Candy Train

When I was a teenager, my mother taught us how to make a Candy Train. They are so much easier than graham cracker or gingerbread houses. I remembered the idea and after I had children, we began making candy trains each Christmas.

Emily and Jennifer with their masterpiece.

If you want to make a candy train, this is what you'll need.

• 2 large Snickers, Milky Way, or Three Musketeer candy bars.
  
• M&Ms (for the coal car)
  
• Tootsie Rolls (for the log car)
• 12 Peppermint drops for the wheels
• skinny licorice or straight pretzels for the train tracks. (optional--we don't do this every year.)
• Two Rollo's for the smoke stack
• One Hershey Kiss to go on top of the two Rollos.
• Two Ande's Mints for the sides of the locomotive
• Gummy Bears or Wrapped Christmas chocolates--Santa, snowmen, bells, and gifts are fun.
• Sugared orange slice for the "cow catcher." (I don't always buy this either because we aren't the biggest fan of this kind of candy.)
• Gum drop for the headlight (or a yellow life saver.)
  
• Any other kind of candy that you might want to use.

Cut one candy bar into a 1/3 to 2/3 ratio. This will be the locomotive. The smaller piece will be attached to the back of the larger piece. You will take the two Rollo candy pieces and attach to the front for the smoke stack. Don't forget the Hershey Kiss on top! Attach the Ande's Mints to the sides of the locomotive between the smoke stack and the back. Now you have a little compartment to put your chocolate Santa or Gummy Bears.

Take the other candy bar and cut it in half. These will be the two cars in the train. Pile M&M's on one car and Tootsie Rolls on the other. Attach peppermint drops to the base of each car for the wheels.

You will also need a firm frosting to "glue" everything together. We like this one.

Sonie Frosting

1/2 c. shortening
2 c. powdered sugar.
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 T. milk

Cream shortening and powdered sugar together. Add vanilla and milk and blend well.

One year, Ron and I home and visit taught several families with young children. We made each family a candy train. The kids thought we were the BEST!

However, over the years, our sweet, Christmasy candy trains have taken on a dramatic flair.

We had a Mexican Fiesta train one year--complete with an aluminum foil pinata. I believe Jennifer was the inspiration for that train.

Viva Mexico!

Do you see the tin foil pinata?

Do you see the flag of Mexico and the Smarties Sombreros?

Last year, with Dustin's assistance via phone, this is what Heather and Emily came up with.

It looks cute, doesn't it? Santa almost looks like he's winking at you!

However, if you look at the bigger picture, this is a 911 candy train--complete with lego ambulance, lego men carrying a stretcher, and a very sad victim. I'm not sure if the victim was run over by the train. I hope not.

Not such a Holly Jolly Christmas.

A close up of the tragic scene.

If you decide to make Candy Trains for families with young children, you'll probably want to skip the gore and stick with Christmasy sweetness. However, if you have teenagers, they'll enjoy coming up with all kinds of interesting scenes!