Halloween Candy Bark

Diabetic coma. Messy. Amazing. These are the words that came to mind while making this dessert for a recent company party. This recipe takes any Halloween colored candy you can think of and smashes it into a yummy candy bark. It's a simple recipe that has something for everyone to love. Bonus: you can't buy just 10 Oreo cookies so naturally I just HAD to buy the family-size container of Double Stuf to fulfill the need for this recipe....or at least that's what I told Doug when I got home from the grocery store.

• 2 tsp butter
• 1 1/2 lbs white candy coating
• 2 cups pretzels, coarsely chopped
• 10 Oreo cookies, chopped
• 3/4 cup candy corn
• 3/4 cups dry roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup M & Ms
• 1/2 cup Reese's Pieces

Line a 15x10 inch cookie sheet with foil; grease foil with butter. In microwave, melt candy coating; stir until smooth. Spread into prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining ingredients; press into candy coating. Let stand about 1 hour. Break or cut bark into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

NOTES: Follow the directions for melting on the bag of candy coating. I have made the mistake many times of heating too much or too quickly and candy easily burns. Also pretzels and Oreos don't really chop (I learned this after chasing flying pretzel pieces around my recently cleaned kitchen). What I finally did was put them in plastic zip top bags and smash them randomly with the handle of the knife I originally tried to use to chop. You don't want little tiny crumbs, but you don't want too large of chunks either. It's a delicate balance, but I think this is the best way.

Majorly important: press down HARD when putting toppings on candy coating. You may think it can't go any further, but trust me, it can. You want the toppings cemented in the candy coating otherwise you go to break it up or take a bite and the toppings go everywhere. And I mean everywhere: on the floor, in your mouth, down your shirt...you get the not so clean picture?

Makes: 2.75 lbs
Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1hr 20 min

Recipe from Taste of Home