Time is a funny thing. Every week, I hear the same exclamations: "Oh my God, it's only Monday," "Is it Friday yet," and "It's Friday!" The week drags and the weekend is never long enough. Then, without fail, we look at the calender in shock realizing how fast time has gone by.
It feels like only yesterday I was driving home from my old job off route 1. The sun was beaming bright and at the top of the hill by telegraph, where the road drops downhill. I love that part because it's a great view of the sunset over the trees. There's this massive chimney pipe near the VRE station that exhales white smoke... always makes me think of the Gorillaz "Windmill" music video. Does this story sound familiar?
That's when I got a phone call from my friend/office mate. We had been trying to get together for the past month but our schedules refused to align. I had a suspicion why she wanted to meet up. We said the usual hello's and held my breath, willing her to say "it." That's when Jess dropped the bomb: she was pregnant.
Tori is over a year old now. Blows my mind. She went from being this pink bundle screaming to a beautiful, healthy, cheerful kid that has her mother's eyes- just as I hoped. To celebrate, her parents threw a super cute teddy bear themed party. Aunt Niki made the coolest bday hat ever!! I was in charge of cake pops.
Cake pops are a baking niche. I blame Bakerella. That little lollipop stick at the end of the cake is what defines a bake ball from a cake pop. It adds another dimension of aesthetic to play with.
You can add ribbons...
Cupcake liners....
... and every type of sprinkle under the sun.
They're really easy to make, just a bit time consuming.
Note: Need something cute and in a pinch for time?
Lose the cake part and substitute with marshmallows! They decorate all the same. Dip in the chocolate of your choosing and decorate. These were sweating from the car ride over, but you get the idea. Simple and sincere.
Cake/Marshmallow Pops
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 can of cream cheese frosting
OR-- sub with a bag of marshmallows
1 bag of candy coating (or chocolate chips)
Sprinkles
Make the cake according to the directions on the box. Cool completely. Skip all that cake stuff if you want and sub with marshmallows!
Crumble the cake into a large bowl. Add frosting, starting with 1/2 of the can and mix thoroughly. Add more frosting if needed to make the cake form balls. Roll the cake mixture into balls and place on cookie sheet. Chill them for several hours or freeze for about 30-60 minutes.
Melt chocolate in bowl and roll balls in chocolate or dip marshmallows in chocolate. It helps to add a small amount of shortening to the chocolate for eaisier dipping. Lay balls on wax paper and top with sprinkles before chocolate hardens. I find it easier to melt only 1/2 bag of chocolate at a time in order to keep the chocolate hot and easier to work with.
Once the chocolate has hardened, the balls can be stored in an air tight container at room temperature for about 3-4 days.
Crumble the cake into a large bowl. Add frosting, starting with 1/2 of the can and mix thoroughly. Add more frosting if needed to make the cake form balls. Roll the cake mixture into balls and place on cookie sheet. Chill them for several hours or freeze for about 30-60 minutes.
Melt chocolate in bowl and roll balls in chocolate or dip marshmallows in chocolate. It helps to add a small amount of shortening to the chocolate for eaisier dipping. Lay balls on wax paper and top with sprinkles before chocolate hardens. I find it easier to melt only 1/2 bag of chocolate at a time in order to keep the chocolate hot and easier to work with.
Once the chocolate has hardened, the balls can be stored in an air tight container at room temperature for about 3-4 days.
