Happy Halloweekend, ghouls and girls! October has come and gone, which means it’s time to put the tricks and treats behind us. 

Well, okay, how about one more treat?

You’ve gone trick or treating (or, perhaps more accurately, you bought the discounted Halloween candy bags at CVS) and now you have an absurd amount of candy! How are you going to eat it all? How about throwing it in a brownie?!

This week’s recipe is inspired in part by Roald Dahl’s The Witches, and in part by figuring out new ways to eat Halloween candy. 

While no brownies were consumed in The Witches (and no children harmed in the making of these brownies), there’s something delightfully haunting about these treats, with their gooey, bubbling center and their eyes peeking up at you.

I read The Witches as a buddy read with a friend to help get me in the Halloween spirit. A quick read about a boy’s encounter with the Grand High Witch, whose mission it is to wipe out all the children of Earth, this is an equally spooky and sweet book that touts the message: everyone is not who they seem.

This was my first time reading Dahl’s work and it’s safe to say it won’t be my last. His simple writing balances between ironic and charming, wrapping timeless moral lessons in fantastical stories.

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WITCHES’ BREW BROWNIES

A perfect post-Halloween treat, the trick to these brownies is throwing in all your favorite candy.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 stick of salted butter – melted
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup flour
• 8-10 Halloween sized candy bars (Kit Kats and Reese’s work great!)
• Candy eyeballs for topping
• Any other toppings/fillings you’d like (I used dark chocolate chips and sprinkles)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine melted butter with unsweetened cocoa powder and sugar.
3. Mix in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated, careful not to overmix.
4. Stir in flour and vanilla, again mixing until just fully incorporated.
5. Add in about 6 candy bars and other mix-ins, such as chocolate chips or M&Ms. You may decide to leave the candy bars whole or break them up, depending on your preference.
6. Pour mixture into a greased or parchment lined 8×8 pan. Beware: the mixture will be EXTREMELY thick.
7. Bake for ~15 minutes and remove from oven while the brownies are still underbaked.
8. Arrange candy bars, candy eyeballs, and any other toppings on surface of brownies.
9. Continue to bake brownies for another 5-8 minutes, until brownies are fully set.
10. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
11. Enjoy!