Cake Pops...

In preparation for a friend's baby shower, I have spent the last week or so reading dozens of blogs on Cake Pops and how to make them.  I didn't pick any recipe, just kind of went with what looked right based on what I was reading.  These are just a test run for next weekend. 

I've never made them before and have been feeling rather intimidated by them, but so far, it has been pretty easy.  Step 1. Bake a cake and then mash it up. Step 2. Mix ready made frosting into said cake. Step 3. Put the cake/frosting mixture in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Step 4. Roll it into balls on a cookie shoot. I'm currently at Step 5.  Put them in the fridge for 2 hours.  

I am nervous about the melting of chocolate and dipping the cake balls into the melted chocolate.  I try to avoid anything involving the stove top when baking, as that is how I most frequently burn myself. Also, I do not have a double boiler and I keep meaning to include it on a Christmas/Birthday Wish List but forget every year and here I am again wondering which bowl/sauce pan I will precariously hold over a put of boiling water wishing and hoping I do not permanently disfigure myself with melted chocolate/sugar.  I have a possibly abnormal fear of melted sugar.

Well...that didn't go as easily as I thought. No severe burns. Yay. Ugly lopsided cake pops on kabob skewers. Boo.  Maybe it was the melted chocolate instead of candy melts. Maybe it was the skewers instead of lollipop sticks.  Maybe it was because I forgot to dip some of the skewers in chocolate first. I'm not really sure but it didn't really go smoothly.  Sean is pretty excited to eat them...hopefully they taste better than they look.  

4th of July

Happy 4th of July!  My husband and I went to a bbq/pool party with friends and I volunteered to bring the cupcakes.  I made chocolate cupcakes and "yellow" cupcakes with butter cream frosting. I know, I know. I went with the box mixes because they are easy.  The frosting was from scratch of course.  I put the extra time towards making the cutest cupcake flags, instead. They are courtesy of Ellinee.  

Bells will be ringing...

At the end of June, I made some cupcakes for my sister-in-law's Bridal Shower. After digging through lots of cupcake books and my insisting on something light and summery since it is nearly 100 degrees here everyday we settled on the ever popular Blueberry-Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting.  This is the third time I have made them.   

I experimented with ready-made fondant by Duff.  In the past, I have made my own a few times, but it always stresses me out so much.  It was pretty easy to work with.  Just pull it out of the bag, roll it out and go.  I didn't actually taste it though, so I can't comment on that. I should have tried a nibble.  I used it to make monograms for the cupcakes for the Bride to Be.  I must say, I wish I had ordered a stamp or something on line, because Michael's had such a limited selection of fondant cutters/stamps. I was hoping for a more modern or elegant "K" and would up with something much more child like.  

Instead of buying a hard cupcake holder, I purchased a small Wilton build-your own type cupcake holder and at first I was very concerned that I would be digging for my glass cake domes to serve cupcakes in, but once it was together, the bottom two shelves were pretty sturdy.  I added my own ribbon to the edges to spruce it up a bit and it turned out ok.  I am not sure I would buy another one, but for $10.00 and some ribbon, it wasn't a bad deal.  I should have planned ahead and shopped on line a bit.  

Here they are.