Around Halloween, adults and kids alike enjoy indulging in their favorite sweets. If you’re taking culinary courses online, this is a fantastic opportunity to try making your own candy. You can serve your creations at a costume party, give them as gifts or a make them the basis of unique desserts for a restaurant, bakery or catering company. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
1. A favorite candy bar grows up
Chocolate, caramel and shortbread cookies are a classic combination. Serious Eats suggested stepping it up a notch with crispy, extra-tasty cookies made by mixing all-purpose flour, oat flour, confectioner’s sugar, salt, butter and cornstarch. Prepare the caramel by combining both dark brown and white sugars, condensed milk, butter, corn syrup, water and salt in a saucepan.
Heat the mixture to 245 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring continuously. When the caramel reaches temperature, take it off the heat and use a spoon to distribute it into the centers of the cookies. Melt bittersweet chocolate disks to coat the cookies, topping each off with sea salt. Let the cookies rest for 10 minutes before placing them in the refrigerator for another 10 minutes.
Make shortbread cookies and add caramel and chocolate for your own version of a candy bar.2. Put a fall spin on brittle
Peanut brittle is a winter holiday tradition in many families. However, you can prepare a fall-appropriate version featuring pumpkin seeds by following directions from Bon Appetit. Start by boiling a mixture of water, corn syrup and sugar in a saucepan until it reaches 290 degrees.
Add raw, shelled pumpkin seeds with butter and kosher salt. Bring the temperature to 350 degrees before stirring in cinnamon and baking soda. Then pour the caramel onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and add sea salt. Allow the brittle to cool before breaking it into fragments.
3. Make peanut butter truffles vegan
Those who enjoy the Halloween spirit but not dairy can try a dish presented by Heather Christo. Whip together vegan butter, peanut butter, vanilla and kosher salt using a standing mixer, and then add powdered sugar. Form the dough into balls and place them on a baking sheet covered with wax paper.
Set the sheet in the freezer for an hour while mixing chocolate chips with coconut oil. Using a toothpick, dip each of the balls in the chocolate. Top the truffles with chopped peanuts and a little sea salt.
Making candy takes precision, and it can be challenging even for culinary academy graduates. With some practice, though, you may find that crafting your own treats for Halloween is both fun and delicious.
