Over at Provisions, we're all about collections of beautiful, useful products to help make the most of good food -- and we don't want you to miss out on the fun.
Today: Learn which Halloween candy to make, and which to buy. Also, in the spirit (pun intended) of sugar-fueling the right way, we're giving away some of our favorites from our shop (like PB&J bars!) to one commenter!
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We continue to look forward to Halloween, despite that fact that most of us are far beyond the acceptable age for trick-or-treating. But that doesn’t stop us. If there is a holiday out there dedicated primarily to eating candy, we are damn well going to celebrate it.
This year, instead of picking your candy up from the drugstore, here’s a little advice about what to make in your own kitchen and what to leave to the experts:
Making candy at home is definitely a project that requires some time and effort, but it’s worth it. You can replicate most classic confections, and you should -- they’ll taste better and, as a bonus, will impress your friends. Halloween staples like Tootsie Rolls, Almond Joy bars, and Cow Tales are actually surprisingly easy to make right at home.Â
The candy to buy is the creative, interesting, twist-on-a-classic kind: A king size dark chocolate peanut butter cup laced with spicy cinnamon, or a beet-pistachio caramel. Or a PB&J candy bar with layers of raspberry preserves, smooth peanut butter, and shortbread cookie, all coated in milk chocolate. This is the candy that's worth treating yourself to.
Come Halloween, you'll find us making our own marshmallows and truffles, and stocking up on unusual, habit-forming candy (like salty black licorice and banana bread caramels) from our Provisions shop. We'll be carrying all of that candy in custom designed Dot & Army trick-or-treating bags (pictured above)! To start the Halloween celebration early, we’re giving away a package of our favorite candies from our Halloween collection to one commenter.Â
To win, tell us by Monday, October 13th at 5 PM: What is your Halloween candy of choice?Â
Top photo by James Ransom; all other photos by Alpha Smoot
Written by: Posie (Harwood) Brien
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159 Comments
Elaine Y.
October 15, 2014
I haven't been trick or treating since now I live in Australia, and this isn't really candy, but but we stay in, make up a batch of cookie dough ice cream, then s'mores, and make a sundae trifle out of it!
sollared
October 13, 2014
I don't eat candy anymore, but my favorites used to be Reesees and Snickers
tammy D.
October 13, 2014
Dark chocolate covered apples. Virginia apples, rolled in chopped nuts and a little sanding sugar.
Ellen P.
October 13, 2014
For homemade, there is nothing like Popcorn balls or caramel apples. Both say Halloween to me.
Cyndylee1
October 13, 2014
Our Favorite was from a house in the boatyard across the street, they gave out full-size candy bars with a dime taped on them. We'd go home, change costumes and go back. This was in the 1950's and Halloween was the only time of the year we could have candy.
Hilary
October 13, 2014
My favourite are peanut butter cups. Growing up, my sisters and I would count them every day to make sure we weren't getting cheated (my Mom was a notorious candy thief once we had gone to bed)!
heather
October 13, 2014
As a child, Snickers! As an adult, Yummy Earth Organic Pops...or homemade pumpkin cookies. :)
Jo C.
October 13, 2014
My favorite store bought candy which I rarely see anymore in the loot bags is the caramel creams or "bulls-eyes", I believe the company was Goetze or something like that! When I was little I would save the sugary-cream center for last.
ericane
October 13, 2014
I can't help myself. For it to really be Halloween, I must have one of the the little paper bags of sweet tarts. #childhoodfav
Gail L.
October 13, 2014
Home made caramel with sea salt is addicting but I'm a sucker for a mounds bar.
Carolsue
October 13, 2014
Please delete if this is a duplicate, but I don't see my comment anywhere....
My favorite is Snicker Bars!
My favorite is Snicker Bars!
Kathi K.
October 13, 2014
Peanut Butter Kisses, Peanut Butter Bars (like Butterfinger but no chocolate), Heath, Bit-O-Honey, and Almond Joy.
A L.
October 12, 2014
any dark chocolate but also Snickers bars (have made these with dark chocolate) and Heath bars (have not yet made these)
lydiaencyclopda
October 12, 2014
My favorite is the Butterfinger -- as a kid, the house at the end of a long scary drive gave out king-size Butterfingers to kids who dared brave the trek.
Angela G.
October 12, 2014
I was always fascinated with Mary Janes as a child...that taffy-like texture that surprisingly contains bits of peanuts...tasted like Autumn to me!
Marsha G.
October 11, 2014
I always loved the individual Reese's peanut butter cups. That combo of chocolate and PB -- I crush on it hard to this day.
Katie L.
October 10, 2014
Lemonheads for life. I should win for being the only human in history to choose this as my favorite candy.
pretty_pathetic
October 10, 2014
I absolutely love mellocreme pumpkins for reasons that aren't actually clear to me.
Chris K.
October 10, 2014
While I love candy corn, who doesn't? I have to cop to a secret love affair with Mary Janes, those peanut butter taffys and their black and orange wrappers are only just right at Halloween.
Kayla
October 10, 2014
I love those caramel coated sour apple suckers. So tasty, plus they helped me loose my first tooth.
carly
October 10, 2014
My favorite Halloween candy is Candy corn or caramel. Everyone hates Candy corn but all September I look forward to Kroger lining the walls with the GOOD kind of candy corn. And caramel is just a family favorite.
BetteratHome
October 10, 2014
Twix, first and always. Luckily I've been set free from candy aisle rummaging, thanks to https://food52.com/recipes/28667-twix-bars!
Courtney C.
October 10, 2014
I love anything that's chewy or has caramel, but Tootsie Pops are my favorite! Butterfingers are my second choice :)
Kate
October 10, 2014
Those chalky little candy corn pumpkins. If I'm making my own candy though, I love the texture and superior flavor of homemade marshmallows compared to store bought.
Dane Y.
October 10, 2014
most definitely Almond Joys! love that delicious coconut/chocolate combination!
Anika
October 9, 2014
Reese's peanut butter cups, but in the running are sour patch kids and cookies and cream bars.
nycnomad
October 9, 2014
When I was a kid, I always looked forward to getting smarties on Halloween. Those chalky, sweet and slightly tart candies were my all time favorites.
Emily S.
October 9, 2014
I'm a sucker for any chocolate-peanut butter candy, but I have always loved Clark Bars. They're like the Butterfingers' cooler (and way more delicious) cousin.
skb
October 9, 2014
Candy Corn pumpkins, hands down. Have to be the pumpkins. Try to perfectly eat off the green "stem" first....then halve the pumpkin-y part with your teeth. Even better, refrigerate them first!
CookingIsLikeLove
October 9, 2014
my favorite has always been the old fashioned molasses Halloween kisses. In the orange wrappers with the little black bats on them. and I think that learning to make those would probably be a very bad, yet a very good idea :D
DessertByCandy
October 9, 2014
Coffee Crisp and Crispy Crunch never leave my house. Are they both Canadian specialties?
Maria
October 9, 2014
it's time to make a trip to the store... (to stock up on some ingredients, of course)
CaseyAnne
October 9, 2014
Peanut Butter Cups! I love them homemade, but I'll eat the packaged ones in a heartbeat.
monica_m
October 9, 2014
mini butterfingers. they had high trade value when I was a kid. worth at least a half-dozen tootsie rolls!
Marissa
October 9, 2014
Peanut butter cups for sure. I'd have traded my whole bag of candy as a kid just for more of those.
emily
October 9, 2014
The little Reese's Cups. The really small ones that come wrapped in foil, the other ones don't have the right chocolate to peanut butter ratio!
Cate
October 9, 2014
I love bite-size Snickers. They're the perfect little, afternoon infusion of sugar.
jmwh
October 9, 2014
Heath bars. Definitely little bite size, crunchy, salty sweet chocolatey deliciousness.
BananaBoat
October 9, 2014
I've always wanted to try making candy, but I've never gotten the guts to do it. I'd say my favorite Halloween candy is Milky Way Midnights--the dark chocolate ones!
Sarah
October 9, 2014
Caramel is my favorite. I'm also very partial to Panda's brand licorice. And, to state the obvious, chocolate.
Jamie G.
October 9, 2014
This is like picking which one of my children is my favorite, but Halloween-specific candy corn is my seasonal favorite. Otherwise, All Of The Chocolate Things, please.
Eliza H.
October 9, 2014
candy corn. can't get enough. the pumpkin shaped ones are pretty great as well !
Alicia
October 9, 2014
My favorite candy has to be chocolate-caramel anything! Rolos are right up my alley.
FoodieTina
October 9, 2014
Reese's peanut butter cup miniatures. Can't beat that chocolate and peanut butter combo!
Victoria
October 9, 2014
I can't believe how many other people also love Reese's for Halloween! Maybe it's the peanut butter and chocolate colors.. perfect for Halloween!! My favorite are the minis. :) I also love sweet/sour candies like gummy worms, especially thrown into a Halloween punch!
ReisTanzi
October 9, 2014
I'll join the many Reese's peanut butter cups lovers...but a fun size kit-kat is a close second!
Jessica
October 9, 2014
Bite size Twix are my weakness. We have to buy a variety pack just to make sure the trick-or-treaters get anything at all.
Michele C.
October 9, 2014
I always scour the stores to find bags of 100 grands, which I may or may not give away to the trick or treaters....though I also love mixing candy corn and peanuts and munching on that!
thefoodimade
October 9, 2014
I have made Food52's tootsie rolls for Halloween before, and I will definitely be making them again this year!
Emily H.
October 9, 2014
For specifically Halloween candy my choice has to be candy corn, for nostalgia!
Kollin L.
October 9, 2014
@Burf Whatchamacallits are still one my favorites! Along with the butterscotch candies and caramels. It was hard to decide, honestly.
Burf
October 9, 2014
Whatchamacallits. They were like the love child of a Nestle Crunch & Carmello. At least they were in my mind.
louisez
October 9, 2014
Candy corn -- especially since it's hard to find, and not at its best, any other time of year. I try to stock up -- but the stock never lasts long. I try to think of it like the seasonal produce from the farmer's market -- wonderful when in season -- and worth the wait. To everything there is a season -- including candy corn.
EmFraiche
October 9, 2014
Peanut butter cups! Mom would always pick through our halloween candy after we'd gone to bed, so when we woke up November 1st, there wouldn't be a piece of bubblegum in sight. Good thing we each had our favorites.
Willamette
October 9, 2014
Nothing original here: Reese's peanut butter cups, any size. I have no doubt homemade ones would taste much better.
organic_coffee
October 9, 2014
Butterfingers! They always get stuck in my teeth, and I swear them off, but at the next chance I'm back at them again...
Brenny
October 9, 2014
My must-have Halloween candy is Reese's Pieces -straight from the refrigerator - if possible.
KaffeeAndKuchen
October 9, 2014
I used to trade candy that I didn't like with my sisters, although now when you can just buy exactly what you like it's a little less communal. Twix is probably my favorite - and when that twix has peanut butter in it...hmmmm.
AntoniaJames
October 9, 2014
Almond Joy, always was, always will be . . . though I've been known to sample a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, or a Butterfinger, or two, when a whole bowl of them are staring me in the face (i.e., every Halloween). ;o)
Abbey
October 9, 2014
Anything with caramel, but you can't go wrong with good ol' Brach's candy corn.
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