A roomful of impartial journalists found the treats on this page worthy of locust-style consumption. However, if your Halloween loot needs to be eaten now, try these super-quick creations:

Milkshakes -- In a blender, mix together 2 scoops of ice cream with 1/4 cup milk until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of chopped candy bar and give it a quick whirl to blend.

Brownies -- Stir 1 cup (or more) of coarsely chopped candy bar into your favorite instant brownie mix just before pouring the batter into the pan. Bake as directed.

Cookies -- Substitute chopped candy for chocolate chips in your chocolate chip cookie dough. Or if you prefer the prepared cookie dough from the grocery store refrigerator case, sprinkle some chopped candy on top of each slice before placing in the oven.

Breakfast cereal -- Dispense with the bowl of puffed and toasted grains and instead dive into a bowl of chopped candy bars swozzled in milk. C'mon, you know you want to. . . .

DESSERT

Snickers Bar Cheesecake

Makes 12 servings

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 4-5 hours refrigeration

Baking time: 1 hour and 15-25 minutes

This bar is so creamily good that you'll be buying Snickers long past Halloween. Sprinkle chopped Snickers on top for an extra treat.

1 (9-ounce) package chocolate wafer cookies
4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) butter, melted
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cup (10 fun-size bars) Snickers, each cut into sixths

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the food processor, finely grind cookies into crumbs. Add butter and process until well-blended. Press into bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of a 10-inch springform pan.

In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and scrape down sides of bowl. Add vanilla and cream and beat for 3 to 4 minutes. Fold in Snickers pieces.

Pour into the crumb-lined pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 to 25 minutes, or until cheesecake is almost set but the center still jiggles slightly. Let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 4 to 5 hours before serving.

Per serving: 623 calories (percent of calories from fat, 60), 10 grams protein, 55 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 42 grams fat, 166 milligrams cholesterol, 385 milligrams sodium.

DESSERT

Baby Ruth Crater Bars

Makes 35 bars

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 18-20 minutes

These easy treats bear a striking resemblance to Toll House cookie bars, only with peanut butter. The recipe comes from Nestlé -- keepers of the Toll House name.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 (2.1-ounce) Baby Ruth candy bars coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 10-by-15-inch jellyroll pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, soda and salt and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Mix in the brown sugar, granulated sugar and peanut butter until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture.

Spread the dough evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with chopped Baby Ruths and press in lightly. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Per bar: 166 calories (percent of calories from fat, 41), 3 grams protein, 22 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 8 grams fat, 20 milligrams cholesterol, 124 milligrams sodium.

DESSERT

Butterfinger Banana Cake With Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 10 servings

Preparation time: 1 hour

Baking time: 30 minutes

The not-too-sweet frosting in this cake makes it a suitable breakfast . . . in any home that also judges cold pizza or leftover pie to be a suitable breakfast.

For the cake:

4 (2.1-ounce) Butterfinger bars
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup buttermilk

For the frosting:

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups (1 1/2 pounds) powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter

To prepare the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. In the food processor, coarsely chop the candy bars; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix in the mashed bananas and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk alternately to the egg mixture (in two to three additions each) and incorporate thoroughly. Fold in the chopped Butterfingers and divide the batter between the cake pans.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes on wire racks for 10 minutes. Invert onto a rack and cool completely before frosting.

To prepare the frosting: In a large mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the powdered sugar and peanut butter and mix until smooth.

To frost the cake, place one layer on a serving plate. Spread 1/4 of the frosting over the top. Place the second layer on top. Spread the remaining frosting over top and sides of the cake.

-- Adapted from "The Candy Bar Cookbook" by Alison Inches & Ric McKown (Longstreet Press, $17.95)

Per serving: 1,022 calories (percent of calories from fat, 35), 13 grams protein, 156 milligrams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 41 grams fat, 135 milligrams cholesterol, 508 milligrams sodium.

DESSERT

Cream Cheese Lemon Bars With Kit Kat Crust

Makes 25 servings

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Baking time: 18-20 minutes

The intriguing contrasts of sweet and tangy, crunchy and gooey and citrus and chocolate will leave you wanting more. Store in the refrigerator.

For the crust:

5 (1 1/2-ounce) Kit Kat bars

For the filling:

8 ounces cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Zest from one small lemon, about 1 1/2 teaspoons

For the topping:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

To prepare the crust: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, finely chop the Kit Kats. Spread evenly in an 8-by-8-inch pan, pressing lightly. Bake for 5 minutes.

To prepare the filling: Meanwhile, in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until creamy. Add powdered sugar and egg and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add lemon juice, extract and lemon zest and mix well. Pour filling evenly over the warm crust.

Prepare topping: In a medium bowl or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, lemon extract and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over the filling. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until topping is lightly browned. Cool completely, then cut into squares.

-- Adapted from "The Candy Bar Cookbook" by Alison Inches & Ric McKown (Longstreet Press, $17.95)

Per serving: 130 calories (percent of calories from fat, 42), 2 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 6 grams fat, 21 milligrams cholesterol, 43 milligrams sodium.

DESSERT

Double Peanut Butter Cups

Makes 46 servings

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Baking time: 10-12 minutes

Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are embedded in just-baked peanut butter cookies and baked in a mini-muffin pan for a sort of peanut butter cup in a peanut butter cup! Have your kids help remove the wrappers from the Reese's; it's the most work-intensive part of the recipe. Libby Cline of Dalton adapted this version from a recipe for peanut cookies topped with a Hershey's kiss. It's a holiday favorite at her home.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
46 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups miniatures, wrappers removed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line mini-muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, peanut butter, egg and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, scraping down sides when necessary. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat until blended. Drop tablespoons of dough in each prepared muffin cup. Do not flatten.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until puffed and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and immediately press a peanut butter cup onto each cookie. Cool completely in muffin pan.

Per serving: 585 calories (percent of calories from fat, 70), 23 grams protein, 22 grams carbohydrates, 1 grams fiber, 45 grams fat, 5 milligrams cholesterol, 433 milligrams sodium.

DESSERT

Mounds Brownies

Makes 20 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25-30 minutes

Melted Mounds bars are the basis for cakelike brownies.

5 (.68-ounce) Mounds bars
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2-1 cup chopped walnuts or almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the Mounds bars and shortening, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add to chocolate mixture. Stir in eggs, vanilla and nuts (if using) and blend well. Pour into the baking pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until firm. Cool slightly and cut into bars.

Per serving: 143 calories (percent of calories from fat, 46), 2 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 7 grams fat, 20 milligrams cholesterol, 64 milligrams sodium.

DESSERT

Milky Way Pain au Chocolat

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Baking time: 18-20 minutes

If Scouts had been given crescent rolls instead of graham crackers by the campfire and told to make breakfast, they might have invented this treat instead of s'mores.

2 (2.05-ounce) Milky Way bars
1 (8-ounce) container Pillsbury
Crescent Rolls
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Chop the candy bars in 1/4-inch slices. Break open the crescent roll container. The dough will be in 2 halves. Unroll dough and divide on the middle partition, taking care not to tear the diagonal perforations. There will be 4 rectangles of dough.

Place all 4 rectangles of dough on a nonstick cookie sheet with the narrower edges toward you. Sprinkle 1/4 of the chopped candy bars on top of each rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border on both sides and a 1-inch border on the end farthest from you.

Roll up the dough like a sleeping bag, beginning with the edge closest to you. If the diagonal perforations tear when rolling, gently pinch them together.

Space the pains au chocolat 2 to 3 inches apart on the cookie sheet and bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden.

While the pains au chocolat bake, prepare the chocolate glaze. Place the chocolate chips, milk and butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and heat 30 seconds on high. Stir the ingredients until smooth. If the chocolate chips do not complete melt as you stir, return to the microwave for a few more seconds and stir again.

When the rolls are finished baking, remove from oven and drizzle 2 or 3 stripes of glaze over each. Allow the pains au chocolat to cool about 10 minutes before serving. -- Adapted from "The Candy Bar Cookbook" by Alison Inches & Ric Mc-Kown (Longstreet Press, $17.95).

Per serving: 541 calories (percent of calories from fat, 81), 8 grams protein, 61 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 32 grams fat, 57 milligrams cholesterol, 480 milligrams sodium.

DESSERT

Candy Cake Bars

Makes 20 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 35-40 minutes

"The Cake Mix Doctor" comes to the rescue for leftover candy. Use whatever you have on hand for these blondielike treats.

1 (18 1/4-ounce) yellow cake mix
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 cup (about 7 mini bars) candy pieces, such as Snickers, Butterfinger and so on

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix the cake mix, brown sugar, butter and eggs with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Blend again on low speed for 1 minute. Fold in the candy until well distributed. Pour the batter into an ungreased 9-by-13-inch baking pan, distributing the batter so it reaches the corners. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack before cutting. -- Adapted from "The Cake Mix Doctor" by Anne Byrn (Workman, $14.95)

Per serving: 235 calories (percent of calories from fat, 40), 2 grams protein, 34 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 11 grams fat, 33 milligrams cholesterol, 236 milligrams sodium.