Memories and a Leftover Candy Recipe

I meant to get a post going sooner than this but I have been just beyond busy. But it's for a good reason! A friend of mine and I are starting an Etsy shop, hopefully in the next 10 days. At first, we're really only going to sell paper products like labels and note cards but later we'll be adding some fun stuff like art and sewn items. I will have more details later on all that sometime soon! :D But, I will tell you that our name will be Sew and Scribble!

Anyway, I have been trying to figure out ways to get Autumn involved in cooking dinner. Some of you might know that I love to cook. I love to give parties. And the first memories I have of cooking are helping my mom and my paternal grandmother in the kitchen.


My mom would let me roll biscuit dough and my grandma would even let me create my own muffin recipes. She lay out the ingredients and let me go to town with very little guidance. Haha, only a grandma, right? But, I really think of her when I think of how much I love to cook. I'm not sure if any of my muffins were edible but she encouraged me with her enthusiasm, willingness to go along with a weird kid, and her very tough stomach (probably). And, later, my mom let me cook "fancy" meals. To this day, she and her best friend talk about the amazing mother's day meal I made them when I was 12. Again, I'm not sure if it really was amazing, but it was a 3 course epic project for someone not much taller than the stove!


Anyway, I came across this recipe for Candy Corn Bark and thought it looked pretty cool. I was also able to really let Autumn in on the creation of this dessert so that it wasn't just me giving her flour, water, and salt to mix for an hour.


The site I linked has a nice recipe and better pics but here's what we did. I put 14 oreos in a plastic bag and let Autumn break them up. She was having so much fun that I think we made them a little too small for this recipe. So if you do it, make sure the chunks of cookie are pretty decently sized. You can see the intensity in Autumn's face here, haha.


We already had pretzel rods so I guessed at how many would make 1 1/2 cup pretzel pieces. Same thing, don't let them get too small. By the way, I'm impressed with Autumn's left handed mallet work here! She's actually kind of right handed. :P I know it's silly but I was kind of hoping she'd be a lefty. Maybe she's got a touch of both in her!


Here are the oreos, pretzels, and 3/4 cup candy corn spread on a baking sheet. You can use wax paper but I have a silpat mat that I used. Also, spread it in a pretty thin layer. I was concerned when I was spreading the bits but thin layer is the way to go.


I melted a pound of almond bark. I actually added a touch more because I got nervous when I saw how it spread out. Didn't think I had enough but the amount the recipe calls for would have been plenty. Autumn stirred for me.


Autumn helped pour the chocolate from the cup onto the mixture but I had to spread it a bit. I've never made a bark so this was a new experience for me.


Sprinkle 1/4 cup candy corn and some brown sprinkles on top (and orange but I didn't have any), pop it in the fridge to harden annnnd voila! Or, as Autumn would say, tada!

Candy Corn Cookie Bark

14 whole Oreos, broken up.

1 1/2 C pretzels, broken into pieces.

1 lb. white chocolate, almond bark or melts found in the bulk food section

1 C candy corn

brown and orange colored sprinkles

Cover a large cookie sheet with wax paper. Spread broken cookes, pretzels and about 3/4 C of the candy corn onto the waxed paper. Place white chocolate in a container and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir and then microwave for another 30 seconds until melted and smooth. White chocolate melts faster and burns easier than chocolate.

Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookie mixture, spreading with spatula if needed to coat evenly. Sprinkle remaining candy corn and colored sprinkles over the chocolate while it is still wet. Do not let it harden. Place cookie tray into refrigerator until set and firm. Remove and gently break bark into small pieces. Store in air tight container.

And, to end, have some Autumn in boots and a hello kitty tutu feeding her baby doll a bottle while holding her by the hair. :D