Treats Without Tricks

To the sugar-crazed youth of America, Halloween must be one of the most highly anticipated days of the year. After all, what could be better than dressing in some crazy garb, going out in the dark of night (or mid-afternoon), and getting free candy from any house you stop at? Kids have all the luck on this one magical evening, and the world is their oyster… But once you hit a certain age, this sort of parading about becomes unacceptable, and you are forced to hang up your treat bag for good.

However, even in my prime as an avid candy hunter, there was something about this whole trick-or-treating business that just didn’t sit right with me. After all, who made these rules about only using hermetically sealed, vacuum packed treats made from giant machines that ended up being about as tasty as chemically-treated plastic? Wouldn’t it be even better if these treats were actually… Well… A treat to receive, not just another brand name product found in every supermarket and gas station around? How I begged to hand out homemade candy to the youngsters in costumes in later years, watching them come and go while I remained home. But no, that simply wouldn’t be safe; We all know about the “dangers” of adulterated Halloween candy already, so attempting to pass out something homemade, with real ingredients?! Simply reprehensible!

So perhaps it’s the trick-or-treaters who are missing out, because I’ve decided that I’ll still make my own simple sweets this year, but I’ll only be treating my friends- You know, for the sake of “safety.” And the labor involved in making them is certainly nothing to fear, as these chocolate morsels are so quick and easy, you could decide to make them only an hour before guests arrive for a Halloween soirée.

Who doesn’t love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate? A great classic, based on a classic candy but reinvented with quality ingredients. Besides, when you make them yourself, they can be dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and gluten-free. Don’t feel you need to stop there though, because any sort of nut butter would work just as well and perhaps even raise the bar in terms of sophistication. Think of almonds, hazelnuts, or pistachios instead, and this childhood favorite can morph into grown-up indulgence. But let’s say you have some picky guests coming over, or have to cater to someone with severe nut allergies. Never fear, because there are other options…

Simply rework the filling and you’ve got yourself a peppermint patty instead, containing absolutely no common allergens! An intensely minty center enrobed in a dark, decadent chocolate shell should satisfy even the most discerning chocolate or candy connoisseur. But if chocolate’s not your thing for one reason or another, no need to fret- You can also substitute carob chips instead!

This recipe will make one dozen peppermint patties and one dozen peanut butter cups, so if you only want one of the two for your party, go ahead and double the recipe for that filling.

Yield: Makes 24 Candies

Peanut Butter Cups and Peppermint Patties

No Ratings

This recipe will make one dozen peppermint patties and one dozen peanut butter cups, so if you only want one of the two for your party, go ahead and double the recipe for that filling.

Ingredients

1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Peanut Butter Cups:

1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar
1/8 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Peppermint Patties:

1/3 Cup Vegetable Shortening
2/3 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar
1/2 – 3/4 Teaspoon Peppermint Extract (depending on desired intensity)
Splash Vanilla Extract

Instructions

For both treats, begin by melting you chocolate in the microwave 30 – 60 seconds at a time, and stir thoroughly until completely smooth. Use a spoon, thin spatula, or paint brush to brush the melted chocolate over the insides of paper mini muffin cups, making sure to leave no holes and spread it as evenly as possible. No need to go crazy though, because even if the walls are too thin and break when removed from the wrapper, I doubt anyone will mind after they take a bite!
You will only use about 1/2 – 3/4 of the chocolate, so set the rest aside for later. Place the chocolate-covered papers into mini muffin tins so that they retain their shape, and let them cool and set completely. You can speed up this process by placing the tins in your refrigerator.
To make the peanut butter filling, just stir together the peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla until completely homogeneous and toss the mixture into the microwave for 30 – 45, just to warm it through and liquefy slightly. Give it another good stir to combine everything again, and drop dollops of the filling into your prepared chocolate cups. Be careful not to rub the sides too much so as not to melt the chocolate, and fill each up to about 2 – 3 mm from the top. Let the filling cool completely.
To make the peppermint filling, place the shortening into a bowl and microwave it briefly until just melted. Add in the sugar and both extracts and stir everything together until smooth. Drop the mixture into the cups as described above for the peanut butter cups, and let cool.
Finally, take out the remaining chocolate and melt it back down into a liquid state. Spoon the chocolate onto each of the filled cups and spread it out to the edges to fill in any gaps. Let it cool once again until set, and enjoy your ghoulish goodies with friends!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 111Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 27mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 1g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

October 26, 2007August 19, 2023

Hannah (BitterSweet)57 Comments

Oh Fudge!

Few sweets are quite as welcoming to a novice baker or cook first entering the world of homemade candies as fudge. Don’t be scared off by recipes that call for boiling sugar to temperatures sounding comparable to the surface of the sun, or ingredient lists sourcing oddities such as evaporated milk; there’s truly an easier way! Sure, it may not be the traditional method, but who needs the hassle when instant gratification is knocking on your door? Not to mention the fact that it makes for excellent quick-fix gifts as well. Forget about that anniversary, date, or birthday? No problem, because this simple indulgence comes together in a snap.

Much less inspired than necessitated, the original purpose for creating this recipe was merely to use up some of the odds and ends slowly accumulating in my pantry. A handful of almonds, an ounce of pistachios, random scraps of half-melted chocolate bars, and not a single dish that they could create individually. Even combined, there simply wasn’t enough substance to cover the bottom of an 8 x 8 pan. Not one to waste, I knew that there must be some solution. Out of the depths of my baking supplies, I unearthed a forgotten package of little bonbon papers, and that cinched it – Fudge bites it was!

Since this recipe is all about using what you have, go ahead and try whatever you think might work; Combining multiple types of chocolates, nuts or “milks” as needed to use up any remnants. Get creative – Use unusual ingredients, try new combinations, use different shapes to mold them in! Anything goes with this uncomplicated fudge, so the most important tip I can give you is to have fun with it.

Yield: Makes 12 - 16 Servings

Fudge Bites

No Ratings

Use up any leftover chocolate and scraps in your baking drawers to make super fast fudge bites! Get creative – Anything goes with this uncomplicated recipe.

Ingredients

4 Ounces Chocolate (Dark, Semi-Sweet, Bitter Sweet)
1 Tablespoon Vegan Butter
2 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar
Up to 2 Tablespoons Non-Dairy Milk
Splash Baking Extract (Vanilla, Almond, Peppermint, Orange, etc)
1/4 – 1/2 Cup Toasted and Chopped Nuts (Almonds, Pecans, Walnut, Pistachios, Peanuts, etc)

Instructions

Begin by placing small bonbon papers into a mini-muffin pan so that your fudge bites retain their shape and don’t accidentally spill out.
Put all of your chocolate into a microwave-safe dish along with the vegan butter and heat for about 1 minute. Stir it until you get a nice smooth mixture, reheating for bursts of 20 seconds at a time if necessary.
Once completely smooth, slowly stir in the confectioner’s sugar, followed by the non-dairy milk. Only use enough liquid as needed to give you a pourable but viscous mixture. Depending on the humidity and your location, you may not even need any at all, so trust your intuition on this one.
Finally, mix in your extract and nuts before pouring about a tablespoon of the fudge into each waiting bonbon paper. Let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours for it to set up and become firm.
66If you want to speed things along, you could probably let them chill in the fridge or freezer for the to solidify, but do not store them there!

Matzah Toffee

As I browsed the web, I quickly discovered that there was a definite shortage of vegan recipes that were suitable to serve on Passover. Now, I’m not the expert on this because I’m not at ALL religious, but for Passover, the rules says that you can’t have any wheat or leavened products for one week. It may come as no surprise, but I’ve decided that all things considered, it would be best for me to mostly… Ignore the tradition this year. I’m really only participating in the sedar at my house on Wednesday because of my family, not because of the beliefs behind it. Honestly, I might even consider myself Agnostic at this point. But anyways, I still love holidays for their special nuances and seasonal considerations. They simply add to the spice of life!

Still wishing to contribute to my family’s Passover dinner, I pulled out this little number from my mom’s recipe box in the kitchen. Surprisingly, no alterations were necessary, as the ingredients were already completely vegan. This is such a sweet, addictive treat, it barely takes any time to make, uses very few ingredients, and if you’re a little bit skeptical about the matzah, any type of cracker could be substituted – Maybe even some sort of flour or crushed graham cracker crust if you’re feeling adventurous!

Have a sweet holiday!

April 11, 2006November 18, 2025

Hannah (BitterSweet)2 Comments