Creative and Delicious Ways to Repurpose “extra” Easter Candy
Easter has passed, the bunny has come and gone, but the lollipop remains. You may have leftover food, or perhaps – in your immense wisdom – walked into the aisle to stock up on peanut butter eggs and hollow chocolate bunnies. Anyway, here are some of the most delicious things you can do with a sweet catch, other than just eat it.
Shots, Shots, Shots
As a teenager, I bit off my chocolate bunnies’ ears, filled them with milk, and drank furiously from their partially decapitated bodies. It was a slightly disturbing but delicious tradition that my sisters and I have been looking forward to every year. I’m not a kid anymore, and now I fill my hollow bunnies and eggs with slightly more complex liquids like espresso or booze (or both).
Make an espresso
This chocolate coffee creation was first featured on Instagram by Australian coffee shop Karvan Coffee and you probably need to experience it.
To make it at home, cut off the top of a hollow chocolate egg and carefully place it in your espresso (or any small cup). Pour espresso or any other hot, strong coffee into the candy jar, letting the infuser slowly melt the chocolate as you sip. If you want a full cup or coffee, use the earless chocolate bunny instead. Heck, you don’t even need to use hot coffee; I wouldn’t be mad at a rabbit full of cold beer.
While hollow eggs allow for more coffee, I don’t rule out that there is some junk in the trunk. (By “rubbish,” I mean cream or caramel, of course.) Remove the top as usual and use a tiny spoon to scoop out some of the filling. Eat this filling – you deserve it! – and then pour in the egg with coffee as described above.
Make it mature
If you’re looking to fill your eggs and rabbits with something more mature, consider the Cadbury Creme Egg. The concept is the same as above, except that instead of filling chocolate shells with your favorite top (I’m still talking about coffee), you add your favorite sedative (booze). The drink you choose is up to you. I would probably just throw in some bourbon, but Larisa Thorne from Drop Gorgeous Daily thought it a little more carefully and made a real cocktail.
Cocktail Caramel Cream Egg (makes two medium-sized rabbits):
Ingredients:
- 2 hollow chocolate bunnies
- 1 glass of cream
- ½ cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
- 2 tablespoons crème de cocoa
- Caramel for topping
Whisk the cream, Bailey’s and crème de cacao with ice and strain into earless rabbits or hollowed-out Cadbury eggs. Garnish with some caramel sauce, if desired.
Fill your spirit
This is the easiest way to transform fruit flavored candy into something for people over 21. It’s so easy you can’t even call it a recipe: just toss a small handful of candy (skittles, gummies, and fun ranches are all good) into a cup of vodka and let it sit in the jar for 24 hours, shaking it. every now and then. For the most beautiful and delicious results, it’s best to use only one flavor at a time, otherwise your candied vodka will look and taste cloudy, which no one wants. Depending on how rich your candied spirit is, you can let the whole thing cool for two whole days, but the result will be very sweet.
When your vodka is the desired color and strength, strain into a glass bottle and refrigerate. Since you’ll mostly be drinking liquid candy, you only need a mixer, perhaps a little citrus, to add acid and cleanse the shake. (Note: A straining step is not required for Jolly Ranchers, which dissolve completely, but skittles and gummies usually leave pieces floating.)
Eat eggs for breakfast
If you’re looking for a sweet and sticky treat wrapped in dough, look no further than a croissant stuffed with Cadbury eggs . I say stuffed with Cadbury eggs, but any candy egg will do. Simply take a piece of store-bought crescent or baking dough, wrap it up and bake it according to the dough instructions (typically 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10-15 minutes). Don’t worry if the egg isn’t done. t completely covered in dough. Yes, it will cause some leak, but this is the tastiest kind of leak as it will just turn into caramelized sweet goodness. If it’s too sweet for breakfast, prepare it for dessert, or choose another route and simply fry a Cadbury egg in a sausage . (Don’t actually do this, as it will hurt you physically .)
Make one big and tasty treat
While this recipe was originally created to get the most out of the cinema in one delicious popcorn box, it works with any candy, and Easter candy is no different.
To make this multitasking treat, grease your skillet better. Mix one bag of microwave popcorn with 4 cups of small or chopped chocolates in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add 16 ounces of Marshmallow or Peeps and stir until melted. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes, then combine with the popcorn and candy. Squeeze the whole mixture into a saucepan and let it brew for an hour.
This not only allows you to get a bunch of different chocolates in one bite, making it easier to eat the chocolates, but it also provides a salty counterbalance to all the sugar. It’s also a great way to use Peeps because they aren’t that great on their own. (You know it’s true.)
Of course, there is always the option to just eat the damn candy piece by piece while watching Netflix. Nobody will blame you for this. I love freezing mine. There is something very special about a frozen Snicker’s Egg.