CANDY CORN TRUFFLES: National Candy Corn Day!

Today is Candy Corn Day! I love candy corn, but I understand why not everyone does. It's very very sweet. I only have it a few times a year, and, after all, Candy Corn is an American Halloween Tradition! 

Shaped like real pieces of corn, candy corn is as fun as it is tasty. In addition to the original candy corn of yellow, orange, and white, there are different varieties, including Indian candy corn which is brown where the original candy corn is yellow, adding a hint of chocolate (it's only a hint and a bit waxy, and it's not real chocolate, but I don't care --it's Halloween).

The National Confectioners Association estimates that 20 million pounds (9,000 tons) of candy corn are sold annually. The top branded retailer of candy corn, Brach's, sells enough candy corn each year to circle the earth 4.25 times if the kernels were laid end to end. Too much information?

Candy corn was created in the 1880s by the Philadelphia based Wunderlee Candy Company and, by 1900, was being produced by the Goelitz Candy Company (now Jelly Belly), which has continuously produced it for more than a century. Candy corn is shaped like a kernel of corn, a design that made it popular with farmers when it first came out, but it was the fact that it had three colors - a really innovative idea at the time - that made it popular.

Originally, candy corn was made of sugar, corn syrup, fondant and marshmallow, among other things, and the hot mixture was poured into cornstarch molds, where it set up. The recipe changed slightly over time and there are probably a few variations in recipes between candy companies, but the use of a mixture of sugar, corn syrup, gelatin and vanilla (as well as honey, in some brands) is the standard.

Candy makers use a process called corn starch molding. Corn starch is used to fill a tray, creating candy corn shaped indentations. Candy corns are built from the top to the bottom in three waves of color. First, the indentation is partially filled with white syrup. Next, when the white is partially set, they add the the orange syrup. The creation is then finished up by adding the yellow syrup and then cooled. The candy starts fusing together while it cools. After cooling the candies, the trays are dumped out, the corn starch is sifted away, and the candy corn is ready.

Here's a way to elevate Candy Corn for your discerning friends and family!

CANDY CORN TRUFFLES

Ingredients
18 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 Tbsp Grand Marnier (orange juice if you don't do alcohol
1/4 cup Scottish or dark orange marmalade
1/4 cup unsweetened DARK cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
64 candy corns (about 3 ounces)

Directions
Line 8 x 8-inch baking pan with 12 x17-inch sheet of waxed or parchment paper.
In large heatproof bowl set over saucepan of hot water, use heatproof spatula or wooden spoon to stir together chocolate, cream, Grand Marnier, and marmalade, until chocolate is melted. Scrape chocolate mixture into prepared pan, smoothing top.
Chill until firm, at least 2 1/2 hours or (covered with plastic wrap) up to 1 week.
Put cocoa powder in shallow bowl. Remove chocolate mixture from pan. With long, sharp knife, cut chocolate mixture into 64 squares, each about 3/4 in. wide. Roll squares in cocoa powder to coat; place 1 square in each paper cup.
Gently press candy corn into top of each truffle.
Store between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

And, if you're looking for another recipe to celebrate Candy Corn Day, here's a link to a recipe for White Chocolate Candy Corn Blondies.

Happy Halloween!!

WHITE CHOCOLATE CANDY CORN BLONDIES: Halloween!

Candy Corn is all about Halloween! I love it, but since it's pretty much pure sugar, it's not to everyone's taste. But if you're not going to go all out at Halloween with sugar, when are you? According to the National Confectioners Association, 20 million pounds (9000 tons) of candy corn are sold annually.

I love putting M&Ms and other candy in brownies, so why not candy corn? This is a great recipe for White Chocolate Candy Corn Blondies. It's simple and delicious.

This recipe was sent to me by Davidson's Safest Choice Eggs. Their eggs feature a special pasteurization process that submerges the eggs in large warm water baths. Unfortunately their eggs are not available in my area. The recipe is from Laura of Pies and Plots. If the recipe is too sweet for you, adjust the sugar as needed (or want). And, of course, you can put Candy Corn in your 'regular" chocolate brownies. Here's a recipe for Candy Corn Brownies that I posted last year. 

But for today, here's my recipe for White Chocolate Candy Corn Blondie.

White Chocolate Candy Corn Blondies

Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup white chocolate, chopped (be sure it's 'real' white chocolate and not the disks that are made of vegetable oil)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 cup flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup candy corn

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter 9x13 baking pan and line with parchment, going up sides of pan. Do not butter parchment.
In medium microwave-safe bowl, melt butter and white chocolate in microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between to help with melting. Be sure mixture is fully melted. It will separate. That's okay. Set aside to cool for about 5 minutes.
In large bowl, mix together sugars, vanilla, and eggs with spoon or spatula. Add melted butter and white chip mixture, mixing until fully incorporated and mixture has lightened in color slightly. Add flour and salt and stir until just combined. Stir in candy corn.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of Blondies comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in pan before cutting into bars and serving.
 

HERSHEY BAR CHOCOLATE CAKE: National Chocolate Day

Every day is Chocolate Day here on DyingforChocolate.com, but for National Chocolate Day, I thought I'd repost one of my favorite chocolate cake recipes. Remember, you can never have too many chocolate cake recipes!

Growing up in Philadelphia, my family often visited the Hershey Factory in near-by Hershey, PA. What a Willy Wonka experience. At the end of the factory tour, each child was given a Hershey Bar! I'm not talking mini, either, these were the 'regular' sized bars. Since I was used to buying penny candy (remember that?), this was a huge treat. Visiting the Hershey Factory was an experience I'll never forget, and even though I might now opt for more refined single origin organic dark chocolate bar, in a pinch, I would never turn down a Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar.

So here's a Classic Chocolate Cake recipe that's perfect for National Chocolate Day. You'll find this in many of the older Hershey Cookbooks. And, yes, you can make the recipe using high end dark chocolate and syrup, but try it first with Hershey chocolate bars and Hershey's syrup. This easy-to-make cake will satisfy any chocoholic!

HERSHEY BAR CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients

1 cup buttermilk
2-1/2 cups flour
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup Hershey's chocolate syrup
1-1/2 cups sugar (you can take it down to 1 cup)
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 Hershey's Milk Chocolate bars (1.55 ounces), melted and cooled

Directions

Heat oven to 350. Butter either 12 cup Bundt Pan or 10" tube pan. 

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. 

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla with electric mixer. Add syrup and melted chocolate and mix completely. Blend in buttermilk. Gradually add flour mixture until well combined. 

Pour into prepared pans.
Bake in Tube or Bundt pan for 45 minutes to an hour -- or until done.
Cover with foil immediately to steam and make cake moister.
Keep covered until cake is completely cool.

GRAVEYARD CAKE & GRAVEYARD ICE CREAM PIE! BOO

Happy Halloween! There are many recipes for Graveyard Ice Cream Pie and Graveyard Cake for Halloween, but I have my favorites. 

This first recipe for Graveyard Ice Cream Pie is adapted from Martha Stewart. She calls it "I Scream" Graveyard Pie.  I use PEEPS' Marshmallow Tombstones instead of the Milano Cookies and candy skulls Martha uses in the original recipe. Want to make this even more chocolatey? Make a Chocolate Cookie Crust instead of graham cracker crust. 

The second recipe is for Graveyard Cake, and the recipe is from Betty Crocker. It uses a cake mix, but if you're a purist, use your own favorite chocolate cake recipe. Once again, I use the PEEPS' Marshmallow Tombstones...and Ghosts. Gotta love PEEPS.

GRAVEYARD ICE CREAM PIE

Ingredients
16 graham crackers, broken into large pieces
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
1 cup roughly chopped chocolate flaky-crisp candy bars, such as Butterfinger "fun size" (about 8)
1 pint chocolate ice cream, softened
1 cup roughly chopped chocolate-coconut candy bars, such as Mounds "snack size" (about 8)
2 tablespoons chocolate chips, melted and cooled
20 chocolate wafers

Directions 
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In food processor, process graham crackers until finely ground (you should have about 2 cups). With motor running, add butter in slow, steady stream and pulse until combined. Firmly press crumb mixture into bottom and up side of a 9 1/2-inch pie plate. Bake until crust is dry and set, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely in plate on a wire rack, 45 minutes.

In medium bowl, stir vanilla ice cream with wooden spoon until smooth. Fold in flaky-crisp candy bars. With small offset spatula, spread ice cream mixture evenly in crust. Freeze until firm, 1 hour 20 minutes.

Stir chocolate ice cream until smooth. Fold in coconut candy bars and spread evenly on top of vanilla ice cream layer. Freeze until firm, 1 hour.

In clean food processor, pulse wafers until finely ground (you should have about 1 1/4 cups). Spread crumbs on top of pie. With a knife, cut slits for "tombstones" and insert PEEPS Marshmallow Tombstones. 

GRAVEYARD CAKE

Ingredients
1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist devil’s food cake mix
Water, oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
1 container Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting
4 PEEPS® brand marshmallow ghosts
4 PEEPS® brand marshmallow tombstones
1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (10 cookies)

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
Make cake as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Cool in pan on cooling rack until completely cooled, about 1 hour.
Spread chocolate frosting on top of cake; place marshmallows around edges of cake.
Sprinkle cake cookie crumbs to look like dirt.
Cut into 5 rows by 4 rows.