Homemade Peeps! Have a fun treat all year round and in any shape you want!!

 

I love peeps! They always make you feel like a kid. It’s marshmallow and sugar. Who doesn’t love those two things?!? Well, I found a way to make peeps in any shape, size and color. They are really easy and here is how to do it:
 
What you will need:

· Marshmallows (I used my recipe found here). Homemade marshmallows are the best! So much better than the store bought.
· Cookie Cutters. Any size and shape will work. I used a small heart and flower. But, think of the endless options you could do!!
· A pastry brush
· ¼ cup of Corn Syrup
· Fine to regular colored sugars. The finer the sugar, the better. I wouldn’t use sanding sugar. That would be super course and would not cover very well.

Steps:

1) Make your marshmallow. I made the marshmallow and poured it into a sheet pan with a Silpat on the bottom. The pan was covered in a mixture of equal parts corn starch and powdered sugar (like my recipe says to use). Allow the marshmallow at least 4 hours to set up. I waited overnight.

2) Sprinkle a cutting board with the corn starch and powdered sugar mixture. Peel the marshmallow off the pan and place on the cutting board. If you used a Silpat, remove that too.

3) Now, the fun begins!! Dip your cookie cutter in the corn starch and powdered sugar mixture. Press them into the marshmallow (just like making sugar cookies). Make sure you press straight down. Place the cut marshmallows on a Silpat or wax paper that is dusted with the corn starch and powdered sugar mixture.

Aren’t they cute?

 

The leftovers. Don’t throw it away. Cut them up and use in hot cocoa or just give the whole thing to your kids and give them a huge sugar high ;)

4) Once they are all cut out, brush off the extra corn starch and powdered sugar mixture with the pastry brush. Do this over the sink. It can get messy.

5) Pour your sugars into small bowls. And pour your corn syrup into a small bowl too.

6) Cover a marshmallow in corn syrup (you can use a brush, but I found that using your fingers was easier). I covered 5 at a time.

7) Place the marshmallow in the sugars and cover completely.

8) Put on a Silpat or Plate to ‘dry out’ a bit.

There you go! Homemade peeps!! They are very fun to make! Next time I think I will make a giant peep. Hope you try them soon!!!

 

I love peeps! They always make you feel like a kid. It’s marshmallow and sugar. Who doesn’t love those two things?!? Well, I found a way to make peeps in any shape, size and color. They are really easy and here is how to do it:
 
What you will need:

· Marshmallows (I used my recipe found here). Homemade marshmallows are the best! So much better than the store bought.
· Cookie Cutters. Any size and shape will work. I used a small heart and flower. But, think of the endless options you could do!!
· A pastry brush
· ¼ cup of Corn Syrup
· Fine to regular colored sugars. The finer the sugar, the better. I wouldn’t use sanding sugar. That would be super course and would not cover very well.

Steps:

1) Make your marshmallow. I made the marshmallow and poured it into a sheet pan with a Silpat on the bottom. The pan was covered in a mixture of equal parts corn starch and powdered sugar (like my recipe says to use). Allow the marshmallow at least 4 hours to set up. I waited overnight.

2) Sprinkle a cutting board with the corn starch and powdered sugar mixture. Peel the marshmallow off the pan and place on the cutting board. If you used a Silpat, remove that too.

3) Now, the fun begins!! Dip your cookie cutter in the corn starch and powdered sugar mixture. Press them into the marshmallow (just like making sugar cookies). Make sure you press straight down. Place the cut marshmallows on a Silpat or wax paper that is dusted with the corn starch and powdered sugar mixture.

Aren’t they cute?

 

The leftovers. Don’t throw it away. Cut them up and use in hot cocoa or just give the whole thing to your kids and give them a huge sugar high ;)

4) Once they are all cut out, brush off the extra corn starch and powdered sugar mixture with the pastry brush. Do this over the sink. It can get messy.

5) Pour your sugars into small bowls. And pour your corn syrup into a small bowl too.

6) Cover a marshmallow in corn syrup (you can use a brush, but I found that using your fingers was easier). I covered 5 at a time.

7) Place the marshmallow in the sugars and cover completely.

8) Put on a Silpat or Plate to ‘dry out’ a bit.

There you go! Homemade peeps!! They are very fun to make! Next time I think I will make a giant peep. Hope you try them soon!!!

Crispy Bacon Chocolates!! New spin on a treat!

 

So, I love bacon. I really, really love bacon. And I love sweet and salty things. I was watching a cooking show called ‘Bitchin Kitchen’ (Love the show, hate the name) and she did a treat similar to this. So, I decided to make some and try them out. They are creamy, crispy, porky, salty and sweet all at the same time. I took a batch of these to share with a bunch of teenage girls. And guess what! They loved them!!! Give them a try!

What you will need:
· 5 strips of Bacon
· 1 cup of Rice Krispie Cereal
· 16 oz of Milk Chocolate
· A silicone ice cube tray (I used a heart shaped tray that I got at the dollar store)
· A little chocolate and a sandwich bag for decoration (I used pink chocolate for Valentine’s Day)
 
Steps:
1) Cook your bacon. I used frozen bacon (I always store my bacon in the freezer) and cut them into ½ inch strips. I then sprinkled them with a tablespoon of brown sugar and placed them in a 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring them around every 5 minutes.

2) Place the bacon bits on a paper towel and allow to cool completely. Once cool, chop the bacon into fine bacon bits. I had about 1/3 cup of bacon bits when I was done chopping.

3) Melt your chocolate according to the instructions on the package or follow mine.

4) Mix the bacon and cereal into the chocolate.

It’s not the prettiest mixture, but they are really cute at the end!

5) Fill your ice cube tray with the mixture and tap the tray on the counter to make sure there are no air bubbles.

6) Place the tray in the fridge for 30 minutes (or in the freezer for 5 minutes) to allow the chocolate to harden.

7) Just pop the chocolates out of the mold and decorate with a little melted chocolate. I also used tiny heart sprinkles.

The biggest challenge is whether or not to tell people there is bacon in them. It’s kinda fun to surprise people with a porky treat. But, this is coming from a girl that put peas in a chocolate to surprise a friend that hates peas. Yeah, I’m evil.

Enjoy!!!!

 

So, I love bacon. I really, really love bacon. And I love sweet and salty things. I was watching a cooking show called ‘Bitchin Kitchen’ (Love the show, hate the name) and she did a treat similar to this. So, I decided to make some and try them out. They are creamy, crispy, porky, salty and sweet all at the same time. I took a batch of these to share with a bunch of teenage girls. And guess what! They loved them!!! Give them a try!

What you will need:
· 5 strips of Bacon
· 1 cup of Rice Krispie Cereal
· 16 oz of Milk Chocolate
· A silicone ice cube tray (I used a heart shaped tray that I got at the dollar store)
· A little chocolate and a sandwich bag for decoration (I used pink chocolate for Valentine’s Day)
 
Steps:
1) Cook your bacon. I used frozen bacon (I always store my bacon in the freezer) and cut them into ½ inch strips. I then sprinkled them with a tablespoon of brown sugar and placed them in a 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring them around every 5 minutes.

2) Place the bacon bits on a paper towel and allow to cool completely. Once cool, chop the bacon into fine bacon bits. I had about 1/3 cup of bacon bits when I was done chopping.

3) Melt your chocolate according to the instructions on the package or follow mine.

4) Mix the bacon and cereal into the chocolate.

It’s not the prettiest mixture, but they are really cute at the end!

5) Fill your ice cube tray with the mixture and tap the tray on the counter to make sure there are no air bubbles.

6) Place the tray in the fridge for 30 minutes (or in the freezer for 5 minutes) to allow the chocolate to harden.

7) Just pop the chocolates out of the mold and decorate with a little melted chocolate. I also used tiny heart sprinkles.

The biggest challenge is whether or not to tell people there is bacon in them. It’s kinda fun to surprise people with a porky treat. But, this is coming from a girl that put peas in a chocolate to surprise a friend that hates peas. Yeah, I’m evil.

Enjoy!!!!

Fancy Oreo and Mint Oreo Truffles! Learn how to make the perfect dipped truffle!

Every year I give out boxes (well, I use Chinese food containers) full of candy to friends. One of the favorites is Oreo truffles and Mint Oreo truffles. They are super easy and I just learned a new way to dip them and get the perfect round shape. So, I thought I would share!

For the Oreo Truffles:

· A package of Oreos (or any chocolate sandwich cookie)- Not the double stuffed
· About ¾ of softened 8 oz. package of Cream Cheese
· 16 oz of White Chocolate (I used candy melts from Wilton) and 4 oz of Dark Chocolate
· Lollipop sticks
· Candy cups
· a food processor (or blender)
 

For Mint Oreo Truffles:

· A package of Mint Oreos (or any chocolate sandwich cookie)
· About ½ of softened 8 oz. package of Cream Cheese
· 8 oz of White Chocolate (I used candy melts from Wilton), 8 oz of Green Colored Chocolate and 4 oz of Dark Chocolate
· Lollipop sticks
· Candy cups (mini cupcake wrappers)
· a food processor (or blender)
 

Steps to Make the Oreo Truffles (the inside):

1) Process (or blend) the whole package of Oreos until it is a fine crumb. The finer, the better.

2) Place the crumbs in a mixing bowl and add the softened cream cheese to the bowl (6 oz for Oreo and 4 oz for Mint Oreo truffles). Sometimes my cream cheese isn’t that softened, so I just have to mix a little longer. No big deal.

3) With a spoon or hand mixer, mix the two ingredients together.
 

Steps to make the perfect truffles:

1) Roll your mixture into 1 ½ inch balls. Place in the refrigerator for an hour.

2) Melt your Chocolate according to the instructions on the package or follow mine! For the original Oreos, just melt 16 oz of White chocolate. For the mint Oreos, mix together 8 oz of green and white and melt together.

3) Retrieve your Oreo balls. Dip a tip of each stick into the chocolate and insert half way into the ball.

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. Wipe the excess chocolate on the bottom of the truffle and on the stick off with your finger. You want to be able to pop the truffle off the stick as easily as possible. Place in the drying rack (or a block of Styrofoam).

5) Now, for the Original White Oreo balls, I dipped them twice. I like a true white color. But, for the Mint ones, I only had to dip them once. Make sure everything is covered. Any little hole will cause the truffle mixture to leak.

6) After the chocolate has set, time to decorate! Melt the dark 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 to create a design. Allow to dry.

7) Re-melt your chocolate (white or the green-white mixture). Now, carefully remove the lollipop stick. Dip the bottom of the truffle into the melted chocolate and place in your candy cups. This step will ensure that the bottom is sealed and the candy cup will stay with the truffle.

The green one is the mint Oreo and the white one is the original Oreo truffle. The mint ones are amazing!!!

You now have a professional looking truffle that anyone would be happy to receive! Good luck and enjoy them!!!

Every year I give out boxes (well, I use Chinese food containers) full of candy to friends. One of the favorites is Oreo truffles and Mint Oreo truffles. They are super easy and I just learned a new way to dip them and get the perfect round shape. So, I thought I would share!

For the Oreo Truffles:

· A package of Oreos (or any chocolate sandwich cookie)- Not the double stuffed
· About ¾ of softened 8 oz. package of Cream Cheese
· 16 oz of White Chocolate (I used candy melts from Wilton) and 4 oz of Dark Chocolate
· Lollipop sticks
· Candy cups
· a food processor (or blender)
 

For Mint Oreo Truffles:

· A package of Mint Oreos (or any chocolate sandwich cookie)
· About ½ of softened 8 oz. package of Cream Cheese
· 8 oz of White Chocolate (I used candy melts from Wilton), 8 oz of Green Colored Chocolate and 4 oz of Dark Chocolate
· Lollipop sticks
· Candy cups (mini cupcake wrappers)
· a food processor (or blender)
 

Steps to Make the Oreo Truffles (the inside):

1) Process (or blend) the whole package of Oreos until it is a fine crumb. The finer, the better.

2) Place the crumbs in a mixing bowl and add the softened cream cheese to the bowl (6 oz for Oreo and 4 oz for Mint Oreo truffles). Sometimes my cream cheese isn’t that softened, so I just have to mix a little longer. No big deal.

3) With a spoon or hand mixer, mix the two ingredients together.
 

Steps to make the perfect truffles:

1) Roll your mixture into 1 ½ inch balls. Place in the refrigerator for an hour.

2) Melt your Chocolate according to the instructions on the package or follow mine! For the original Oreos, just melt 16 oz of White chocolate. For the mint Oreos, mix together 8 oz of green and white and melt together.

3) Retrieve your Oreo balls. Dip a tip of each stick into the chocolate and insert half way into the ball.

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. Wipe the excess chocolate on the bottom of the truffle and on the stick off with your finger. You want to be able to pop the truffle off the stick as easily as possible. Place in the drying rack (or a block of Styrofoam).

5) Now, for the Original White Oreo balls, I dipped them twice. I like a true white color. But, for the Mint ones, I only had to dip them once. Make sure everything is covered. Any little hole will cause the truffle mixture to leak.

6) After the chocolate has set, time to decorate! Melt the dark 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 to create a design. Allow to dry.

7) Re-melt your chocolate (white or the green-white mixture). Now, carefully remove the lollipop stick. Dip the bottom of the truffle into the melted chocolate and place in your candy cups. This step will ensure that the bottom is sealed and the candy cup will stay with the truffle.

The green one is the mint Oreo and the white one is the original Oreo truffle. The mint ones are amazing!!!

You now have a professional looking truffle that anyone would be happy to receive! Good luck and enjoy them!!!

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!!