Leftover Halloween Candy Cookie Bars

So how many of you have a gallon size baggie of leftover Halloween candy at your house like we do?  We have our haul plus all the excess that wasn't eaten by trick or treaters this year, because there was not a great turn out due to terrible rainy weather.  So since I have continuously wanted to sit down and eat the entire bag in one sitting after a tough week and up all nighters with sick littles, I decided to turn it into something that I guess makes me feel not as bad as eating the whole bag :)  I am typically a clean eater, but come on...it was Halloween, soon to be Thanksgiving and then Christmas.  We all got to live a little sometimes!!  I say life is the 80/20 rule.  Eat right and stay the path 80% of the time.  The other 20%, eat a Snickers.....no one is looking and if they are they are jealous they aren't eating one too! :)  So on to the amazingness I created with a sack of candy.  I actually had a hard time getting these made because the hubby was try to eat everything along the way and wouldn't even wait for the bars to cool.

So here's the goodness to be turned into greatness....

 I forgot to show the brown sugar in this photo, but its in this mix too.  (I used light brown).  And I know you are eyeing that beautiful batter bowl in the background.  Yes, it is Pioneer Woman.  As are these beauties....

I am so messy when I bake. (hence the flour massacre) But this does call for 4 1/2 cups so its bound to end up on the counter at some point.  If you noticed in the above photos, I am using pudding mix in these cookies.  I add pudding mixes into tons of stuff, like cookies, cakes, etc.  I also use a lot of sugar free pudding mix in protein shakes (not the whole packet, but maybe a tablespoon) to create different flavors, like cheesecake or just to change it up in some way.  Pudding mix is a beautiful thing and has it's own special place in my kitchen, which is small...because it doesn't last long.  But trust me and try it and I promise you if you place whatever you make on your head, your tongue is gonna wanna reach up and slap your brains out! :)  Now let's get these bars made!

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda
• 2 cups of unsalted butter, softened (Prefer KerryGold Irish Butter...always)
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 - 3.4 ounce packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 4 whole eggs
• 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips (1 regular size sack)
• 3 cups of chopped Halloween candy (I used all chocolate based - a mix of almond joy, kit kat, reese's cups, pecan pie m&ms and whoppers)

Recipe

• Preheat the over to 350 degrees F and line a cookie sheet/baking sheet with edges with parchment paper (lightly mist with cooking spray).  You will want the parchment paper a little longer then the pan to make for easy lift out.
• Sift together the flour and the baking soda in a large bowl and set to the side.
• Cream together with a mixer butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until well blended.  Next add in the pudding mix and blend well.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined.  Then add the flour mixture in small batches, beating slowly to blend well.  
• After this is all blended, mix in the chocolate chips and 1 cup of the candy.
• Pour (or a better description might be to dump) the batter out onto the prepared baking pan and use your hands to press it flat until it is evenly spread out and touching the sides of the pan.  You want to try and get it even so you get even baking.
• Sprinkle the remaining candy over the top and press it down with your hands, just enough so it doesn't shake loose and this will help it maintain some of its shape when baking instead of just melting on top into large amounts of goo.  (nothing wrong with goo..just not the look we are working toward here.)
• Place in the oven on the center rack and bake for about 25 minutes or until the top is golden and the edges are beginning to brown.  

• Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely.  (If you have cooling racks, you can use the parchment handles and place it there.)
• After cooling, slice into bars and fall in love :)

This I believe has taken me to a new level of wife since I have created a new vehicle for my husband to get candy, cookie, chocolate and goodness to his tummy :)  Let me know what you all think!!

Love & Cookies ~

Misty