice cream is ready, fold in chopped Halloween candy bars and cocoa nibs.
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Serve immediately, or for firmer ice cream, scrape into a chilled bowl, cover and freeze until firm, or up to three days. Garnish with candy corn.
Next: Roasted Beet Salad with Black Licorice Vinaigrette and Hershey's Kisses Goat Cheese
ROASTED BEET SALAD WITH BLACK LICORICE VINAIGRETTE AND HERSHEY'S KISSES GOAT CHEESE
From Todd Richards, The Shed, Atlanta
Ingredients
Black Licorice Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons black licorice
6 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 shallots, minced
1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Hershey's Kisses Goat Cheese
8 Hershey's Kisses
4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
pinch black pepper
1 chive, finely minced
Roasted Beets
6 medium beets
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sprigs of thyme
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Directions
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To make black licorice vinaigrette, using a microwave-safe container, combine 1 cup water and black licorice and melt on medium until dissolved. Remove from the microwave and place in a mixing bowl. Stir in the cider vinegar, shallots, and Dijon mustard. Using a whisk, drizzle in the olive oil until fully incorporated. Season the vinaigrette with kosher salt and black pepper.
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To make Hershey's Kisses goat cheese, using a microwave-safe container, cook chocolate on medium until melted. Remove from the microwave and pour into a mixing bowl. Add the goat cheese, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and chives. Combine, then set aside.
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To make roasted beets, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the beets on a large piece on aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and drape with thyme sprigs. Wrap and seal the foil, and place the beets in the oven. Cook for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the beets from the oven and allow to stand for 20 minutes. Using a paper towel, gently rub away the beet skin. Slice the beets into ¿-inch pieces and place in mixing bowl. Drizzle them with half of the licorice vinaigrette, toss, and place in refrigerator for a minimum of one hour before serving.
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To assemble the dish, places beets in a salad bowl. Drizzle them with a small amount of the remaining vinaigrette and garnish with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the goat-cheese mixture. Optional: garnish with fresh herbs like parsley or arugula as well.
Next: Pecan Candy Corn Caramel Corn
PECAN CANDY CORN CARAMEL CORN
From Amy Tornquist, Watts Grocery and Hummingbird Bakery, Durham, NC
Ingredients
6 quarts popped corn (1/2 cup kernels will make about 6 quarts popped)
1 1/2 cups toasted pecans
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup. candy corn
1 cup butter
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon light baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
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Directions
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Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Arrange popped corn and nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet. In a medium saucepan, melt 1/3 cup candy corn, butter, corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring for five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. Drizzle over the popped corn and nuts and bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
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Remove from oven and allow to cool, then add the remaining candy corn.
Next: The Whole Trick-or-Treat Bag
THE WHOLE TRICK-OR-TREAT BAG
From David Burke, David Burke Townhouse and Fishtail, NYC
SweeTarts & Sugar Babies
First, crush some SweeTarts into a bowl and slice up an apple. Next, melt down some Sugar Babies in a double boiler. Once they're completely melted, dip the apple slices in the liquid and then coat them in the crushed SweeTarts. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet to dry, then serve.
Nerds
Crush them down to a powder and stir a desired amount into a glass of Sprite; serve with a sour lemon.
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Candy Corn
Prepare a package of Betty Crocker oatmeal cookie mix. After you shape the dough into balls, place three candy corns on top of each cookie and bake.
Candy Bars
Freeze and crush Snickers bars, then mix them into vanilla ice cream. Or freeze any candy bar, dip it in doughnut batter, fry, and dust lightly with powdered sugar.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Prepare a brownie mix, and then stir 1/2 cup of halved Reese's peanut butter cups into the batter. Bake according to package directions.
Next: Chocolate-Covered Ice Cream Bars
CHOCOLATE-COVERED ICE CREAM BARS
From Dana Cree, Blackbird, Chicago
Ingredients
8 fun-size candy bars or 16 mini candy bars
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
12 ounces. chocolate
1 teaspoon coconut oil
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Directions
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Chop candy bars and place in a blender with the sugar and salt. Bring the first cup of cream to a boil, and then add to the blender with the candy bars. Blend on medium speed for two minutes, until the candy bars become liquid.
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Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic, and chill for two hours in the refrigerator.
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When the candy bar purée is cold and stiff, whip the second cup of cream to soft peaks, and fold into the purée.
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Pour the candy bar cream into the cavities of Popsicle molds. Freeze for eight hours, or overnight.
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Right before unmolding, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave.
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When the candy bar-sicles have frozen solid, unmold. Dip each bar in the chocolate coating, and then store in the freezer until ready to eat.
