Jack O Lantern Pops Recipes

JACK-O'-LANTERN CAKE POPS

Steps:

• Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan, using water, oil and eggs. Cool. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Crumble cake into large bowl. Add frosting; mix well. Shape into 1 1/4-inch balls; flatten tops slightly. Place on cookie sheet. Freeze until firm; keep refrigerated.
• In microwavable bowl, microwave orange candy melts and shortening uncovered on Medium (50%) 1 minute, then in 15-second intervals, until melted; stir until smooth. Dip tip of 1 lollipop stick about 1/2 inch into melted candy and insert stick into rounded bottom of 1 cake ball no more than halfway. Repeat. Return to cookie sheet. Refrigerate 5 minutes. Remove from refrigerator a few at a time. Dip cake balls in melted orange candy; tap off excess. Poke opposite end of stick into foam block. Immediately attach licorice to look like handle, holding in place until set. Let stand until coating is set.
• Spoon melted black candy into resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut off tiny corner of bag; squeeze bag to pipe jack-o'-lantern face onto each cake pop. Use melted orange candy to attach candies to tops of pops.

JACK-O-LANTERN CAKE POPS

Steps:

• If baking a cake yourself, bake the cake according to directions and allow it to cool completely. (I used a simple boxed cake mix)
• In a medium size bowl, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the melted chocolate and unsweetened cocoa and mix well.
• Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until well combined then add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
• Crumble the cake into a large bowl.
• Add 1/2 cup of the prepared frosting and mix well with a wooden spoon. It will take a few minutes, but you should notice that it becomes less crumbly and starts to come together. If the cake still feels dry after mixing well add 1-2 tablespoons of frosting until it will hold together if you squeeze a small amount in your hand.
• Form into 24 balls, just over an inch round. Round the balls out by rolling them in your hands. Don't worry about forming perfect balls as you can smooth them out after chilling. After you've formed the balls place the tray in the freezer for 15 minutes.
• Remove the cake balls from the freezer and gently roll any that need to be smoothed out. Return the pan to the freezer while you melt the candy melts.
• Place the candy melts in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 20 seconds at a time stirring between intervals until smooth. If you do not have a microwave you can heat on low over a double boiler on the stove, but be careful not to get any water in the chocolate.If the chocolate melts, but doesn't feel smooth you can add 1-2 teaspoons of vegetable shortening or coconut oil and this should help make it smoother.
• Remove the cake balls from the freezer. Working one at a time, dip one end of a cake pop stick in the melted chocolate, then gently push the stick into a cake ball being sure not to go all the way through. Repeat with remaining sticks. Then place in the freezer for 2-5 minutes until the chocolate on the stick has set.
• If needed, repeat the process to melt the chocolate before beginning to coat the cake pops.
• To coat the cake pops in the melted choclate, dip and twirl each cake pop until completely coated. Gently tap the stick on the side of the bowl to allow any excess chocolate to drip off. Either place the coated cake pops on a parchement or silicone lined baking sheet, or you can poke holes in the bottom of a cardboard box and use this to place the cake pops in while you coat the rest.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl using the same method we used for the candy melts.
• Dip the end of a toothpick into the melted chocolate and use this to draw the faces on the cake pops.
• Use the green gel icing to pipe a stem on the top of each cake pop.