White Trash

OK, I know what you're all thinking.
That's not a very nice thing to say.
Well I didn't say it first.
That's what I heard it called, once.
So I'm just repeating them.
And so do the kids now.
Sorry.

But it's good stuff.  And it makes sense to call this stuff trash since you basically throw everything in it, just like the trash.
I mean all those leftover munchies hanging around the house after a party, maybe not enough to fill a snack bowl kinda stuff.
The only thing you have to have is some candy bark or candy melts

One of these type, you know candy coating. call it whatever you want. It's what brings it all together.
Can you tell I stock up on this stuff? I pick it up whenever it's on sale. It last for years, or so I've been told. It never lasts that long around here.
So you've got your candy coating, now go forage around your kitchen. You want some sweet and some salty stuff.

Cereal, pretzels, hard chips like Fritos or Bugles, peanuts, whatever you can find.
And for the sweet, I don't care how much you bake, we all love Oreos. But you could use nilla wafers or whatever else you have laying around but you do want some cookies in this.
And also some candy, like M & Ms or candy corn, you know you have some stashed away
Place a piece of wax paper on a flat work surface (you can use a cookie tray, we just use the table)

It really doesn't matter what order you put your items in but we always do biggest or heaviest to smallest.

Cookies-broken up, be sure to eat one or two, just to make sure they're fresh

Now place your candy coating in a container and melt according to directions

Now start drizzling your melted chocolate all over
Move your stuff around a bit with a plastic spoon

Add in your small items

And walk away until chocolate is set.
Once set, break apart, package up as gifts in a jar
or just using the plastic party bags from the Dollar store.

A pretty ribbon can make all the difference.
Oh and remember the plastic spoon I told you to use....
Add a little colored sugar to it when your done and let it set up....

Makes a festive hot chocolate spoon for the kids!

"Snickers" Bars

Ingredients:

Base:

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 3 1/2 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (Scharffen Berger or Lindt), chopped
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 cup puffed rice cereal

Peanut Nougat:

• 1 large egg white
• 1/8 teaspoon plus 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup toasted salted peanuts, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Milk Chocolate Bavarian Cream:

• 4 tablespoons whole milk, diided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup chilled heavy cream, divided
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 9 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (see above), melted

Chocolate Coating:

• 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
• 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

(Hint: We found "cheating", by buying prepared coating chocolate at the market perfectly acceptable for this recipe.) 

Preparation:

Base:

• Coat an 8x8x2" metal baking pan with nonstick spray; line with plastic wrap, pressing to smooth out any wrinkles. Place chocolate in a medium metal bowl. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from saucepan. Stir in peanut butter, then cereal. Transfer to prepared pan; press over bottom in an even layer. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Peanut Nougat:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment; coat with nonstick spray. Place egg white in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until frothy. Add 1/8 teaspoon sugar; beat until peaks begin to form. Bring honey to a boil in a small saucepan. With mixer running, gradually add honey to egg white. Set aside.
• Stir 3/4 cup sugar, corn syrup, and 3 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat; boil until mixture reaches 275°, 5–7 minutes.
• Return mixer with egg white to medium speed. Gradually add syrup to egg white, allowing it to drip down sides of bowl. Beat until glossy and stiff, about 5 minutes. Fold in peanuts and salt. Spread nougat over prepared sheet into an 8" square (about 1/4" thick). Let cool for 1 hour.
• Invert nougat over base in pan; peel off parchment. Spread over base in even layer.

Milk Chocolate Bavarian Cream:

• Place 2 tablespoons milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over; let stand to soften, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring remaining 2 tablespoons milk and 1/4 cup cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Whisk yolks and sugar in a medium bowl; gradually whisk in hot cream mixture. Return to same pan. Stir over medium-low heat until thickened and a thermometer registers 175°, about 3 minutes. Add gelatin; whisk until dissolved.
• Place melted chocolate in another medium bowl. Pour cream mixture through a strainer into chocolate; whisk until smooth.
• Beat remaining 3/4 cup chilled cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture in 2 additions, folding just to blend between additions. Pour Bavarian cream over nougat, spreading in an even layer. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Chocolate Coating:

• Place chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a medium saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted. 
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Invert 8" pan onto a work surface; remove pan and peel off plastic. Turn over. Cut into 6 slices, then halve each slice crosswise. Transfer pieces to prepared baking sheet, base side down. Using an offset spatula, spread chocolate over tops and sides of bars. Freeze to set, 30 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with foil; freeze. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.