Candy Graduation Caps

My sister graduated from high school the other day! But this recipe can be used for any type of graduation. High school, college, preschool, what have you. Our high school colors were blue and silver (they were navy blue and cyan when I was a freshman, though, so I like to say that our colors are blue and blue), but this can be done with any school color. In a few years, I see myself making this with purple (the color for University of Portland).

Making these candies is a lot simpler than it looks. It does, however, require two shopping trips: one trip to any craft supplies store, and one to your regular grocery store.

Ingredients:

12 chilled but not frozen Reese's Cups

12 chocolate squares

12 M&M's of your school's color

1 colored licorice rope of your school's color

12 candy sticks (the kind used for lollipops)

Candy Melts (chocolate is probably the best idea. I used Vanilla, but mistakes show very easily with this one).

Recipe:

First, cut the colored licorice into about two inch sections. Then, either pull the licorice apart or cut it apart so that you have a thin two inch rope, which will look like a tassel.

Next, melt the candy melts. Follow the instructions on the package, but generally this is done by melting in the microwave, on defrost or half power. You won't need the whole package. Just a handful should do. If the candy melts harden while you're working, just microwave it again. That's the best part. You can always go back and reuse. It's not really that time sensitive.

While you melt the candy melts, unwrap your chocolates and Reese's cups.

Once you've done that, take one candy stick and dip the end into the melted candy melts. Take this end and insert it into an upside down Reese's cup.

After the candy melt has hardened so that the sticks are firm in the cups, coat the top of your Reese's cup with melted candy melts and place a chocolate square on top. Let this harden, too, so that it looks like a graduation cap and is firm in its shape.

Next, stick the "tassel" (licorice rope) on the top using melted candy melts as glue. I used the tip of a sharp knife as my paint brush. Be sure to make the line as thin as possible (or even better, paint half of the licorice rope and then place it firmly on the top of the cap.

Then, paint the "M" half of the M&M with melted candy melts. Place this in the center of the top of your cap.

And now you're done. You have candy graduation caps that, once the candy melts have hardened, will stay together and be enjoyed by all your graduation party guests. Do be sure to clean up your mess as quickly as possible. If your candy melts have hardened in your mug, melt them again before you clean, which will make it significantly easier to clean.

These candies were a hit at my sister's graduation party. They'll be a hit at yours too. They're a lot more personal than candies you might find at the grocery store, but a lot easier than other graduation-themed treats that you might make for your party. I found a similar candy on Pinterest but it didn't come with a recipe. So, I used ideas from this How To. There are several different ways to make this candy, but this is, by far, the easiest. And it can be done in a dorm kitchen. All you need is a mug and a microwave, as well as all the ingredients.

Happy graduation to all the graduates out there!

Dorm Food

Subscribe in a reader

Thursday of Thankfulness: Number 1

Since it’s November and November is the month of thankfulness, I have decided to share what I’m most thankful for, every Thursday of November. The first thing I am thankful for: my school.

My original reasons to attend the University of Portland were selfish. I started out looking only at schools on the East Coast because, simply put, I wanted to escape. I felt trapped in my hometown: trapped by the fog, trapped by its smallness, trapped by its set-in-stone values. I wanted to get away from my family, my friends, and everything previous in my life. I wanted to start over.

As my junior year of high school came to a close, my world was shaken in a way I couldn’t understand. I was suddenly forced to come to terms with the fact that life doesn’t last forever. As I came to terms with this fact, I was supported by my wonderful friends and family, the same people I had previously decided to cast aside. This made me appreciate them more and helped me to realize that I needed to be closer to them. So, I began looking for schools that were close enough to my home that I could go home if I ever needed to without being burdened by the expense of airfare, while still being far enough away that I would discover that new environment I so desperately desired. This is how I found the University of Portland. It took one look at the website to make it my second choice school (my first choice was Oberlin College in Ohio, though it was a reach). Then, when I came for a visit, I realized that not only was it the school for me, but it was home. The University of Portland provides the sense of community support that I needed. I felt honored to have been chosen to join this close community, though being accepted to the school was a long and extraordinarily stressful process. The campus was pretty but completely different from my hometown: there were crosses scattered about the campus, everyone owned bicycles, and the trees all had leaves! I quickly found myself exploring the campus with confidence and I still have that feeling today.

My second reason for choosing the University of Portland is less selfish. The University of Portland will help me serve my community. The University of Portland (students and staff) volunteers more hours each year than any other college of a similar size. There are so many opportunities to volunteer that it seems almost strange not to. I haven’t volunteered as much as I originally intended to because I simply have too many time commitments. Still, I have been serving the community as much as possible. Through the School of Education, I have been visiting a classroom for a minimum of three hours every week (as a requirement for my major in Elementary Education). To do this as a freshman is simply astonishing. I not only observe the teacher as he teaches, but I actually get to work with the students. I get help them when they need it by answering questions, providing feedback, and guiding them in their studies. I do not teach them, I help them, but simply to be able to do this is so incredible and I appreciate it immensely.

So, I am thankful for my school. I am thankful for the fact that it feels like home. I am thankful for the sense of community. I am thankful for the friends that I have made. I am thankful for the lessons I have learned in and out of the classroom. I am thankful for the opportunities the University of Portland has offered me. I am thankful that I was accepted into this school so I could learn the scholastic lessons taught to me in class and the life lessons taught to me through the school’s emphasis on community and service. I am thankful for the chance to be and proud that I am indeed a Pilot.

Dorm Food

 Subscribe in a reader