Easy Candy Corn Sugar Cookie Bars

Candy Corn Sugar Cookie Bars

I just strolled through the seasonal grocery aisle yesterday with delight.  Candy corn was everywhere! Even though there are lots of versions out there, I’ll always love the original yellow, orange and white triangle that dates back to the 1800’s when it was sold behind the candy counter as “chicken feed.” You see, candy corn was created to  give the appearance of corn kernels, but now it has become our trademark candy of autumn; beloved by both American and Canadian cultures. Many folks today even mimic the candy in their baked goods! Candy corn inspired cakes, candy corn inspired muffins and the most popular, candy corn inspired sugar cookies!

There are lots of great cookie recipes out there for candy corn sugar cookies. Most are trimmed into the famous triangle with white on top, orange in the middle and yellow on the bottom. Some are tricky like the unconventional candy corn pinwheels while others are more simple with a single pressed on candy corn in the center of a circle.  Today, I’m going to show you a different approach! Not too difficult, but not elementary either. We are going to make candy corn inspired cookie bars dipped in white chocolate. No cookie cutter needed. Just a ruler, a sharp knife and a whole lotta fun. Are you with me?

Come on in to my kitchen!

Here is what you need… basic ingredients for your favorite sugar cookie along with some yellow coloring, orange coloring and white candy coating. A good ruler, rolling pin and pastry mat are handy too. For my sugar cookie recipe, I’m using mom’s Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe found here on Cleverly Simple.  The only change I made was using butter instead  of margarine. This dough works well because it doesn’t spread  in the oven. You want a cookie dough that will keep most of its shape.

Mom’s recipe makes about a pound and a half of dough. Divide the dough into three equal portions. Using the mixer, color one portion with orange, clean the mixer and color a second portion with yellow. The third portion is to be left as is. I’m using Wilton colors found at JoAnn Fabrics, but if I could go back, I would have chosen a lighter yellow shade to look more like the candy. Next, refrigerate the dough for one hour before shaping

When your dough has been chilled for one hour, roll out the yellow dough into a strip that is 24 inches long, 1.5 inches wide and 3/4 inch in height. You can use a rolling pin, your hands, whatever works for you. Next, roll out the orange dough the same way and place it next to the yellow. Finally, roll out the the uncolored dough and place it next to the orange.

This is what your three strips should look like when finished! A long tri-colored rectangle.

To ensure that our strips stay together in the oven, press them together until they measure 4 inches along the short side of your rectangle.

Now for the fun part (as if you weren’t having fun already! 🙂 Carefully slice off 1 inch bars from the short side of your rectangle. Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake them for 12 minutes at 375 degrees or until set, but not browned on the underside. Cool for a couple minutes and then remove onto cooling racks.

When the cookies are completely cool, melt your white candy coating according to the instructions and dip the uncolored top of each bar into the melted candy coat and place on wax paper to dry. I’m using Wilton brand, but to be honest, nothing is better than Ghiradelli white chocolate candy wafers. You taste what you pay for 🙂

There you have it! Our very own candy corn inspired sugar cookie bar dipped in white candy coating, a delicious mimic of one of the greatest candies of all time. Young hands will love how easy they are to grab off the plate and older hands will love how fun they are to make. They also freeze well.  You can freeze the baked and candy coated cookies ahead of time and have them ready to snack on while you await those trick-or-treaters.

Enjoy!

 

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