Excess Candy? Left Over’s? Bake JUNK COOKIES!

Here it comes – Halloween.  The kids are excited about their costumes and even more, the candy!   It’s funny how the kids just LOVEtheir candy carrying contraptions no matter what the device.  Plastic bag or fancy plastic pumpkin face, it’s the function that enamors them; to carry the prized possession of pounds of candy that they normally aren’t allowed to eat.

Many years ago, it was so exciting to my kids that we actually would let them keep their cute little pumpkin faced candy buckets on their dressers the eve of Halloween.  They were great and wouldn’t eat any candy, so we allowed this little ritual of fun UNTIL…one morning I went into my second son’s room, who was 4 or 5 at the time, and found an entire plastic pumpkin face filled with empty wrappers!  My jaw is still dropping to the ground…true story!  As you can guess, those evil little plastic pumpkin faces no longer sit in any children’s rooms.  Now, it’s all about the creativity of getting rid of as much candy as I can before their teeth decay.  It’s funny, we’ve never really finished all of the candy before or since that date and you have to wonder what was going through his mind at that given moment; ‘if I eat it all my parents won’t eat any?’ ‘If I eat it all it won’t disappear’ – we never did get a straight answer on that one.

I have talked with many parents on their opinions of candy, I know some who just let their kids have a free for all for several days, while others confiscate it all and have their kids trade it in for a toy or some other gift.  I happen to sit on ‘everything in moderation’.  I allow a few pieces here and there for a period of time, we bake up all of the chocolate and share a dessert with friends called JUNK COOKIES and then I hide the rest, which reminds me….I still have hidden bags to dispose of……..

Here’s my Junk Cookie Recipe – a great way to use up some of the excess candy and continue the fun with your kids in the kitchen;

 

Junk Cookies
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup butter, softened
  2. ¾ cup granulated sugar
  3. ¾ cup light brown sugar
  4. 2 eggs
  5. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  6. 2 ¼ cups flour
  7. 1 teaspoon baking soda
  8. 1 teaspoon baking powder
  9. ½ teaspoon cream of tarter
  10. ½ teaspoon salt
  11. 3 – 4 cups chocolate candies, chopped
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Mix the butter, sugar, eggs and extract together. Add in all of the dry ingredients and mix together thoroughly. If your butter is not soft enough the mixture could become crumbly in which case, add a third egg and proceed.
  3. Stir in the chopped chocolate. Pour the batter and spread evenly into an un-greased 13 x 9 pan (preferably glass). Bake for approximately 25 minutes (until golden brown and the middle is baked thoroughly). Let cool, cut and serve with friends.
Notes
  1. Note: In the junk cookie picture cookies we recently made we used Three Musketeer bars, Snickers, Peanut Butter Cups and M&Ms.
Jodie Fitz https://www.jodiefitz.com/
P.S.  Smarties, M&M’s, licorice, skittles and the like all are great to save & use for gingerbread houses (it’s right around the corner)…

P.S.S.  A reader and blogger ( http://www.theangelforever.com)  sent me a wonderful suggestion that I want to share for Junk Cookies – you can also look into ways to send them to the troops or to share with places like Ronald McDonald House if you have to many – such great ideas.  I love when people send me their ideas…keep sending…together we always make things better!

 

25 Comments on “Excess Candy? Left Over’s? Bake JUNK COOKIES!”

  1. Reply

    These are brilliant! Yes, we take some of our’s to the food bank too, another great thing to do. 🙂

    Oh, my, my stomach did a lil’ flip flop when I read about your son packing the candy back…so funny! You can just imagine it happening! ha!

    Love your blog!

    1. Reply

      KIDS! You just never know – we all have a million stories to share once we get through it all – LOL!!!

      Food Bank is a great idea – I’ll add it up above this week 🙂

      Have a great week ahead,

      Jodie

  2. Reply

    Awesome idea! I love it. We end up wasting so much because I tend to put it up like you do and let the kids have a little here and there. But, we also have a holiday party and sometimes do gingerbread houses for that, so decorations would be a great way to use some of it up too. Thanks for the suggestions!

    Thanks for linking up with us at Wonderful Food Wednesday!

    Jessica @ At Home Take 2

    1. Reply

      Ah! We have done gingerbread houses too! It’s great when you can spread out the fun – LOL! Have a GREAT week! Thanks for sharing & stopping by,
      Jodie

    1. Reply

      Thank you! Years ago we had WAY too much I decided we had to get creative with it….we often freeze some & save it for baking as well! Have a GREAT day,

      Jodie

  4. Reply

    This is SUCH a good idea. Sadly, for us, the only leftover candy we usually have is of the sugary, sticky, brightly colored school of candies. 😀
    It would be worth buying an assortment of chocolate just try this recipe!

    1. Reply

      Enjoy if you do 🙂 And, you can use those sugary, sticky candies for gingerbread house making fun…it’s just around the corner 🙂

      ~ Jodie

    1. Reply

      Hi there! THANKS for PINNING 🙂 I hope you have a fantastic week….Can’t believe it’s November already…

      ~ Jodie

    1. Reply

      THANK YOU for stopping by & for the invite, I’ll hope over & take a peek – have a great week 🙂
      ~ Jodie

    1. Reply

      HI there! I’ll pop over and share for certain :).

      Have a GREAT weekend & thanks for stopping by,

      ~ Jodie

    1. Reply

      Thank you! Yes that was quite the surprise…LOL! Always a story to share over here :). Hope you have wonderful holidays all around ~ Jodie

  11. Reply

    This is a fantastic idea! What a great way to control the amount of candy and satisfying the children with delicious cookies! I do appreciate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
    Kathy

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