Q. “We are always on candy overload after Halloween! Any fun baking ideas to use it up?” —Kelley, Grand Chute
A. I remember the good ol’ days when the kids would return from trick-or-treating and dump ridiculous quantities of candy on the kitchen table. At that point, the arduous sorting process would commence. Many candies, specifically chocolate candy bar types like Snickers, M&Ms, Butterfinger, Milky Way, Twix, Peanut Butter Cups and many others could be rough chopped and serve as frosting garnishes for cakes and cupcakes, as well as included in the layers within the cakes. Some chocolates could also be mixed with creams and other fillings and squeezed into cupcakes or muffins with a piping bag. Plain chocolate bars with the addition of marshmallows and graham crackers could be used to make S’mores. Some candies like caramels and Tootsie Rolls could probably be melted and used as dips or glazes for apples, bananas and other fruits. While this is not necessarily “baking,” malted milk balls and Hershey’s kisses could be added to hot chocolate or coffee. Candies like Jolly Ranchers, Life Savers and Sour Patch Kids would work to make infused adult beverages. Vodka comes to mind…