Braces Friendly Recipes

Halloween is right around the corner and there is one thing we can’t to eat…Candy ! But unfortunately with braces not all candy is good for us. We can’t eat anything to chewy or too sticky or too hard! Luckily there are some alternatives to enjoy Halloween without cutting everything out!

PUMPKIN PATCH BROWNIES

Ingredients: 1 box of favorite instant brownie mix, 1 bag candy pumpkins, 1 tube green decorating gel, 1 tube orange decorating gel

Directions: Follow brownie mix package directions and bake in a 9″ by 13″ pan. Cool for 20 minutes; remove from dish.

To create a pumpkin patch, place pumpkin candies one inch apart all over surface. Draw lines (vines) with green gel and accent with orange gel as desired.

SCARY JIGGLERS (Adapted from the Kraft Foods Kitchen)

Ingredients: 2-1/2 cups boiling water (Do not add cold water.), 2 pkg. gelatin (any flavor, but we recommend Orange, Grape or Lime for Halloween), Halloween shape cookie cutters – If serving to small children, perhaps consider using smaller cookie cutters to make bites more manageable.

Directions: Stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl 3 minutes until completely dissolved. Pour into 13×9-inch pan. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until firm (gelatin does not stick to finger when touched). Dip bottom of pan in warm water about 15 seconds. Cut into 24 decorative shapes using 2-inch cookie cutters, making sure to cut all of the way through the gelatin to the bottom of the pan. Remove from pan. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

DO NOT swallow scary jigglers whole.

APPLES AND SPICE COBBLER (Courtesy of Celebrity Pastry Chef Gale Gand)

Ingredients: 4-6 large Granny Smith, MacIntosh or other tart, firm apples, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, 1 10 inch round layer of pie crust (store bought is fine), 1-2 tablespoons milk, 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. In a small bowl, combine the sugars, salt, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a large bowl, toss the apple slices and the dry ingredients together, then sprinkle in the vanilla extract and toss one more time. Pour the apples into a buttered round cake pan or pie pan, pat the surface as level as possible and dot with butter. Unroll the chilled pie dough onto a floured work surface and cut out a face like you would on a Jack-o-lantern, removing the excess dough where you cut out the eyes, nose and mouth.

Carefully roll the dough up onto a rolling pin and unroll it over the apple filling. Brush the dough lightly with milk and sprinkle with additional 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until apples are tender and bubbling through the holes in the crust and crust is golden browned. Serve warm by spooning out a portion with a large serving spoon into dessert bowls and top with whipped cream or ice cream. Makes 4-6 servings.

PEANUT BUTTER EYEBALLS (Courtesy of Celebrity Pastry Chef Gale Gand)

Ingredients: 1/4 cup butter, completely softened, 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 1/2 cups toasted rice cereal (like Rice Krispies), 12 ounces of white chocolate, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Food coloring – two colors

Directions: Combine the butter, powdered sugar, and peanut butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until well combined. (If you have no mixer, this can be done by hand). Then mix in the toasted rice cereal. Using your hands, form into 1/2-ounce balls (the size of a large marble) and refrigerate until firm (about 1 hour). Place the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl.

Melt, adding vegetable oil partway through. After all chocolate is melted, stir until smooth. Dip the balls, one at a time into the melted white chocolate mix, using a fork to roll them around so they are entirely coated then remove them from the chocolate and set on a waxed paper lined sheet pan. Chill to set up about 30 minutes.

Separate remaining white chocolate into two bowls and add 1-2 drops of food coloring each to tint each bowl a different color. Reheat chocolate if necessary and, using a small spoon, place a dollop of the colored chocolate on the eyeball to make an iris. Use a smaller drop of the contrasting color for the pupil. Let the chocolate set, place balls in individual mini muffin papers and serve. Makes 36 balls.