For those who celebrate Easter, this past weekend very likely presented you with more candy than you’ve seen since Halloween. Now the question is, what are you going to do with it? You could just eat it. I for one am a really big fan of the Easter themed M&Ms and could eat them as they come all year long, but sometimes you need to change things up a bit. Or, with finals drawing a bit too near for comfort, you are just looking for a way to procrastinate. Here are four things you can do with that leftover candy:

1)     Chocolate Bark: This easy recipe can be made entirely from the candy you already have — if you have a lot. Otherwise, what is it to buy an extra chocolate bar or two for a delicious treat?

  • Melt down the chocolate (milk, white, dark — your choice) in a double broiler (or see the recipe from the April 12 issue of The Mirror for a double broiler hack.)
  • Pour into a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Throw your extra candy (unwrapped) on top. The best bark can include M&Ms, Reese’s, Cadbury eggs and Jelly beans, but if you have the candy and think it might make for an interesting taste, try it on a small section of the bark. You can always add more later! For example, if you want your bark to be extra salty, try adding potato chips!
  • Refrigerate for an hour, cut into pieces and enjoy!

2)     Trail mix: It’s the time of the year when girl and boy scouts are knocking on your door to sell you cookies (which you will eat immediately and entirely) and popcorn. Which is less exciting. If you have some of those Boy Scout popcorn kernels lying around, this is the perfect way to use them. Trail mix is an excellent snack for in between classes, during long turbos and for movie nights. It’s also incredibly easy!

  • Make popcorn.
  • Add unwrapped candy.
  • Throw in some pretzels.
  • If you want an extra treat, drizzle with some caramel!

3)     Hidden Treasure Desserts: This involves a bit more baking expertise, but it makes the bottom of each cupcake just as delicious as the top!

  • Make cupcake batter. Mix it up and distribute it in your cupcake pans.
  • Before putting your cupcakes in the oven, throw a Cadbury Cream Egg, Hershey’s or Reese’s Mini Easter Candy into each batter cup.
  • Bake and when you bite into the cupcake bottom later, get an Easter surprise!

4)     Sweeten up your chocolate milk: This is perfect if you have any hollow Easter bunnies or eggs and have a craving for some chocolate milk.

  • Cut a piece off of the top of your Easter treat.
  • Pour in milk (Slowly at first to make sure the bunny/egg does not have any holes.)
  • Mix, grab a straw and enjoy! Just keep in mind that if you, like me, love chocolate, you may want to add some more chocolate powder or syrup (or other melted Easter chocolate…) to the mix!

About The Author

-- Executive Editor Emeritus -- English Literature & Film, Television, and Media Arts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.