Mothers Day - Homemade Edible Arrangement

Check it, check it out! 

Edible arrangements from the store - $80.  

Homemade, under $20.

And you certainly can't put a price on something homemade, especially by a little five year old boy and given to his grandmother for Mothers Day!

  Thats made with love!

What I used:
Skewers
Fruit - grapes, strawberries, pineapple, melon, blueberries. 
Clay Pot - I got mine from Michaels for around a dollar.
Foam piece - to hold the skewers in place.
Paint markers - easier for my little man to decorate with.
Cookie Cutter
Wiltons Chocolate Melts - to dip the strawberries.

Grandma was extremely pleased!

Happy Mothers Day!

Rum Balls

These rum balls are simply another variation of the Basic Babycakes Cake Pops minus the lollipop stick.


What You Will Need:
Fudge Brownie Mix - 1 box.
Wiltons Candy Melts - Dark and White Chocolate.
Sprinkles - Cookies and Cream, Chocolate, and Confectioners Sugar
Rum - 1/2 Cup.


Directions:
Follow the exact directions used for the Basic Babycakes Cake Pops but also include 1/2 cup of rum to the mix.

Here's everything you need and here's how the cake balls came out. They don't look very promising but don't worry, because once you cover them in chocolate, they will look quite nice.

I'm not very neat in the kitchen.

Oooh Ahhh, don't they look good?

As good as an iPhone picture can make something look... but really, they really taste good!!

Basic Babycakes Cake Pops

Cake pops are everywhere these days. I have to admit I have never tried one from the store or one that anyone else has made, but I'd like to assume that the ones I make taste as they should.  I'm definitely not good enough at making them yet to make fancy designs on the outside, but I can toss on some sprinkles and that works just as well for me.  All this work to have these yummy little cake bites gone in a flash. You really can't eat just one!


I found the Babycakes Cake Pops maker at the craft store for $29.  There are little slots for a dozen cake balls.  I should have picked up the model that came with the stand because after just my first run with this model here, I quickly came to learn that it is important to have something sturdy to hold the pops up while they cool.   I did end up using the styrofoam inserts that where in the box holding the maker steady, but thats only because I didn't have anything else in the house and had no intentions of leaving the house.  From what I can tell though, using a solid rectangular foam piece should work fine.  So if you happen to get the model I got, make sure you grab a block of styrofoam too.  Your other option is to just set them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.  The only problem then would be a flat dent at the top of your pop.  

What You'll Need:

• 1 Box of your favorite cake mix and everything in its instructions that you need (eggs, etc)
• 1 bag Wiltons Candy Melts - flavor is your choice.
• Sprinkles, crushed graham crackers - whatever you'd like to decorate with.
• Lollipop Sticks - I got mine at Michaels.
• Parchment Paper

Directions:

• Make the cake mix according to the directions on the package.
• Plug in the Babycakes maker and when the light is green, slowly pour batter into each of the 12 wells - approximately 1 tablespoon of batter.  
• Close the lid and let it bake for about 4-6 minutes. Once thoroughly baked, remove and set aside. A box of cake mix should get you about 3 dozen cake balls.
• I used Wiltons Candy Melts for my outer coating after trying Hersheys white chocolate chips, which I found took a lot longer to melt and I had to add vegetable oil to thin it out.  Wiltons melted fairly quickly and tastes just as good.  Follow the directions on the package to melt the chocolate. 

• Once melted, dip one end of a lollipop stick into the chocolate and then into a cake ball.  This will help the ball stick to the stick better when you dip the entire ball into the chocolate.  

• Next, dip the chocolate. I found it works best if you dip and roll the ball.  Tap it slightly not he side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate.  
• Sprinkle with your favorite sprinkle and then if you have the stand or styrofoam, prop each cake pop up. If you don't have either, you can lay them head down on some parchment paper on a baking tray - reminder, this will cause the chocolate to harden with a flat surface at the top of the pop.  
• Place in the fridge for a few hours or the freezer for 10-15m (this is what I did). The chocolate will set and then are considered ready to eat! Michaels has these little treat bags you can use (they are right by the lollipop sticks) if you plan on making them for a special occasion.  

** If you don't have a Babycakes maker, you can make the cake balls by hand. There are countless recipes online for cake that you can follow.  Or here is a very basic cake from scratch recipe:


1 1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar and baking powder. Add milk, margarine or butter, egg and vanilla. Beat on low speed until combined. Beat on medium speed 1 minute. Bake as directed and then follow the same steps with the chocolate melt.