Sweeten Your Halloween Party!
Let's face it: Halloween is all about the candy.
Americans spend approximately $2 billion a year on Halloween candy -- more than on Christmas, Easter or Valentines Day, making Halloween the highest-grossing holiday of the year for the candy industry.
And nobody knows sweets better than candy expert extraordinaire Dylan Lauren, founder and CEO of the Dylan's Candy Bar chain and author of "Dylan's Candy Bar -- Unwrap Your Sweet Life."
She stopped by the "Early Show" plaza Wednesday with tips for making this year's Halloween deliciously scary. She had some ghoulish gummy skewers that are great for the kids, showed how to make a Halloween-themed centerpiece for a more adult party, and discussed this years' big Halloween trend: vampires.
Dylan says candy is more than a product we consume, but can also be an artful masterpiece. Her book features mouthwatering candy recipes, inventive candy craft ideas and ways to entertain with candy.
And what better time than Halloween to have fun with candies that are not only delicious but that, with some creativity, add just the right amount of shock value for your guests or on your table.
Dylan demonstrated a great, kid-friendly activity perfect for any Halloween party. She skewered gummy insects such as spiders, flies and larvae and dipped them in a cauldron of mud (chocolate sauce). Not only do the kids get to play with their treats, but who can resist making a mess dipping them in the gooey chocolate sauce?!
Her next idea is ideal for the Halloween or fall dinner party. An easy and elegant way to add some simple festive décor to your home without going overboard is to fill votives of different sizes with candy corn. Fill the votives, place a candle on top and place them all around your home to help get in the holiday spirit.
Finally, she served up some of this year's trendiest candy. From "True Blood" to "Twilight," vampires have been everywhere this year, and this Halloween, they're popping up on candy store shelves, too!