Chocolate Mustache Suckers

This is Pork Chop, who would love to have face hair if it was made out of chocolate.

Well before I get started I have to state the obvious. This is not a baking post per say.  I mean I used the microwave and all, but that was it.  No egg cracking, no flour sniffing Pork Chop and no butter.  ( If you have not read my blog before, that is totally going to be the weirdest sentence you have ever read.)  

  But when I saw this mold in Micheal's, I knew I needed it.  I actually needed it when Pork Chop turned 6 and I had a Super Mario party.  I mean I cut out 30 felt mustaches that no even played with and only one kid took home.  Now if they had been chocolate, that would have been awesome.  Way to drop the ball Wilton!

  Anyway this is going to be a picture heavy post, because for some reason I felt the need to document every little step.  Because putting candy melts in a mold is hard to figure out.  I know, I stink at blogging some times.

  So without further ado, the most amazing tutorial ever, on how to put candy melts in a mold.  And then have the people you give them to have no idea what they even are.  Sigh.

This is the mold, I know without this picture, the post would not work.

Man, sometimes I just don't get it.  I think, this is going to be so cute and easy and no trouble at all.  Then I start and realize I'm an idiot.  It wouldn't be so bad if I did one thing at a time, but I usually have like three things going.  And this time one of those things was making chocolate suckers.

I was at Michael's, and I have to say I have been really good about not going in there for a long time.  I may have an issue with having coupons and not using them.  And I may walk around the store to find something, anything I can use it on.  This last time, I found two things, one of them being the mold.  So I really had to have it, and for the $3 something I got it.

So I thought how fun this would be for Pork Chops hockey team.  I was all, they are going to think they are the coolest things ever! I will be the coolest Mom!

Then they burst my bubble, they thought they were hockey sticks.  D'oh!

Anyway they were easy, if time consuming, to make.  I made about 35 and it took me all night.  But only because I was also making donuts, diner and sewing at the same time.  I would make a batch, put them in the freezer and forget about them. So if you actually paid attention and stuff, it would be pretty fast I bet.


So I just melted chocolate candy melts and put them into squeeze bottles.  This way I could keep the bottles in a pot of water on the stove to keep them fluid.

I had an issue with the sticks falling out, not sure why, so I had to sort of prop it up on a cookie sheet, which worked.  I would fill the molds, tap them to settle the candy melts then put the stick in and roll it to cover it.  Then into the freezer.  It probably only took like 5 minutes to harden, but I didn't get back to them until later.

And this is how I had to set it up because the stupid lollipop stick kept falling out.

When they were set I would pop them out, and put them in a wax paper lined cookie sheet in the fridge. Once they were all done I wrapped them in cheap sandwich bags and tied them with a ribbon.

This is the pan I kept in the fridge to hold the finished pops until I was all done.

And this is Pork Chop, who obviously thinks he is Miley Cyrus with that hand gesture.  

So even if the kids thought they were hockey sticks, I was still the cool hockey mom.  Or at least in my head I am cool.

  And I am really getting somewhere with my sewing project so I have to start sharing that soon, because I am cool, and you all have no choice but to pretend I am too.

I'm linking up HERE and HERE and Here

cake balls, different ways to shape them

Cupcakes for all!

   I have to make some plain cake balls for a friend of my sister.  So I figured that I would take the extra cake ball stuff and show you how to make some different shapes and what not.

  The most common way for me to make cake balls is with a mini ice cream scoop.  I have three sizes, from a tiny itty bitty one, to the regular one and then the larger one.  I just do the same thing with them all.

All three, the one in the middle is the regular size.

  The mini one I use to make itty bitty bites.  Perfect for when you make many flavours, so everyone can try them all. The regular one is perfect for those two bite balls, or as small pops.  I think this is the size I use most.

  The larger scoop makes a ball about 3-4 bites large.  I usually only use this size when I am making pops, as they are just too large as a regular ball.  I also make these large pops two ways, one like a regular pop and the other way by placing the ball upside down so the stick stands up.  This really works well when they are going to be out for gifts, no holder needed.





These are the same size, but "real" pops.  I just added eyes and hats.

  Another way to make cake balls is to form them, and there are many ways to do that. When I first started I had no idea how to shape them, so I used cookie cutters, small ones.  It worked well, and I still like to use them

  First you put your cookie cutter on top of wax paper, then take your cake ball mix and press it into the cutter to get a nice even shape.  Then you push it out and pull the cookie cutter up to get the shape out.  You have to be careful as the shapes are not too strong.

  Then you cool your shapes before dipping.  I dip these by putting the shape flat against the table, dip the stick into the candy melts then gently push the stick half way into the side of the shape.  Put your hand on top to help hold the shape and keep the stick from causing the shape to break.  Then dip the shape, and drag the bottom on the edge of the bowl to help take off the extra then lay flat to dry.  Wilton also did something similar in their cake pop book.  But this is how I did it before I saw the book, so I do what I know.



I made these with a simple circle cutter.



These were made with a heart cutter, then I put molded chocolate hearts on top.

  Another way to do pops is to use a mold.  I have two kinds.  First there is this super cute one from My Little Cupcake .  I found them one day while googling, and I ordered one.  It reminds me of the shape makers that you got with play doh sort of.  Anyway it works great, just put some mix into the mold, squeeze it together then take it out.  I really like the shape, but hated trying to dip them.  I follow the blog and there was an amazing idea to use a lobster fork to help you dip.

Just put the filling in and squeeze.  So cute!

 It worked perfectly and here are some I made for a  friends store when they were closing.



So cute!

 

Some of my many molds.

  Then the other way to mold your shapes is with silicon molds.  I have a whole bunch of these and have yet to use them.  Basically they are awesome, and I have a bunch but until now have not used them.  See I knew I would need them one day.  Anyway I grab anything that I think would work, some are Wilton brand just for cake pops, others are ice cube trays and some are made to bake in, whatever they all work the same.
  So to make them, take your mix and fill the tray on a flat surface, then put it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to make them colder.  Once cold enough pull them out and turn over the tray, use your fingers to push the shapes out and there you go, perfect and they are all the same size.

Just put the filling in and there you go.

  Also you can just free hand it to make any shape you want, here are a few I have done.



Super Mario mushrooms for my son's 6th birthday.




My friends kid was having a lizard party, this was all I could think of.  It's supposed to be a lizard. Fail I know.



My same friend has a Toy Story party for her other son, this is supposed to be the pig. I got the idea from Bakerella for this one totally.


  Then lastly a few great idea's  from Bakerella.  After all she is the queen of cake balls.  She showed how you can use a chocolate mold to form cupcake balls.  Just put some chocolate in the bottom of the mold, push in a cake ball ( I make mine sort of like a tube) then chill.  Once chilled, pop them out and dip the tops and decorate.




Using a candy mold to make the cupcake liner bottom, really easy.



Bakerella's

   I hope that these ideas give you some confidence to try out the cake ball.  With so many easy ways to make them, just have fun.