Christmas Cake Pops: Rudolph the red nose Reindeer!!!

 

Here is another Christmas Cake Pop: Rudolph the red nose Reindeer!! I love the Pretzel antlers. You have to be very gentle with them. I had to transport mine to a party, so I did a trick to make them more sturdy and kid friendly. I’ll share that at the end of the post. Let’s get started!
 
What you will need:

· Cake balls or truffle balls - I used a cake pop maker to make my cake balls from a cake mix. But, you could make the traditional cake ball method from Bakerella (the QUEEN of cake pops)

· Lollipop sticks

· Milk Chocolate and Green Candy Wafers

· Paramount Crystals (They make the chocolate very smooth. But, you could use shortening too)

· Edible Black Food pen (or use a little dark chocolate)

· Toothpick

· Small pretzels

· Red candies - I used Red Hots. But, you could use red M&Ms

· Drying Rack (or a large Styrofoam block)

Steps:

1) Melt the Milk Chocolate according to the package instructions or follow mine!

2) Dip the tip of a lollipop stick into the chocolate and insert no more than half way into a cake ball. Repeat for all your cake balls. Place in the refrigerator for a few minutes to harden the chocolate.

3) Time to dip! Make sure the brown chocolate is at the perfect temperature (No dry chocolate on the sides of the bowl and if you put a small amount of chocolate on your lip you don’t feel anything- no heat and not cold). If it’s not the perfect temperature, put it back into the microwave for ten second intervals at 50% power until it’s perfect.

4) Dip the balls into the flesh colored chocolate. DO NOT STIR! Try to cover the whole ball in one dipping. Tap off the excess by gently tapping the stick against your wrist or the edge of the bowl. Place in the drying rack (or a block of Styrofoam).

5) Use the toothpick to put a little chocolate in the middle of the ball and place the nose on top. I used Red Hots for the noses.

6) Use the edible pen to add eyes and a smile.

7) Now for the Antlers: Use the toothpick to place a little chocolate on the bottom of a pretzel and place on the reindeer. You can place the pretzel on the top of the head or a bit behind. I put them behind. Repeat for the other antler.

8) Now, if I were serving these at home, I would stop at step 7. But, if you need to transport these, the antlers will pop right off. So, here is my fix: I melted green chocolate and places a 1 inch by 1 inch circle of green chocolate on a Silpat (or wax paper). Then I laid the Reindeer on the chocolate and pressed very gently into the chocolate. This secured the pretzels to the cake pop. Not one was broken by the hyper, little kids. BUT, I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE!!!!! Trust me, they are cute!

I hope you enjoy making these! I just love them!

Items I used and where to get them:

 

Here is another Christmas Cake Pop: Rudolph the red nose Reindeer!! I love the Pretzel antlers. You have to be very gentle with them. I had to transport mine to a party, so I did a trick to make them more sturdy and kid friendly. I’ll share that at the end of the post. Let’s get started!
 
What you will need:

· Cake balls or truffle balls - I used a cake pop maker to make my cake balls from a cake mix. But, you could make the traditional cake ball method from Bakerella (the QUEEN of cake pops)

· Lollipop sticks

· Milk Chocolate and Green Candy Wafers

· Paramount Crystals (They make the chocolate very smooth. But, you could use shortening too)

· Edible Black Food pen (or use a little dark chocolate)

· Toothpick

· Small pretzels

· Red candies - I used Red Hots. But, you could use red M&Ms

· Drying Rack (or a large Styrofoam block)

Steps:

1) Melt the Milk Chocolate according to the package instructions or follow mine!

2) Dip the tip of a lollipop stick into the chocolate and insert no more than half way into a cake ball. Repeat for all your cake balls. Place in the refrigerator for a few minutes to harden the chocolate.

3) Time to dip! Make sure the brown chocolate is at the perfect temperature (No dry chocolate on the sides of the bowl and if you put a small amount of chocolate on your lip you don’t feel anything- no heat and not cold). If it’s not the perfect temperature, put it back into the microwave for ten second intervals at 50% power until it’s perfect.

4) Dip the balls into the flesh colored chocolate. DO NOT STIR! Try to cover the whole ball in one dipping. Tap off the excess by gently tapping the stick against your wrist or the edge of the bowl. Place in the drying rack (or a block of Styrofoam).

5) Use the toothpick to put a little chocolate in the middle of the ball and place the nose on top. I used Red Hots for the noses.

6) Use the edible pen to add eyes and a smile.

7) Now for the Antlers: Use the toothpick to place a little chocolate on the bottom of a pretzel and place on the reindeer. You can place the pretzel on the top of the head or a bit behind. I put them behind. Repeat for the other antler.

8) Now, if I were serving these at home, I would stop at step 7. But, if you need to transport these, the antlers will pop right off. So, here is my fix: I melted green chocolate and places a 1 inch by 1 inch circle of green chocolate on a Silpat (or wax paper). Then I laid the Reindeer on the chocolate and pressed very gently into the chocolate. This secured the pretzels to the cake pop. Not one was broken by the hyper, little kids. BUT, I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE!!!!! Trust me, they are cute!

I hope you enjoy making these! I just love them!

Items I used and where to get them:

Forget Elf on a Shelf! Try Elves on a Stick! Elf Cake Pops are yummy!

 

To go with the Santa Cake Pops, I made Elves! I love the ears!!

What you will need:

· Cake balls or truffle balls - I used a cake pop maker to make my cake balls from a cake mix. But, you could make the traditional cake ball method from Bakerella (the QUEEN of cake pops). You can use any flavor you want.  I used White cake mix.

· Lollipop sticks

· Pink, Yellow, White, Green and Red Chocolate Candy Wafers

· Paramount Crystals (They make the chocolate very smooth. But, you could use shortening too)

· Edible Black Food pen (or use a little dark chocolate)

· Toothpicks

· A sandwich bag (like a small Ziploc bag)

· Red Candies- I used red M&Ms. But, you could use red gumballs, jelly bellies or anything round-ish

· Drying Rack (or a large Styrofoam block)

Steps:

1) To make the Caucasian skin color: Mix 1 part yellow, 2 parts white and 4 parts pink in a bowl. Keep in mind that the chocolate will dry a little darker and pinker than when it’s wet. I also added a teaspoon of Paramount Crystals (or a teaspoon of Shortening). Melt the chocolate according to the instructions or follow mine.

2) Dip the tip of a lollipop stick into the chocolate and insert no more than half way into a cake ball. Repeat for all your cake balls. Place in the refrigerator for a few minutes to harden the chocolate.

3) Time to dip! Make sure the skin colored chocolate is at the perfect temperature (No dry chocolate on the sides of the bowl and if you put a small amount of chocolate on your lip you don’t feel anything- no heat and not cold). If it’s not the perfect temperature, put it back into the microwave for ten second intervals at 50% power until it’s perfect.

4) Dip the balls into the flesh colored chocolate. DO NOT STIR! Try to cover the whole ball in one dipping. Tap off the excess by gently tapping the stick against your wrist or the edge of the bowl. Place in the drying rack (or a block of Styrofoam). I double dipped the pops (dipped, dried and then dipped again) to make sure I had a smooth surface.

The ones on the left are double dipped. The right, only once. Can you see the difference?

5) Now to decorate!! Melt 8 oz. of green chocolate. Dip a little less than half of the ball into the green chocolate and place in the drying rack. Add your red candy for the ball on top of the green before it is dry!

6) Reheat the flesh color chocolate. Use a toothpick to make the nose on each Santa. Fill a sandwich bag with ½ cup of the flesh color chocolate and snip the corner of the bag (just a little bit!). Use the bag to pipe an upside down teardrop on each side of the head.

7) If you would like rosy cheeks, grab a red chocolate wafer. Rub your finger over the chocolate until a little chocolate transfers to your finger. Rub on the cheeks for a cute rosy glow!

8) Time for the Red trim! Melt about 4 oz of red chocolate. Use your toothpick to place a line of chocolate around the edge of the hat (for the fur trim). Use the toothpick to swirl the chocolate so it looks like fur.

9) Use the edible pen to add eyes and a smile.

If you want to find some of the products I used online, check out these on Amazon:

 

To go with the Santa Cake Pops, I made Elves! I love the ears!!

What you will need:

· Cake balls or truffle balls - I used a cake pop maker to make my cake balls from a cake mix. But, you could make the traditional cake ball method from Bakerella (the QUEEN of cake pops). You can use any flavor you want.  I used White cake mix.

· Lollipop sticks

· Pink, Yellow, White, Green and Red Chocolate Candy Wafers

· Paramount Crystals (They make the chocolate very smooth. But, you could use shortening too)

· Edible Black Food pen (or use a little dark chocolate)

· Toothpicks

· A sandwich bag (like a small Ziploc bag)

· Red Candies- I used red M&Ms. But, you could use red gumballs, jelly bellies or anything round-ish

· Drying Rack (or a large Styrofoam block)

Steps:

1) To make the Caucasian skin color: Mix 1 part yellow, 2 parts white and 4 parts pink in a bowl. Keep in mind that the chocolate will dry a little darker and pinker than when it’s wet. I also added a teaspoon of Paramount Crystals (or a teaspoon of Shortening). Melt the chocolate according to the instructions or follow mine.

2) Dip the tip of a lollipop stick into the chocolate and insert no more than half way into a cake ball. Repeat for all your cake balls. Place in the refrigerator for a few minutes to harden the chocolate.

3) Time to dip! Make sure the skin colored chocolate is at the perfect temperature (No dry chocolate on the sides of the bowl and if you put a small amount of chocolate on your lip you don’t feel anything- no heat and not cold). If it’s not the perfect temperature, put it back into the microwave for ten second intervals at 50% power until it’s perfect.

4) Dip the balls into the flesh colored chocolate. DO NOT STIR! Try to cover the whole ball in one dipping. Tap off the excess by gently tapping the stick against your wrist or the edge of the bowl. Place in the drying rack (or a block of Styrofoam). I double dipped the pops (dipped, dried and then dipped again) to make sure I had a smooth surface.

The ones on the left are double dipped. The right, only once. Can you see the difference?

5) Now to decorate!! Melt 8 oz. of green chocolate. Dip a little less than half of the ball into the green chocolate and place in the drying rack. Add your red candy for the ball on top of the green before it is dry!

6) Reheat the flesh color chocolate. Use a toothpick to make the nose on each Santa. Fill a sandwich bag with ½ cup of the flesh color chocolate and snip the corner of the bag (just a little bit!). Use the bag to pipe an upside down teardrop on each side of the head.

7) If you would like rosy cheeks, grab a red chocolate wafer. Rub your finger over the chocolate until a little chocolate transfers to your finger. Rub on the cheeks for a cute rosy glow!

8) Time for the Red trim! Melt about 4 oz of red chocolate. Use your toothpick to place a line of chocolate around the edge of the hat (for the fur trim). Use the toothpick to swirl the chocolate so it looks like fur.

9) Use the edible pen to add eyes and a smile.

If you want to find some of the products I used online, check out these on Amazon:

Christmas Cake Pops: Santa!!

 
I had the honor to be Santa’s little helper for our church and I got to make 70 cake pops! I loved every minute of it! I made Santas, Elves and Reindeer. This post is for Santa, but the Elves and Reindeer are on their way!

What you will need:

· Cake balls or truffle balls - I used a cake pop maker to make my cake balls from a cake mix. But, you could make the traditional cake ball method from Bakerella (the QUEEN of cake pops).

· Lollipop sticks

· Pink, Yellow, White and Red Chocolate Candy Wafers

· Paramount Crystals (They make the chocolate very smooth. But, you could use shortening too)

· Edible Black Food pen (or use a little dark chocolate)

· Toothpicks

· White candies - I used white M&Ms. But, you could use white gumballs, jaw breakers or anything round-ish

· Drying Rack (or a large Styrofoam block)

Steps:
1) To make the Caucasian skin color: Mix 1 part yellow, 2 parts white and 4 parts pink in a bowl. Keep in mind that the chocolate will dry a little darker and pinker than when it’s wet. I also added a teaspoon of Paramount Crystals (or a teaspoon of Shortening). Melt the chocolate according to the instructions or follow mine.

2) Dip the tip of a lollipop stick into the chocolate and insert no more than half way into a cake ball. Repeat for all your cake balls. Place in the refrigerator for a few minutes to harden the chocolate.

3) Time to dip! Make sure the skin colored chocolate is at the perfect temperature (No dry chocolate on the sides of the bowl and if you put a small amount of chocolate on your lip you don’t feel anything- no heat and not cold). If it’s not the perfect temperature, put it back into the microwave for ten second intervals at 50% power until it’s perfect.

4) Dip the balls into the flesh colored chocolate. DO NOT STIR! Try to cover the whole ball in one dipping. Tap off the excess by gently tapping the stick against your wrist or the edge of the bowl. Place in the drying rack (or a block of Styrofoam). I double dipped the pops (dipped, dried and then dipped again) to make sure I had a smooth surface.

The ones on the left are double dipped. The right, only once. Can you see the difference.

5) Now to decorate!! Melt 8 oz. of red chocolate. Dip a little less than half of the ball into the red chocolate and place in the drying rack. Add your white candy for the ball on top of the red before it is dry!

6) Reheat the flesh color chocolate. Use a toothpick to make the nose on each Santa.

7) If you would like rosy cheeks, grab a red chocolate wafer. Rub your finger over the chocolate until a little chocolate transfers to your finger. Rub on the cheeks for a cute rosy glow!

8) Time for the White stuff! Melt about 4 oz of white chocolate. Use your toothpick to place a line of chocolate around the edge of the hat (for the fur trim). Use the toothpick to swirl the chocolate so it looks like fur.

9) Use your toothpick to add chocolate in a ‘beard’ shape on Santa’s face. Use the toothpick to swirl the chocolate to add texture for the hair. Use the toothpick to add a little mustache under the nose.

10) Use the edible pen to add eyes and a smile.

There he is, the fat man himself! They are really fun to make and I hope you get a chance!

Some supplies I used on Amazon:

 
I had the honor to be Santa’s little helper for our church and I got to make 70 cake pops! I loved every minute of it! I made Santas, Elves and Reindeer. This post is for Santa, but the Elves and Reindeer are on their way!

What you will need:

· Cake balls or truffle balls - I used a cake pop maker to make my cake balls from a cake mix. But, you could make the traditional cake ball method from Bakerella (the QUEEN of cake pops).

· Lollipop sticks

· Pink, Yellow, White and Red Chocolate Candy Wafers

· Paramount Crystals (They make the chocolate very smooth. But, you could use shortening too)

· Edible Black Food pen (or use a little dark chocolate)

· Toothpicks

· White candies - I used white M&Ms. But, you could use white gumballs, jaw breakers or anything round-ish

· Drying Rack (or a large Styrofoam block)

Steps:
1) To make the Caucasian skin color: Mix 1 part yellow, 2 parts white and 4 parts pink in a bowl. Keep in mind that the chocolate will dry a little darker and pinker than when it’s wet. I also added a teaspoon of Paramount Crystals (or a teaspoon of Shortening). Melt the chocolate according to the instructions or follow mine.

2) Dip the tip of a lollipop stick into the chocolate and insert no more than half way into a cake ball. Repeat for all your cake balls. Place in the refrigerator for a few minutes to harden the chocolate.

3) Time to dip! Make sure the skin colored chocolate is at the perfect temperature (No dry chocolate on the sides of the bowl and if you put a small amount of chocolate on your lip you don’t feel anything- no heat and not cold). If it’s not the perfect temperature, put it back into the microwave for ten second intervals at 50% power until it’s perfect.

4) Dip the balls into the flesh colored chocolate. DO NOT STIR! Try to cover the whole ball in one dipping. Tap off the excess by gently tapping the stick against your wrist or the edge of the bowl. Place in the drying rack (or a block of Styrofoam). I double dipped the pops (dipped, dried and then dipped again) to make sure I had a smooth surface.

The ones on the left are double dipped. The right, only once. Can you see the difference.

5) Now to decorate!! Melt 8 oz. of red chocolate. Dip a little less than half of the ball into the red chocolate and place in the drying rack. Add your white candy for the ball on top of the red before it is dry!

6) Reheat the flesh color chocolate. Use a toothpick to make the nose on each Santa.

7) If you would like rosy cheeks, grab a red chocolate wafer. Rub your finger over the chocolate until a little chocolate transfers to your finger. Rub on the cheeks for a cute rosy glow!

8) Time for the White stuff! Melt about 4 oz of white chocolate. Use your toothpick to place a line of chocolate around the edge of the hat (for the fur trim). Use the toothpick to swirl the chocolate so it looks like fur.

9) Use your toothpick to add chocolate in a ‘beard’ shape on Santa’s face. Use the toothpick to swirl the chocolate to add texture for the hair. Use the toothpick to add a little mustache under the nose.

10) Use the edible pen to add eyes and a smile.

There he is, the fat man himself! They are really fun to make and I hope you get a chance!

Some supplies I used on Amazon:

Santa Hat Truffle Pops filled with Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch! Gluten free and yummy!!

 

Have you ever made Muddy Buddies from the recipe on the side of a Chex cereal box? Well, this recipe is inspired by that recipe. I love the chocolate peanut butter crunch and I thought it would be great on a stick! Since, we are getting close to Christmas; I decide to make Santa Hats. I took the idea for the hats from Bakerella, the queen of cake pops.



What you will need for the Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch:
· ½ cup of Milk Chocolate chips
· ½ cup of Creamy Peanut Butter
· 2 Tablespoons of Butter
· ½ teaspoon of Vanilla (I always forget to put that in the picture!!)
· 4 ½ cups of Rice Chex turned into 1 ½ cups of crumbs
· ½ cup powdered sugar

My monkey steals a few Chex. I was surprised it wasn’t the chocolate chips!

Steps:
1) Combine Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Butter in a large microwave safe bowl (large enough to stir in the Chex later). Place the bowl in the microwave for 1 minute.
2) Add the Vanilla and stir. The chocolate and butter should be melted and the mixture should be smooth.
3) Add in the Chex crumbs and powdered sugar. Stir to combine.
4) Mold the mixture into any shape you want. For the Santa Hats, mold it into a cone shape. This recipe makes about 18 cones.

5) Allow the cones to cool and harden. I left them on the counter for 2 hours.

 
What you will need for the Santa Hats:
· 8 oz of White Chocolate Candy Melts
· 8 oz of Red Candy Melts
· 18 lollipop sticks
· Paramount Crystals (not needed, but makes the chocolate nice and smooth)
· Clear Sanding Sugar
· 18 Round Balls (I used Pretzel M &Ms, but you could use yogurt covered raisins, white gumballs or any other round candy you like.)
· A food grade paint brush (found at any craft store in the candy section)
· A drying rack. Like the one in the pictures? My hubby made it! And I think I’ll do a give away with another one.
 
Steps for Santa Hats:

1) Melt your White Chocolate according to the back of the package or follow my steps found here.
2) Dip the bottom 1/3 of the cone in the chocolate and insert your lollipop stick. Do this gently and don’t go in more than half way.

Please ignore the big, prego belly in the shots!

3) Insert in the drying rack and allow to set.

Mr. Wonderful loves this shot. He calls it his action shot because you can see me dipping in the background. ;)

4) Melt the Red Chocolate according to the back of the package or follow my steps found here.
5) Dip the top 2/3 of each cone into the Red Chocolate. To get the excess chocolate off, I gently swung the pop upside down to release the chocolate.

6) Place in the drying rack and add your candy ball to the top. I had a diaper (well, my son had a diaper) emergency right after I dipped my hats. So, I added my balls on top after the red had dried with a little melted chocolate as the glue. But, it is so much easier if you add it while the red coating is still wet. Allow to set.

7) If you used a white candy ball, skip this step. If you didn’t (like me), dip the ball (that’s ‘glued’ to the hat) in white chocolate and allow to set.

8) You could be done now, but it’s Christmas!!! You need some sparkle! Plus it hides a number of mistakes!
9) I used a food grade paint brush for this step. I simply painted on extra white chocolate on the trim and ball of the hats and dusted with Sanding Sugar. It works best if you ‘paint’ an inch of trim and then dust with sugar. And repeat!

Now, I know the Pretzel M&Ms aren’t gluten free, but if I was making these for someone that needs gluten free, I would use a gumball or a Peanut Butter M&M for the ball.



The filling is really yummy and the hats are pretty cute. Happy Holidays and Enjoy!!

 

Have you ever made Muddy Buddies from the recipe on the side of a Chex cereal box? Well, this recipe is inspired by that recipe. I love the chocolate peanut butter crunch and I thought it would be great on a stick! Since, we are getting close to Christmas; I decide to make Santa Hats. I took the idea for the hats from Bakerella, the queen of cake pops.



What you will need for the Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch:
· ½ cup of Milk Chocolate chips
· ½ cup of Creamy Peanut Butter
· 2 Tablespoons of Butter
· ½ teaspoon of Vanilla (I always forget to put that in the picture!!)
· 4 ½ cups of Rice Chex turned into 1 ½ cups of crumbs
· ½ cup powdered sugar

My monkey steals a few Chex. I was surprised it wasn’t the chocolate chips!

Steps:
1) Combine Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Butter in a large microwave safe bowl (large enough to stir in the Chex later). Place the bowl in the microwave for 1 minute.
2) Add the Vanilla and stir. The chocolate and butter should be melted and the mixture should be smooth.
3) Add in the Chex crumbs and powdered sugar. Stir to combine.
4) Mold the mixture into any shape you want. For the Santa Hats, mold it into a cone shape. This recipe makes about 18 cones.

5) Allow the cones to cool and harden. I left them on the counter for 2 hours.

 
What you will need for the Santa Hats:
· 8 oz of White Chocolate Candy Melts
· 8 oz of Red Candy Melts
· 18 lollipop sticks
· Paramount Crystals (not needed, but makes the chocolate nice and smooth)
· Clear Sanding Sugar
· 18 Round Balls (I used Pretzel M &Ms, but you could use yogurt covered raisins, white gumballs or any other round candy you like.)
· A food grade paint brush (found at any craft store in the candy section)
· A drying rack. Like the one in the pictures? My hubby made it! And I think I’ll do a give away with another one.
 
Steps for Santa Hats:

1) Melt your White Chocolate according to the back of the package or follow my steps found here.
2) Dip the bottom 1/3 of the cone in the chocolate and insert your lollipop stick. Do this gently and don’t go in more than half way.

Please ignore the big, prego belly in the shots!

3) Insert in the drying rack and allow to set.

Mr. Wonderful loves this shot. He calls it his action shot because you can see me dipping in the background. ;)

4) Melt the Red Chocolate according to the back of the package or follow my steps found here.
5) Dip the top 2/3 of each cone into the Red Chocolate. To get the excess chocolate off, I gently swung the pop upside down to release the chocolate.

6) Place in the drying rack and add your candy ball to the top. I had a diaper (well, my son had a diaper) emergency right after I dipped my hats. So, I added my balls on top after the red had dried with a little melted chocolate as the glue. But, it is so much easier if you add it while the red coating is still wet. Allow to set.

7) If you used a white candy ball, skip this step. If you didn’t (like me), dip the ball (that’s ‘glued’ to the hat) in white chocolate and allow to set.

8) You could be done now, but it’s Christmas!!! You need some sparkle! Plus it hides a number of mistakes!
9) I used a food grade paint brush for this step. I simply painted on extra white chocolate on the trim and ball of the hats and dusted with Sanding Sugar. It works best if you ‘paint’ an inch of trim and then dust with sugar. And repeat!

Now, I know the Pretzel M&Ms aren’t gluten free, but if I was making these for someone that needs gluten free, I would use a gumball or a Peanut Butter M&M for the ball.



The filling is really yummy and the hats are pretty cute. Happy Holidays and Enjoy!!

Peppermint Bark shaped like Christmas Trees! Just use a Silicone Tree Shaped Ice Cube tray!

 

I love peppermint and I love peppermint bark. But, I’m not a fan of the look of the traditional recipe. So, I was shopping at the dollar store and found Christmas tree shaped Ice cube trays. And I thought I could use those for candy making! And I did!



What you will need:

· 16 ounces of Dark Chocolate (my favorite) or Semi Sweet Chocolate. I used Candy Melts, but you could use chips or bark.
· 16 ounces of White Chocolate. Again, I used Candy Melts, but chips and bark work.
· 8 crushed Candy Canes.
· Silicone Ice Cube trays. They have all shapes. Find one you like!

· 2 Plastic Sandwich bags
 
Steps:

1) Melt your Dark or Semi Sweet Chocolate. Don’t know how? Check out this post on tempering chocolate.
2) Pour the chocolate into a sandwich bag and snip the corner of the bag. Pour about half a tablespoon of chocolate into each mold. Tap the mold on the counter to get the chocolate level and get all the air bubbles out. Allow the chocolate to set.

3) Melt your White Chocolate.
4) Pour the chocolate into a sandwich bag and snip the corner of the bag. Pour about half a tablespoon of chocolate into each mold. Tap the mold on the counter to get the chocolate level and get all the air bubbles out. Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle the top of each mold with crushed Candy Cane.

5) Once all the chocolate has set, just pop the candy out of the mold and you have cute Peppermint trees!

***Want even more peppermint flavor? Use a little Peppermint Candy Flavoring. Do not use an extract like you use in baking. It has to been made for candy. Most craft stores carry them in the candy section.***

 

I love peppermint and I love peppermint bark. But, I’m not a fan of the look of the traditional recipe. So, I was shopping at the dollar store and found Christmas tree shaped Ice cube trays. And I thought I could use those for candy making! And I did!



What you will need:

· 16 ounces of Dark Chocolate (my favorite) or Semi Sweet Chocolate. I used Candy Melts, but you could use chips or bark.
· 16 ounces of White Chocolate. Again, I used Candy Melts, but chips and bark work.
· 8 crushed Candy Canes.
· Silicone Ice Cube trays. They have all shapes. Find one you like!

· 2 Plastic Sandwich bags
 
Steps:

1) Melt your Dark or Semi Sweet Chocolate. Don’t know how? Check out this post on tempering chocolate.
2) Pour the chocolate into a sandwich bag and snip the corner of the bag. Pour about half a tablespoon of chocolate into each mold. Tap the mold on the counter to get the chocolate level and get all the air bubbles out. Allow the chocolate to set.

3) Melt your White Chocolate.
4) Pour the chocolate into a sandwich bag and snip the corner of the bag. Pour about half a tablespoon of chocolate into each mold. Tap the mold on the counter to get the chocolate level and get all the air bubbles out. Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle the top of each mold with crushed Candy Cane.

5) Once all the chocolate has set, just pop the candy out of the mold and you have cute Peppermint trees!

***Want even more peppermint flavor? Use a little Peppermint Candy Flavoring. Do not use an extract like you use in baking. It has to been made for candy. Most craft stores carry them in the candy section.***

Almond Joy Truffle Pops! Coconut and Almonds covered in Milk Chocolate! Yummy!

 

I love Almond Joys, but I’m not a fan of the whole almonds on top. I like the almonds to be mixed in the coconut. So, I made my own version and I put them on a stick …because that is what I do!

For the Coconut Almond Truffle Filling:
· 1 bag of Sweetened Flaked Coconut (14 ounces)
· ¼ cup Butter Softened (not melted)
· 1 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
· ½ cup of chopped Almonds
· ½ teaspoon of Almond Extract
· 2 ½ - 3 cups of Powdered Sugar

Steps :
1) Mix the first 5 ingredients together. Make sure they are well mixed.
2) Add ½ cup of Powdered Sugar at a time and mix well. You want the mixture to be a little moist but able to roll in a ball without sticking too much to your hands. So, you may have to add up to 3 cups of powdered sugar.
3) Roll into ball and place on a Silpat or wax paper and place in the fridge to firm up for the pops.

For the Truffle Pops:
· 16 oz of Milk Chocolate Candy Wafers
· 24 sticks (it depends on how big you roll for truffles. I did mine a little over an inch wide.)
· A little bit of White Chocolate
· ¼ of chopped Almonds ( Make these super chopped!)

Steps:
1) Melt the Milk Chocolate according to the package instructions or follow my steps here.
2) Retrieve the coconut balls from the fridge. Dip a tip of each stick into the chocolate and insert half way into the ball.

3) Allow the chocolate to set. It should take a few seconds.
4) Time to Dip! Dip the balls into the chocolate. DO NOT STIR! Try to cover the whole ball in one dipping. Tap off the excess by gently tapping the stick against your wrist or the edge of the bowl. Place in the drying rack (or a block of Styrofoam).

5) After the chocolate has set, time to decorate! I melted ½ of White Chocolate; I then poured it into a sandwich bag. I cut the very tip of the corner of the bag off. I then squeezed the baggie back and forth over the pop and I sprinkled the top with the Almond bits.

I hope you love these as much as I do!

 

I love Almond Joys, but I’m not a fan of the whole almonds on top. I like the almonds to be mixed in the coconut. So, I made my own version and I put them on a stick …because that is what I do!

For the Coconut Almond Truffle Filling:
· 1 bag of Sweetened Flaked Coconut (14 ounces)
· ¼ cup Butter Softened (not melted)
· 1 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
· ½ cup of chopped Almonds
· ½ teaspoon of Almond Extract
· 2 ½ - 3 cups of Powdered Sugar

Steps :
1) Mix the first 5 ingredients together. Make sure they are well mixed.
2) Add ½ cup of Powdered Sugar at a time and mix well. You want the mixture to be a little moist but able to roll in a ball without sticking too much to your hands. So, you may have to add up to 3 cups of powdered sugar.
3) Roll into ball and place on a Silpat or wax paper and place in the fridge to firm up for the pops.

For the Truffle Pops:
· 16 oz of Milk Chocolate Candy Wafers
· 24 sticks (it depends on how big you roll for truffles. I did mine a little over an inch wide.)
· A little bit of White Chocolate
· ¼ of chopped Almonds ( Make these super chopped!)

Steps:
1) Melt the Milk Chocolate according to the package instructions or follow my steps here.
2) Retrieve the coconut balls from the fridge. Dip a tip of each stick into the chocolate and insert half way into the ball.

3) Allow the chocolate to set. It should take a few seconds.
4) Time to Dip! Dip the balls into the chocolate. DO NOT STIR! Try to cover the whole ball in one dipping. Tap off the excess by gently tapping the stick against your wrist or the edge of the bowl. Place in the drying rack (or a block of Styrofoam).

5) After the chocolate has set, time to decorate! I melted ½ of White Chocolate; I then poured it into a sandwich bag. I cut the very tip of the corner of the bag off. I then squeezed the baggie back and forth over the pop and I sprinkled the top with the Almond bits.

I hope you love these as much as I do!

What to do on a snowy day? I’m making Felt Donut Ornaments!!

I woke up to this…

This California Girl is not a fan of Snow!

So, I decided to make some sweet treats… out of felt.  I have a 2 year old Monkey and I thought these would be safe ornaments for our Christmas tree.

On my next donuts, I’m making the center hole a bit smaller and adding more ‘sprinkles’.

Enjoy this Calorie Free Treat!!! 

I woke up to this…

This California Girl is not a fan of Snow!

So, I decided to make some sweet treats… out of felt.  I have a 2 year old Monkey and I thought these would be safe ornaments for our Christmas tree.

On my next donuts, I’m making the center hole a bit smaller and adding more ‘sprinkles’.

Enjoy this Calorie Free Treat!!! 

My Take on TAKE 5 candy bar! Caramel, peanuts, peanut butter, pretzel and chocolate! Awesome!!!

Have you ever heard of a candy bar and it sounded so good. But, when you try it, it’s just not right. That’s what happened to me. I love salty-sweet snacks. But, it was missing something. So, I decided to play with the proportions and I think it’s amazing now. Seriously, it’s AMAZING (and I am just so humble ;)) I did make my own caramel, but you can use store bought caramel. It will still rock!

The layers to the Take 5 are: Pretzel, Peanut Butter mixture, Caramel and Peanuts. I mixed the peanuts into the caramel because it was easier.

The parts to the Take 5! The caramel with peanuts is already made, but here are the parts to the peanut butter mixture.

Pretzel: I used Snyder’s of Hanover Butter Snap Pretzels. They are the ones that look like little waffles. Any pretzel will work, but these look like the one in the original.

Peanut Butter Mixture: This is a super easy recipe. I added a dash of salt to make sure my end result is salty-sweet. Here it is:

Peanut Butter Mixture

· 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

· 1 cup Powdered Sugar

· 2 tablespoons of Graham Cracker crumbs (I used a food processor to get the crumb as fine as possible).

Step:

1) Mix all ingredients together. That’s it!!

Caramel: I made my caramel recipe found here and added 1 cup of chopped salted peanuts before I poured it into a 13 x 9 pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. If you don’t wish to make your own, here is what you can do:

Store Bought Caramels

· 70 – 100 caramels (I say 70 is enough, but Mr. Wonderful says 100. It up to you and how much you love caramel)

· 1-2 tablespoons of Evaporated Milk

· 1 cup of Chopped Salted Peanuts

Steps:

1) Unwrap all your caramels and place in a microwave safe bowl

2) Add 1-3 tablespoons of Evaporated Milk (I would use one tablespoon for 70 caramels and 2 for 100 caramels.)

3) Place in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat until the caramels are melted.

4) Stir in Peanuts.

5) Pour into a 13 x 9 pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

 

Now we have the components, we can make the candy bars!!

Assembly:

1) Prepare the caramels in a 13 x 9 pan. Allow to firm up.
2) Remove the caramel from the pan and place on a Silpat or sprayed aluminum foil.
3) Spread the peanut butter mixture onto of the caramel.
4) Place the pretzels on top of the peanut butter mixture close together. Leave a little room in between to be able to cut the squares apart.

5) Once you have the pretzels in place, press them into the peanut butter mixture.
6) Cut the candy into squares (using the pretzels as a guide). Place the candy on a sprayed pan and place in the fridge. You want the peanut butter mixture to be as firm as possible before you dip them. Leave in the fridge for at least an hour.

7) Now, let’s dip! Prepare your chocolate (I used Milk Chocolate Candy Melts) using the instructions on the back of the package or use my instructions found here.
8) Retrieve the candy from the fridge. Using a fork, place the squares (one at a time) in the chocolate pretzel side down. Then, use the fork to flip over the candy to cover the caramel side. Slide the fork under the caramel side and lift it up. Tap off the excess chocolate and place on a Silpat or wax paper.

9) I used a little extra melted chocolate in a Ziploc bag to make a design on top. I just snipped the very tip of the bag and drizzled chocolate over the top.

I hope you try these. They are really good and this recipe makes a ton! You can easily get 5 or 6 gifts out of one batch. Enjoy!!

Have you ever heard of a candy bar and it sounded so good. But, when you try it, it’s just not right. That’s what happened to me. I love salty-sweet snacks. But, it was missing something. So, I decided to play with the proportions and I think it’s amazing now. Seriously, it’s AMAZING (and I am just so humble ;)) I did make my own caramel, but you can use store bought caramel. It will still rock!

The layers to the Take 5 are: Pretzel, Peanut Butter mixture, Caramel and Peanuts. I mixed the peanuts into the caramel because it was easier.

The parts to the Take 5! The caramel with peanuts is already made, but here are the parts to the peanut butter mixture.

Pretzel: I used Snyder’s of Hanover Butter Snap Pretzels. They are the ones that look like little waffles. Any pretzel will work, but these look like the one in the original.

Peanut Butter Mixture: This is a super easy recipe. I added a dash of salt to make sure my end result is salty-sweet. Here it is:

Peanut Butter Mixture

· 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

· 1 cup Powdered Sugar

· 2 tablespoons of Graham Cracker crumbs (I used a food processor to get the crumb as fine as possible).

Step:

1) Mix all ingredients together. That’s it!!

Caramel: I made my caramel recipe found here and added 1 cup of chopped salted peanuts before I poured it into a 13 x 9 pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. If you don’t wish to make your own, here is what you can do:

Store Bought Caramels

· 70 – 100 caramels (I say 70 is enough, but Mr. Wonderful says 100. It up to you and how much you love caramel)

· 1-2 tablespoons of Evaporated Milk

· 1 cup of Chopped Salted Peanuts

Steps:

1) Unwrap all your caramels and place in a microwave safe bowl

2) Add 1-3 tablespoons of Evaporated Milk (I would use one tablespoon for 70 caramels and 2 for 100 caramels.)

3) Place in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat until the caramels are melted.

4) Stir in Peanuts.

5) Pour into a 13 x 9 pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

 

Now we have the components, we can make the candy bars!!

Assembly:

1) Prepare the caramels in a 13 x 9 pan. Allow to firm up.
2) Remove the caramel from the pan and place on a Silpat or sprayed aluminum foil.
3) Spread the peanut butter mixture onto of the caramel.
4) Place the pretzels on top of the peanut butter mixture close together. Leave a little room in between to be able to cut the squares apart.

5) Once you have the pretzels in place, press them into the peanut butter mixture.
6) Cut the candy into squares (using the pretzels as a guide). Place the candy on a sprayed pan and place in the fridge. You want the peanut butter mixture to be as firm as possible before you dip them. Leave in the fridge for at least an hour.

7) Now, let’s dip! Prepare your chocolate (I used Milk Chocolate Candy Melts) using the instructions on the back of the package or use my instructions found here.
8) Retrieve the candy from the fridge. Using a fork, place the squares (one at a time) in the chocolate pretzel side down. Then, use the fork to flip over the candy to cover the caramel side. Slide the fork under the caramel side and lift it up. Tap off the excess chocolate and place on a Silpat or wax paper.

9) I used a little extra melted chocolate in a Ziploc bag to make a design on top. I just snipped the very tip of the bag and drizzled chocolate over the top.

I hope you try these. They are really good and this recipe makes a ton! You can easily get 5 or 6 gifts out of one batch. Enjoy!!