Pumpkin Caramel Halloween Cookie Bark

Pumpkin Caramel Halloween Bark

It’s no secret to my friends and family that Halloween is one of my most favorite holidays. As soon as my twins were old enough to sit up in their highchairs I had them cooking and crafting for Halloween. Each year our activities grew grander and our creativity in the kitchen did too! A few years ago I combined two of our all time favorite recipes, Pumpkin Caramel and Chocolate Cookie Bark together and confected this almost to pretty to eat Halloween treat! I promise you won’t be disappointed and either will the Ghosts and Goblins in your life!

 

Pumpkin Caramel Halloween Bark

Ingredients

1 batch Pumpkin Caramel (see recipe)

28 Kiebler Fudge Shoppe Fudge Stripes Cookies

75 pretzel squares

2 pounds white chocolate morsels

½ cup Nestle Sno Caps

1/2 cup Reese’s Pieces Candies or M&M

2 tablespoons chocolate covered sunflower seeds

½ cup Brachs Autumn candy corn & pumpkin candy mix ( cut pumpkins in half)

2 tablespoons Halloween candy sprinkles

Pumpkin Caramel Ingredients

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup canned pumpkin purée

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

21/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cups light corn syrup

1/4 cups water

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Step-by-Step

1  Line bottom of 15×11 sided cookie sheet with waxed paper; lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray

2  Arrange cookies right side up in rows closely together; place pretzels pieces on top; set aside

3  In small saucepan combine heavy cream, pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie spice; heat until just before boil point; remove from heat set aside

4  Combine sugar, syrup and water in a heavy bottomed saucepan fitted with candy thermometer

5  Bring mixture to a rolling boil until it reaches 240°F the soft ball stage on a candy thermometer

6  Carefully add pumpkin cream to boiling sugar mixture; mix well; bring mixture to 230°F on candy thermometer; continuously stir during this process, to prevent caramel from burning and sticking to bottom of pan

Note: be patient the flavor of this caramel is incredible, and well worth the wait; the entire caramel process may take 30 to 40 minutes

7  Remove Pumpkin Caramel from heat immediately; add butter and vanilla; mix well

8  Spread hot caramel evenly over tops of pretzels; covering completely

9  Place 2 inches of water in bottom section of double boiler pan; place chocolate morsels in top section of double boiler pan; securely fit pan to bottom section

10  Place over medium high heat; stir until chocolate completely melts;

11  Immediately spread melted chocolate evenly over caramel

12  While chocolate is warm scatter Sno Cap’s, Reese’s Pieces, chocolate covered sunflower seeds, candy corns and pumpkin candies, and top with Halloween candy sprinkles

13  Allow Halloween Bark to cool six hours before cutting into pieces

*Note: Will keep five days in airtight container at room temperature