Halloween Apples (or not!)

[lil_miss_understood]

It's that time of year again. Time for us all to worry "What in the world will we do when everyone else is gorging on mainstream candy and our kid goes door to door and gets NOTHING they can eat?!"
Well. We can order online from places such as Indie Candy or Natural Candy Store or Peanut Free Planet (and spend a small fortune).

OR

We can plan ahead, bust our butts and make safe Halloween candy on the cheap.

What are you planning to do? Any "safe" recipes you'd care to share?

[lilbsmama]

[~Em~]

My 5yo child has severe nut allergies, but we do allow them (5 and 7yo) to eat a small amount of "mainstream" candy once it's checked for peanuts/nuts. My husband takes the rest to work and leaves it in the kitchen - it's a big office and its all gone within an hour or so, no matter how crappy the candy, lol.

I don't give out candy at all - I prefer to give out pencils and stickers. At least they are things that can be used creatively by the kids to make something other than cavities!

That doesn't answer your question does it? Well, I'm exhausted and pregnant with #4 (oldest is 6) so that's as creative as I get right now.

[rhesp1212]

My son is only 2, but we're going to start a tradition of collecting donations for Unicef instead of getting candy. I'll make him some special treats for at home though. Toys R Us here has little boxes that you drop off at neighbor's houses ahead of time. They fill it up with change and when you go trick or treating you pick them up! I plan on doing it every year with him...he'll get to dress up and go out like every one else, but he'll be doing it for something good!

[kjbrown92]

I'm actually wondering if I can do a caramel apple now that both kids can have apples again. Maybe making it out of palm sugar and coconut milk yogurt. I think I'd have to practice. I could also make taffy. Haven't made that this year... Maybe peanut brittle... that doesn't solve the problem for you nut people though.

[tanyalynn]

So in the past, my homemade treat was a version of Rice Krispies treats using Fruity Pebbles instead, since Fruity Pebbles are GF. But wow, the sugar is intense and ewwww about the artificial colors and flavors.

I could make a slightly healthier version with a (hopefully unsweetened) puffed rice cereal, and maybe add some mint extract or some cocoa powder or both. Still artificial colors in the marshmallows unless I make my own, but less.

There are a few treat recipes on this blog (heavy on coconut and some sort of nut--whether you use almonds or peanuts or something else is optional, but if you're peanut/tree nut free, it's mostly not helpful)....

http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/...andy-bars.html

http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/...curd-bars.html

http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/...tter-cups.html

and more (there is a peanut/tree nut free selection, it's just shorter).

Um... I've been thinking about making homemade lollipops. I bought Frontier flavoring extracts in lots of flavors and I bought lollipop molds and sticks. And I haven't done it yet.

And I was considering buying lollipops to give out, the kind without artificial colors/flavors. If you have a Frontier co-op in your area, it may make the cost more reasonable--I haven't actually checked the price yet, I needed this thread to get me moving on Halloween planning.

[mamafish9]

We don't have a huge problem, because DD can eat anything, and DS doesn't really understand what candy is yet. But we give DD a peanut butter jar, and she can keep whatever she can stuff in that. The rest goes back in our bowl to give out to other kids. Then she eats one treat a day from her jar until it's gone. We've always done it, so she's fine with it (she has at least some idea other kids get to eat all theirs, but she likes handing *her* candy back out to other kids).

For DS, he can't do chocolate or HFCS, so I don't know what I'll do when he figures out what's in the pretty wrappers (right now, he just likes to line the candy up, LOL).

[Koalamom]

I don't take my 3 yr old trick or treating, but I know she will come upon candy some either way. She know what to say all on her own, "no thank you, it will give me a rash".

We love pure maple candies. They are melt in your mouth good, and made from pure maple syrup. "natural" lolly pops are a treat, and we love home made chocolates, and add Gf rice crispies for what tastes better than a Nestles Crunch.

[lil_miss_understood]

I'm thinking home made salt water taffy (although I only have safe vanilla atm), crispy rice treats, home made Sunbutter cups, some Surf Sweet Gummy Bears and Yummy Earth Lollipops. Maybe a few small bags of Tings and Lay's plain chips.
I might also do chocolate covered sponge toffee, but that's more for me than him since one of my favourite candy bars is "Crunchie" (which isn't carried in the US).

eta: I love your idea of using a peanut butter jar, Deb. That's really smart.

[Theloose]

Sponge toffee! Awesome! I had no idea that even had a name

No clue what we're doing... Definitely trick or treating...

[tanyalynn]

This is a place-holder for when I go Search for Shannon's gummy recipe. My kids would love gummies. Throw in some tasty flavors, some safe colors (we've got India tree gel colors, most of the lines are artificial colors but there are some food-derived ones), the kids will be thrilled. If I get motivated, I may make enough to share at our Halloween Park Day. I know a couple families who'd be happy to have food-based colors.

Need to find small molds at Michael's/Hobby Lobby for gummies. Okay, now I'm getting excited (and today it's not nasty hot/humid, that helps too).

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by bluebirdmama1

and we love home made chocolates, and add Gf rice crispies for what tastes better than a Nestles Crunch.

That is an amazing idea. I have missed candy bars, and I particularly liked Nestle Crunches, it never occurred to me to try something like that on my own. Bet they'd be convenient in a cupcake paper (not sure what else to use to have them keep some sort of shape).

[ASusan]

Originally Posted by tanyalynn

So in the past, my homemade treat was a version of Rice Krispies treats using Fruity Pebbles instead, since Fruity Pebbles are GF. But wow, the sugar is intense and ewwww about the artificial colors and flavors.

I could make a slightly healthier version with a (hopefully unsweetened) puffed rice cereal, and maybe add some mint extract or some cocoa powder or both. Still artificial colors in the marshmallows unless I make my own, but less.

I use gluten-free rice crispies. I've tried it with the Koala Crisp, but it's too sweet. I use coconut oil in place of the butter, and regular marshmallows. I'm just way too lazy to make my own marshmallows or worry about that, on top of everything else.

Originally Posted by tanyalynn

This is a place-holder for when I go Search for Shannon's gummy recipe. My kids would love gummies. Throw in some tasty flavors, some safe colors (we've got India tree gel colors, most of the lines are artificial colors but there are some food-derived ones), the kids will be thrilled. If I get motivated, I may make enough to share at our Halloween Park Day. I know a couple families who'd be happy to have food-based colors.

Need to find small molds at Michael's/Hobby Lobby for gummies. Okay, now I'm getting excited (and today it's not nasty hot/humid, that helps too).

PLEASE find the gummy recipe. I bought a large bag of xylitol back when we were having that discussion, and I have yet to use it. I also have plenty of gelatin on hand.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by ASusan

I use gluten-free rice crispies. I've tried it with the Koala Crisp, but it's too sweet. I use coconut oil in place of the butter, and regular marshmallows. I'm just way too lazy to make my own marshmallows or worry about that, on top of everything else.

ITA, the Koala Crisp is way too sweet.
No help for those who avoid corn, but Campfire Giant Roasters are free of food colouring. I cut them in quarters so they're the size of "normal" marshmallows before melting.
Making marshmallows is surprisingly easy, actually, if a little messy. Although, if you're making crispy rice treats, it's already going to be messy. I've been considering getting everything ready to whip, then putting the oil on to melt while I whip the sugar mixture into marshmallows then mixing the oil to the freshly whipped marshmallow mixture and adding the rice crisps to that...

I haven't seen anyone mention puffed wheat squares (I use puffed rice instead of puffed wheat.) or popcorn balls.

[tanyalynn]

Okay, these are the two versions, really I think just very slightly modifications between them, of whoMe's gummy treats.

http://mothering.com/discussions/sho...y#post14604358

Okay, this is the first of whoMe's recipes...

Dissolve gelatin in water, 1/4 cup of each, boil juice with xylitol (2/3 c juice, I did 7 Tbsp xylitol - I'd just do it to taste), pour hot juice over gelatin, stir till it's all dissolved, pour into greased molds. Totally coats the mouth as a liquid, and will likely get all sorts of xylitol stuck in the teeth! Next time, I'm cutting that in half or less - this is a LOT of gummies!

I think I'm just going to use sugar rather than xylitol--I have sugar and know where to buy more. But this is the 2nd version...

http://mothering.com/discussions/sho...y#post14608918

Basic formula for gummies:
liquid sweetened/flavored to taste and heated to boiling, pour over LOTS of gelatin, stir to dissolve, let set.

I did:
2/3 c juice
7 Tbsp xylitol
boiled
1/4 c water
4T gelatin

next time I want to try just saturating cold juice with gelatin, then heating it up to melt it. These were good and gummy and everything, and people at the party were way impressed, but I think they could have been chewier.

So whoMe, you're saying no water next time? Just juice, gelatin and xylitol? Did you try that?

[lil_miss_understood]

Just as a side note... those "2 versions" are actually the same...
4 Tablespoons = 1/4 cup

[ASusan]

OK I lied when I said I had a lot of gelatin. I have several packets of Knox (or generic). There's no way I have a full cup. Nor do I want to buy more. I'll drastically cut the recipe, I guess.

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by JacquelineR

Just as a side note... those "2 versions" are actually the same...
4 Tablespoons = 1/4 cup

I have to admit, I didn't look all that closely. But I DO want to know if Shannon tried a version w/o any water at all, as the comment under the second write-up suggested.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by tanyalynn

I have to admit, I didn't look all that closely. But I DO want to know if Shannon tried a version w/o any water at all, as the comment under the second write-up suggested.

Yes, I'd like to know too.

[Koalamom]

Originally Posted by tanyalynn

That is an amazing idea. I have missed candy bars, and I particularly liked Nestle Crunches, it never occurred to me to try something like that on my own. Bet they'd be convenient in a cupcake paper (not sure what else to use to have them keep some sort of shape).

Yes so easy , and you just need coconut oil, butter or palm oil, cocoa powder, and sweetener, melt together, and refridgerate. I freeze as I cannot wait long enough for it to set up. And sprinkle rice crispies in it. cashews dropped in is so good too. I do put it in cupcake papers, for easy portions, but in pan broken into chunks makes good chcolate chunks. Anyway it is so good. Just a note is it melts really fast.