Candy Dish Blog

That’s technically what we call them here. Candy-coated chocolates. M&Ms, of course, is a specific brand name. Whether you buy those or Nestle Smarties or any of the other brands I cannot conjure up in my head right now, you have to admit that they are more than just candy. Their form factor - the small, hard candy shell - allows the to also be toys, game pieces, craft supplies and so much more.

Inspired by Cybele for her list of how candy canes can be used, I have come up with a list of how M&Ms candy-coated chocolates can be used, other than the obvious, traditional, eating handfuls at a time usage.

Use them:

1. In recipes instead of chocolate chips
2. As markers and placeholders for board games
3. For tic-tac-toe. Who needs that silly pencil and paper? This is the 21st century, for crying out loud!
4. As rewards for children doing their chores
5. To sweeten your coffee or tea, instead of sugar
6. As decoration for a gingerbread house
7. For your studying system, as Elena did on the TV show Felicity, season 1, episode 10
8. As decoration, making a wreath like this using other candies as well
9. To rim the glass for a chocolate martini by crushing them in a food processor and dipping the glass in the fine powder
10. To decorate a cake
11. To make trail mix by mixing them with raisins, nuts or seeds, and whole grain breakfast cereal (like Chex Mix or Cheerios)
12. As ice cream toppings for a “make your own Sundae party” (of course you’ll need lots of other toppings as well)
13. As more decoration - Separate by color and fill several different-sized apothecary type jars with a single color candy for an eye catching display. A craft store like Michael’s should have glass jars in many shapes and sizes.
14. As a less-expensive party favor wrapped in cute bags or boxes and tied with silk ribbon
15. To decorate cupcakes with them (similar to the cake idea)
16. To make an attractive Ikebana centerpiece by filling a vase with them and sticking a single fake flower in it
17. Mix them with your leftover candy corn to make a colorful candy dish combination
18. Use them in place of chips or cash at a poker game. That way you really can put your money where your mouth is!

Well, we didn’t get to 33 like Cybele did on her list. This is just what we came up with in short order here at the candy HQ. What do you use them for when they are not simply being eaten?

M&Ms by Vernhart.

Thanks to Cybele at Candy Blog for giving us something to do with those leftover crook-necked confections. One thing she left out, although she hit all around it, is to roll truffles in crushed candy canes instead of cocoa powder. Susan S. and her daughter did that when they made their holiday truffles and gave them as gifts. My wife and I nearly went nuts when we ate them. I highly recommend this.

Candy Canes by LexnGer.

Okay, so it’s not New Year’s Eve quite yet. However, you don’t want to be the last one to get everything together for the big party you are going to. Here is a quick and easy snack you can bring to any occasion, or even horde and eat by yourself. Yes, they are that good.

Jaden Hair of the Tampa Tribune tells us how to make Rollo pretzel turtles. Basically, you put Rolos on square pretzels, heat them until they are soft and then press a nut into the tops. Jaden tells it better and even includes and interesting story, so go check out her version.

I have mentioned before that when it comes to baking, I’m a little lazy.  Therefore, I’ve developed all sorts of shortcuts to employ when I do bake.  Here are two of my favorites for the holidays.

Candy Cupcakes
Mix one package of chocolate cake mix according to directions. Line muffin pans with cup cake liners. Pour about ½ the necessary amount into each cup, then insert one bite-sized, unwrapped chocolate piece in each. Fill the cup 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full and bake as instructed. If desired, ice the cupcakes before serving.

The candy will melt during the baking process. If you like coconut, try using a chocolate/coconut concoction like minature Mounds. It tastes just like German chocolate cake with much less effort (other bars will work as well – have fun experimenting!). If you cannot find bite-sized pieces of your favorite brands, simply cut larger bars into smaller pieces.

Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies
Start with a package of peanut butter cookie mix and follow the mixing instructions.  Before baking, add some chopped candies that feature peanuts or peanut butter and chocolate - like Reese’s Cups or Snickers.  Or use chocolate covered pieces like Reese’s Pieces or Peanut Butter M&Ms.  Bake according to package instructions.

 What are your favorite ways to “cheat” with the holiday baking?

Martha is a good friend of all of us at NCA. She is seen at the office, at NCA employee parties and even on her own blog, Ladies of the Knife. This is a group of friends that get together to try new recipes and each month a different member of the club hosts the event. As I am not a lady, I am not in the club, but when I had Martha’s most recent creation at a holiday party last week, I just about lost my cool and screamed with delight, it was so good.

I think the secret is in the chemistry, or possibly the love she made it with. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the crust has cocoa and the filling has butter and there are pecans on it. This is possibly the most delicious dessert I have ever had, not to mention one of the most beautiful. Martha had cut it up into little cubes for easy party consumption, but I gather it once looked like the image above - a pecan mandala, a graphical representation of the world of deliciousness. And I ate part of that world and loved it.

If you need a dessert to bring somewhere or simply to satisfy folks after dinner, I guarantee this one will be a winner. Give it a shot and let Martha know how it comes out.

What favorite dessert recipes do you have up your sleeve for the holidays?

Just in time for the office holiday party and other time-honored traditions like holiday cookie exchanges, Rachel Rappaport of Coconut & Lime brings us the chocolate-dipped animal cracker. Now, don’t hate on us too hard. We aren’t being cheapskates and recommending you just buy things randomly, dip them in chocolate and call them homemade.

Rachel gives us recipe for homemade animal crackers, which I am convinced will be head and shoulders above the store-brand ones, or at least would make you seem like a cooking god/dess at the office cookie swap. Really, who makes animal crackers? I thought they were grown in Petri dishes in a factory somewhere, but they are actual cookies, as it turns out. The best part is that Rachel has done the hard part for us by giving away the secret ingredient - mace, a spice made from nutmeg shells.

Thanks, Rachel, for this great-looking recipe. If only I could find those cookie cutters I used to have. Go to Coconut Lime and tell Rachel that Old Carl from the Candy Dish Blog sent you. While you are there, check out more great recipes.

What cookies are you making for the holidays?

Chocolate Animal Crackers by ohdearbarb.

A couple of years ago, NCA wanted to enhance its collection of recipes and we had a little contest among our staff members and the employees of our public relations firm.  Our staff is pretty small, but our PR firm, Fleishman-Hillard, is pretty big so we received a lot of entries.

Of all we received, this was one of my favorites.  It was submitted by a Fleishman employee in St. Louis.  With Hanukkah right around the corner, you won’t want to waste any time in preparing it.  Take my advice and buy enough ingredients for two batches because once you taste the first one, you’ll start work on the second one immediately. 

Each recipe makes two Mandel loaves so you’ll have plenty to drop off at the neighbor’s house, take a hostess gift or give to your co-worker as a present (ahem).

Toffee Mandel Bread

Mandel bread, or Mandelbrot, is a firm, slightly sweet baked good. It is served during many Jewish holidays, including Rosh Hashanah and Hanukkah.

This delightful take on the traditional bread is sure to sweeten up your family’s Hanukkah celebration.

You will need:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar and 2 tsp sugar, reserved
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 cups flour
• 5 coarsely chopped chocolate-covered toffee bars

Directions:

• Mix eggs, 1 cup sugar (be sure to set aside the final 2 tsp for later), oil, vanilla, baking powder and salt.
• Using a wooden spoon gradually add flour until well mixed
• Add chopped toffee bars
• Place dough into two greased loaf pans and sprinkle each with reserved teaspoons of sugar
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes
• Remove and cut into slices
• Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes
• Remove when finish and let cool before serving