Candy Compost Bars

on
Monday, November 2, 2009





Candy Compost Bars

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus an additional 1/2 teaspoon
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips, melted, plus an additional 1/4 cup, melted
1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts
1/2 cup finely chopped mini candy bars (such as Snickers)

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup corn syrup
2/3 cup peanut butter chips
4 cups popped popcorn
1/2 cup finely chopped mini candy bars (such as Twix)
1/2 cup M&M's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter bottom and sides of a 13x9-inch baking dish and line with foil; butter foil.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt; whisk in oats until combined. In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together 1/2 cup butter and sugar until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in 3/4 cup melted chocolate until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture until combined; beat in peanuts and candy bar until combined. Dump the batter into the prepared dish and flatten evenly into one layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set and golden brown around edges.

To make the popcorn layer, melt the additional 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; stir in peanut butter, corn syrup, and additional 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bring mixture to a simmer. Remove pan from heat and stir in peanut butter chips until melted; stir in popcorn until well combined, followed by chopped candy bar. Spread and pack popcorn over chocolate cookie layer.

Pipe or drizzle remaining melted chocolate on top of bars, then sprinkle and press M&M's into the surface. Cool completely before slicing into bars.

Makes 18 bars

49 comments on "Candy Compost Bars"
  1. That peanutbutter kises sounds interesting. Love the costume!

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  2. You guys make a wonderful couple. Happy anniversary! And I knew you would come up with the perfect recipe for Halloween!

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  3. HAHAHA!! Love your boyfriend's costume - too fun. And you nailed YOUR costume ;)


    Great idea for using up leftover candy!

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  4. So, baking is not your only talent then????

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  5. Ha ha - I was totally thinking Sammy Hagar. Great costumes - very creative and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY.

    The bars look great. I should have done something like that with all our leftover candy, but I ended up pawning it off on the barista at my favorite coffee shop on Sunday. I wanted it out of the house.

    P.S. - My husband buys his wardrobe at Target as well. :)

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  6. happy anniversary! you did such a good job on your bf's hair! and the bars look delicioso!

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  7. So sweet! The only thing that would have been better is if YOU had gone as Guy Fieri. Speaking of which, he's on the Today Show THIS VERY SECOND!

    Awesome bars. I would make those even without leftover candy.

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  8. what a clever costume idea. guy has so many one-liners, he’d be a cinch to imitate. ya’ll are an adorable couple, emily.
    oh, and obviously, i love these aptly-named bars.

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  9. I may have to buy MORE Halloween Candy just to make these! But thats okay, it should be on sale now. :D

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  10. lol. this post is awesome! congrats you too, very cute and creative costume choices : D

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  11. Great costume combo! I like the idea of complementing each other :)

    And of course, great cookie bar recipe...

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  12. LOL nice costumes! But I think you just wanted an excuse to wear that schweeeeet food network apron again! Where can I get one???

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  13. Um first of all, nothing like a little Sexual Healing while sitting at your desk at work! Ha ha, I had to laugh at that one.

    Love the costumes - perfect for you! Looks like you guys were sure to have a blast. And Happy Anniversary (of sorts)!

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  14. How fun and creative! Love these. And what a perfect name!!

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  15. Yummy, the compost bars not Eric, he is your man for shizzle! Congrats on the one year. Mario and I started dating on Halloween 9 years ago as well! So I think halloween is of the shizzle for hizzle!

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  16. LOL too funny! Great costumes! Although I think he needs to be a little rounder to look like guy ;)

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  17. Okay, so Ialways have about 10 pages up at once on my computer. A few minutes ago I was in the middle of working on a paper...then all of a sudden I hear "sexual healing." I was so confused for a min. so I clicked though all of my links and it was your blog with the song. haha call me immauture, naive, whatever--but that song always makes me laugh hysterically!

    great costumes btw!

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  18. Those bars would be very popular, very quickly in my house!!! Love your photos. You guys make a very cute couple and I think Eric is better looking than Guy!!!! (I do like Guy though...ALWAYS watch Diners, Drive Ins and Dives.)

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  19. LOL - that is the perfect costume! Nice work on Guy's scary hair :) Happy anniversary!

    Great bars too, I'm always drawn to anything topped with colorful M&Ms!

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  20. Love your costume! You crack me up.

    Oh, and those bars look dangerous. I am pretty sure I could inhale a whole pan.

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  21. our relationship show is also Seinfeld. We go to bed to it every night!

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  22. Emily, forget the recipes, you make me LAUGH OUT LOUD! I've been married 40 years, and if you & Eric can laugh together, like I see you can, you are set for life.

    Sexual Healing is maybe my all-time fave song. ;)

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  23. Happy Anniversary to you. Sorry if the wishes are a little late.

    I'm with Val. The hair isn't quite scary enough, but you have a great costume regardless.

    Now I want some of those bars. Like I need anymore sugar right now!

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  24. LOL - your costumes look great, even though I am not familiar with the show. And congrats to you and Eric on 12 months together!!

    I would love to have been trick or treating at your place with those candy compost bars - they look delish!

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  25. Happy Anniversary.

    I love your costumes! Oh, and I love Peanut M&M's too.

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  26. Hello from Russia!
    Can I quote a post "No teme" in your blog with the link to you?

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  27. Love your costumes and what a great idea for using all that leftover Halloween candy! You all are too cute :)

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  28. Wow, awesome bars. I like how its layer after layer after layer. It's perfect for that leftover and on sale candy.

    And awesome costume to Eric. I was pretty much laughing my butt off... in a good way :)

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  29. Great costumes! Happy anniversary, you two! These bars look great. Every delicious goodie all in one place? Yummy.

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  30. yum!! these look great...if only i had candy left over... anyway- Happy Anniversary! one year is a long time!

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  31. What a great Halloween costume! You two are so adorable:) I'm totally with you about the Mary Jane's. Something about them just looks a little creepy...haha. These bars look great too:)

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  32. I love Halloween!! I saw your pics on facebook and got a good laugh out of them. These bars look amazing and extremely dangerous. I'm afraid I'd eat the whole pan myself!

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  33. Completely awesome. The costumes, the guy, the relationship sponsors, and of course the recipe! I don't have any leftover candy (gasp) since I was out of town for the weekend, but I think I will rustle some up just to make some compost bars!

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  34. Great customes! Stating the obvious? Yes! You guys look good together. Happy Anniversary!

    Emily those bars are seriously over the top!
    ~ingrid

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  35. Very funny :-) The candy bar sure looks good!

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  36. Heyyy congratulations for you and Eric!!! That's great! You guys look so adorable together!!! Specially when he's dressed as Guy! Too funny! And the bars? No words...

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  37. You guys are so cute together~ My friend and her husband were married on Halloween! They dressed up as Frankenstein and the bride of Frankenstein :)

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  38. I love the candy compost! your costumes are great too!! you look JUST LIKE you!! lol

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  39. Yeah, I kinda thought he had a Sammy Hagar thing going on :)
    Those candy bars sound over the top!

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  40. I am grateful that you're my girlfriend. I love you more than anything, Sugar Plum.

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  41. Cute costumes :) Yummy looking bars too!

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  42. Ahhh--love the costumes! So fun! And your relationship sounds like such a great one :-)

    And those bars look like a good excuse to use up my candy, and um, eat more! Ha

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  43. Those candy bars you made look soooooo good!! I would be eating them all day!! I love your blog!!!!

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  44. Nice lil' tribute to the BF. Love the costumes! Awesome.
    Yummy candy-bars!

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  45. I gave you a blog award at the end of my post today if you'd like to check it out sometime.

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  46. These sound awesome, but I hate popcorn. I'm going to try making them with Kix instead.

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