Homemade Halloween Treats
Store-bought candy is cool, but nothing beats these recipes for homemade Halloween sweets
Whether you're filling costumed kids' goodie bags or hosting a grown-up bash, homemade snacks take Halloween to a whole new level. And the good news is that beyond a thermometer and a few tricks of the trade, making your own Halloween confections doesn't require any special equipment or professional experience. Here, we've gathered recipes and tips for making old-fashioned sweets like brittle, bark, and caramel apples, plus three homespun takes on store-bought classics-Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Almond Joy bars, and York Peppermint Patties. Best of all, some of these you can make with your little goblin's help.
Candy-making tips:
Avoid Crystallization
Several of our homemade candy recipes involve cooking sugar to make caramel, and there are a few helpful techniques to keep in mind. Start with a heavy-bottomed pan and be sure to use tools that can withstand high temperatures. To avoid crystallization (the clumping of sugar particles), place a pastry brush in a bowl of cold water and use it to wash away any sugar crystals from the sides of the pan. Agitating sugar can also cause crystallization, so stir only when a recipe calls for it.
Use a Thermometer
Two types of thermometers come in handy for candy making. Candy thermometers, which are made of glass and have a rectangular metal casing, are inexpensive and take a lot of the guesswork out of cooking sugar. Look for a thermometer with a clip for attaching to the side of the pan and temperature markings for the various stages of cooking sugar (hard ball, soft crack, etc.). A candy thermometer can be used when tempering chocolate, but an instant-read thermometer is often more convenient. These also are inexpensive-plus, they're useful for common kitchen tasks like taking the temperature of a roast. Look for a thermometer that can be manually recalibrated if necessary.
Melt Chocolate Slowly and Gently
The best way to melt chocolate is slowly, over indirect heat, using a double boiler or a metal bowl placed over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the metal bowl doesn't touch the simmering water, and don't allow the water to come to a boil. Finely chop the chocolate and stir it with a rubber spatula to prevent burning. Alternatively, chocolate can be melted in the microwave. Place finely chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and if possible, set your microwave to low or 50 percent power. Melt the chocolate gradually in 10- to 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval. Coating chocolate, which contains vegetable oil, is another option: It lacks the flavor and mouth feel of high-quality chocolate, but it melts easily and hardens quickly. (For more advice, watch our how-to video for melting chocolate.)
Learn to Temper
Tempering chocolate involves melting, cooling, and rewarming chocolate, a process that aligns the cocoa butter crystals and gives chocolate its hard, glossy appearance and characteristic snap. While it isn't a necessary step for barks and other simple candies, making your own truffles and dipped or molded chocolates often requires tempering to ensure the best texture and appearance. Follow these tempering instructions and be sure to use high-quality chocolate such as Valrhona, Callebaut, Scharffen Berger, and Michel Cluizel. Lower-quality brands (as well as chocolate chips) usually don't contain enough cocoa butter for tempering. (For more advice, watch our how-to video for tempering chocolate)
Old-Fashioned Sweets
Homemade Candy Classics
Maple Pecan Popcorn
Gourmet | October 2009
by Melissa Roberts
Yield: Makes about 10 cups
Active time: 35 min
Total time: 1 hr (includes cooling)
What could be more American than candy corn? Try maple pecan popcorn treats, for starters. They're made with three ingredients-maple syrup, pecans, and popcorn-that originated in the New World.
Ingredients
About 8 cups plain popcorn
1 cup pecans (3 1/2 ounces), coarsely chopped and toasted
3/4 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
Equipment: a candy or deep-fat thermometer
Preparation
Toss popcorn and pecans in a large bowl.
Line bottom of a 17-by 11-inch 4-sided sheet pan with foil, then lightly oil foil.
Melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add maple syrup and salt and boil (still over medium heat), without stirring, until thermometer registers 300°F, 15 to 20 minutes.
Pour syrup over pecans and popcorn, stirring briskly with a lightly oiled spoon or silicone spatula to coat, then immediately spread popcorn in pan in 1 layer. Cool completely, then break into bite-size pieces.
Cooks' note: Maple pecan popcorn keeps in an airtight container at cool room temperature 1 week.
By Lauren Salkeld
See more in Halloween:
Epicurious' Ultimate Halloween Guide ›
Taste Test: Halloween Chocolates ›
