Holiday Cake Pops

I've tried cake pops only a couple of times before, from Starbucks and from a local bakery, and they were DIVINE.  But they're always relatively expensive, and I thought, "There's gotta be a way to make these at home."  Or at least customize them.  So I did a little research, and here's what I came up with.  The pictures here are Halloween cake pops only because I'm making them during October, but obviously they can be made at any time and decorated any way you like.  :)  I will definitely be trying to make these at other times of the year.  Stay tuned.  ;)

So, before I begin, I thought I'd share some of the stuff I learned along the way while making them.  If you've ever worked with either candy and/or colors (such as with fondant or icing), then some of these observations will not be new to you.  But for an amateur/novice like me, these are things I wish I knew ahead of time.

What I learned from this experience:

1. When trying to make the orange color in melted candy, equal parts red + yellow  ≠ orange.  It ends up being more like a reddish-peach-pink.  Emphasis on the pink.  :( My advice would be to start with yellow candies and add red until the desired orange shade is achieved.  That and/or buy yellow candy color to add. Either way, buy way more of yellow than red candies to melt.  ;)
2. Formed cake balls are HEAVY on lollipop sticks.  Do not skip any of the refrigeration steps.  They are your friend.  And don't make them any bigger than golf ball sizes.
3. Using a double-boiler or fondue pot is probably your best bet for keeping the melted candy pliable and in a consistent state.  Yes, the candy is most likely microwaveable, but to do more than a couple of cake pops will require the melted candy to be in a constant melted state, and the cycle of microwaving-cooling-microwaving may alter the consistency of the candy.
4. Do not use a wire rack to place your freshly-dipped pops. Use waxed or parchment paper.  Trust me on this.
5. The nice round pop-shape is difficult to do for first-timers; I recommend doing a caramel apple-type of pop instead until you get the hang of it.

And with that, I bring you Holiday Cake Pops...

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Ingredients:
Cake portion
1 package cake mix
eggs, oil, etc., according to package directions
1 can of frosting (do not use whipped frosting; regular or homestyle is best)

Pops
Candy melts - get at least 1 bag of white, then whatever colors will comprise the shades you'll need for your occasion
Lollipop sticks
Cookie frosting or cake icing (don't use the gel form, solid icings work best)
Candy food coloring (if needed)
Decorator sugar, sprinkles, etc.
1-2 tsp canola oil, as needed

Directions:
Bake cake according to package directions.  It's best if you bake in a 9x13 pan since you'll be working with it later. 

Let cool completely (about 3 hours or more).  Crumble entire cake into a large bowl. 

Add frosting; start with 1/2 the can and add more as needed.  Cake mixture should be moist, not overly frosting-y or greasy.

Cover bowl and chill 15-30 minutes.  After chilling, take scoopfuls of cake mixture and roll into golfball-sized (or smaller) balls. Don't make them any larger or they'll be unwieldy when dipping in melted candy later. Chill.

As I learned later, this is too large. ;)

While cake is chilling again, melt a small amount of candy in a microwave-safe bowl; it's best if it's the same color or close to the finished color you plan to use for the pops.  Or you can always use white.  :)  Take out cake balls from the fridge.  Take lollipop sticks and dip one end into melted candy. Insert all the way into each ball.  Chill again. 

Melt a larger amount of candy (3-4 cups) in a double-boiler according to candy specifications. Consistency should be smooth and not too thick (should be thinner than pudding); if melted candy is too thick, add *drops* of oil a little at a time and stir in. 

Take balls with pop sticks out of the fridge.  Carefully take each ball by the stick and dip/dredge in melted candy to completely coat. Place on waxed or parchment paper.

Don't do what I did here...use waxed paper to rest them on!

Dust with sprinkles, non-pareils, decorator sugar, etc (whatever you decide is best for your occasion). Return to refrigerator.  After another 15 minutes, cake pops are ready for cookie frosting for final touches, or are ready to serve as is.  If not serving immediately, cover in a tall, air-tight container and return to refrigerator.

Ready for transporting & gift-giving!

Makes about 30 pops.

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GBAdams
10/07/2011

Autumn Pumpkin Muffins w/Cream Cheese Frosting

Variation on a theme: pumpkins!  ;)

A few years ago I tweaked my banana bread recipe by incorporating pumpkin instead of bananas.  It took several tries, but I did eventually get it right.  And then this year I had a "eureka!" moment.  What if I tweaked it some more so that I could make muffins out of the recipe.  Aha! So I did. And here is the result.

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Ingredients:
Dry
2 C Flour (all-purpose)
1 C white sugar
¾ C dark brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1-2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

Liquid
2 whole eggs, slightly beaten
½ C melted butter (1 stick) or canola oil
1 C milk (can be substituted with soy milk)
15 oz. (1 can) plain mashed pumpkin
4 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:
8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
1 block of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1½ C powdered sugar (3/4 lb powdered sugar)
2 tsp vanilla

Prep:
Preheat oven to 350°.  Line 10-12 large muffin baking pans with paper liners. Set aside.

Directions:
Mix together flour, sugars, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.  Add eggs, butter and milk.  Stir until everything is moistened, then add the mashed pumpkin; combine well.  Mix in the vanilla.  Divide batter evenly and pour into prepared muffin cups.  Bake for 50 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

While muffins are baking, prepare frosting: in a bowl, beat together softened butter and cream cheese with a mixer at medium-high speed.  Once fully incorporated together, add powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, beating slowly.  (Or else you’ll kick up the powder and will end up wearing it. LOL)  Once all the sugar has been added and initially mixed in, add vanilla.  Beat mixture on medium-high to high speed until fully creamed and smooth, about 4-5 minutes.  It’s a good idea to stop after about 2 minutes and scrape the sides of the bowl (especially if you have a stand mixer) to make sure that all of the butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla are fully mixed in. Chill mixture in refrigerator to help it set up; take out 15 minutes prior to frosting muffins so it can warm up a little and be more pliable. You definitely don’t want either the muffins or the frosting to be warm when you apply it to the tops; if the muffin is still warm, the frosting will melt and/or slide right off the top.

Once muffins are fully cooled, frost with cream cheese mixture.  Can be piped on and decorated or spread with a rounded knife.

Makes about 10-12 muffins.

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GBAdams
10/11/2011

Germ's Super-Moist Nana Bread

One of my earliest memories of my mom baking is of her banana bread.  I love my mom with all my heart, and she is by no means an accomplished baker (it's true, you can ask her!), however, I always remember her banana bread being sooooooooo good.  When I started to cook/bake for myself in college, I asked her for some of her recipes.  However, this was not one she chose to share with me until after I was out of school and was married & moved out.  Once I got my hands on the recipe, I tweaked it by jacking up the banana goodness to 11, and then later adjusting for high altitude. 

I call this "Nana Bread" not only because "nana" is short for banana, but also because my mom is called "Nana" by her grandchildren, and this is my tribute to her.  :)  Often I give these and my pumpkin breads away at Christmastime for gifts, not just to neighbors and local friends, but also to friends & family who are thousands of miles away.  My own little way of spreading love & holiday cheer.  I hope you, too, enjoy the end result.  :)

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Ingredients:
Dry

2 C Flour (unbleached, all-purpose)

1 C Sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

½ C chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans) – optional

Liquid

2 whole eggs, slightly beaten

½ C melted butter (1 stick) or canola oil

⅓ C milk (can be substituted with soy milk)

3-4 (up to 5, depending on size) very ripe bananas (spotty ones are best)

4 tsp vanilla extract

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350°.  Thoroughly grease (or spray w/cooking spray) 1 large, 2 medium-sized or 4 mini loaf pans

Directions:

Mix together sugar, flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  Mash the bananas as well as possible, ensuring there are no large lumps left.  Consistency should be relatively smooth.  To the dry mix, add the eggs, butter and milk.  Stir until everything is moistened, then add the mashed bananas; combine well. 

Add the vanilla and mix well.  If nuts are desired, add these after the vanilla has been incorporated.  Pour into large loaf pan, if using medium or mini loaf pans, divide mixture evenly between the pans. 

Bake for at least 1 hour or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Makes about 12 servings.

High altitude:
Bake for minimum 1 hour 15 minutes.

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GBAdams
01/06/2008

Ma's Styrofoam Cookies

My mother-in-law has been generous over the years on many fronts, but particularly in the kitchen.  She has totally helped to round out my cooking education -- she taught me how to properly cook a turkey for Thanksgiving, how to make pumpkin pie WITH homemade crusts (although nowadays I cheat a little and use the pre-made crusts because I have no patience, LOL), how to make pot roast, etc.  One of the most delightful culinary things she has taught me is how to make these delicate, delicious cookies.  She only made them once a year, around Christmas, and they were coveted by everyone in the family, so most people only got to taste a few from her batch.  Then we moved to Colorado, and though she gave me the recipe before we left, it took me years to perfect them due to the high altitude.  (Much to my husband's chagrin, as he really started to miss these during the Christmas season.)  In doing so, I stumbled onto another culinary tool/ingredient that was previously unknown to me: Cream of Tartar.  I think my mom had some in her spice cabinet, but it never got used, so I had no idea what it was for.  But now I do.  ;)

If you've never worked with Cream of Tartar, know that it is a sour, white powder, used for stabilizing whipped, beaten egg whites (meringue).  I'm sure there's probably other uses for it, but that's all I know about its usefulness.  Just a note about these cookies: Due to the fact that they're meringue, these cookies don't do well in humid environments.  They're ideal for Colorado, since it's sooooo dry up here, but I imagine that if you made these cookies anywhere else with relatively high humidity, they wouldn't last very long (eat them all the same day!), and/or they might not turn out very well. 

One last thing - because there is no flour of any kind in this recipe, it is ideal for those who are looking for a gluten-free treat.  As long as you're not allergic to nuts...  ;)

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This is enough ingredients for a batch & a half.

Ingredients:
2 egg whites
½ tsp Cream of Tartar
½ C sugar
½ C pecan pieces
1 tsp vanilla






Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 250°F. Beat the egg whites on medium-high speed.  When they have become frothy, add Cream of Tartar.  Continue to beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks. 

Add ⅔ of the sugar, beat at least 3 mins longer, or until the whites start to have a shiny, velvety look.  Add rest of the sugar, then the vanilla.  Continue to beat until sugar and vanilla are fully incorporated. 

Remove from mixer and fold in pecan pieces.  Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets and bake @ 250°F for 50 minutes. 

To see if they're done, pull cookie sheet out most of the way to lift paper to see if it's looking brown, not real white.  If they're really done, they should come off paper easily.



What the finished cookie looks like on the inside. ;)

Store in an airtight container, away from moisture. Makes approximately 36 cookies.

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GBAdams
12/21/2006

Germ’s Pumpkin Bread

This autumn/wintertime favorite of mine took quite a bit of trial and error to get right.  Dare I say it's still a work in progress, even after all these years.  (I even recently tweaked it a wee bit -- and then I also made muffins! But more about that later...)  I started with my banana bread recipe and tried it out with pumpkin...and quickly found out it's not an even swap.  My poor husband was such a good sport about it, gamely trying each iteration until I got it right.  And he's not even a huge pumpkin fan.  I did eventually get it right, even to the point where I sent loaves of these to friends & family as holiday gifts.

So here is the winner.  I hope you enjoy.  :)

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Ingredients:

Dry
2 C Flour (all-purpose)

1 C white sugar

¾ C dark brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1-2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

Liquid

2 whole eggs, slightly beaten

½ C melted butter (1 stick) or canola oil

⅔ C milk (can be substituted with soy milk)

15 oz. (1 can) plain mashed pumpkin

4 tsp vanilla extract

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350°.  Thoroughly grease (or spray w/cooking spray) 1 large, 2 medium-sized or 4 mini loaf pans

Directions:

Mix together flour, sugars, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.  Add eggs, butter and milk.  Stir until everything is moistened, then add the mashed pumpkin; combine well.  Mix in the vanilla.  Pour into large loaf pan or divide mixture evenly between medium or mini loaf pans. 

Bake for at least 1 hour or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Can be served plain or frosted with cream cheese frosting, like so:

Makes about 12 servings.

High altitude:
Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.

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GBAdams
01/06/2008