Chocolate Cupcake Pops

Cupcake Pops

1 13X9 baked cake (from a box cake mix or scratch I used Chocolate box mix)
1 box cream cheese frosting
1 flower shaped cookie cutter (1.25" wide X .75" tall)
1 package chocolate bark
1 package white chocolate bark
1 tablespoon peanut butter
bowls for dipping
wax paper
aluminum foil
lollipop sticks
coconut, almonds,chocolate shavings or similar for top of cupcake
small plastic treat bags and ribbon to package the Cupcake Pops
styrofoam block

How to:

1. Bake cake mix and allow to cool completely.
2. Use finger tips to crumble to cake into small pieces, place cake in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add all of cream cheese, mix on medium speed until blended completely. The texture should be light and fluffy.
4. Roll the mix into ball that are 1.5 inches in diameter and place on wax sheet.
5. Use the lollipop stick and stick in the middle of each ball.
6. Cover the balls and place in freezer for two hours.
7. While the pops are cooling, take the Styrofoam and use a spare lollipop stick to poke holes for lollipops.
8. Melt chocolate per instructions given on packaging.
9. I took some of the milk chocolate ( about half) and put in separate bowl, mixing in the the peanut butter.
10. Take one tray out of freezer at a time.
11. Dip the pops in chocolates and wait for it to harden just a bit, then add toppings. HINT: This is a try and fail at first, if the chocolate is too soft, topping will not stay on, too hard they won't stick, just adjust times as needed. Try all sorts of combination for toppings.
    
12. Place lollipops in styrofoam and place in freezer.
13. Once completed with all pops, allow each set to freeze for about 1 hour.
14. Then use the plastic covers, I used twist ties that came with the set. You can use ribbon or any other decorative tie.

Here are some combination ideas:

• White chocolate dipped with toasted coconut topping ( can add almonds)
• White chocolate dipped with dark chocolate shavings
• Chocolate peanut butter dipped with butterfinger topping
• Dark chocolate with raspberry sauce dipped and white chocolate shavings

Will make about 42 pops. Store in airtight container,in fridge. They will last for several days.

Recipe used from http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2008/04/make-your-cupcakes-pop.html

Almond Cupcakes with Pistachio Filling

Almond Cupcakes,Pistachio Filling with Almond Butter Cream Frosting.
I love making these cupcakes. They were perfect texture,flavor, and worked well with the party theme( football).Best of all, they are very easy.

Ingredients

• Basic super moist box white cake mix( and ingredients needed for mix)
  
• Almond extract
• Milk
• Pistachio pudding mix, without added pistachio pieces ( and ingredients needed for mix)
• Butter cream frosting
  

How to:

1. Preheat the oven to temperature specified on box mix.
2. Make the box mix as directed then add two tablespoons of almond extract.
3. Bake cupcakes.
4. Follow directions on box mix for cook time. HINT: You can check by touch the tops of cupcakes, they should bounce back.
5. While cupcakes cool prepare pistachio pudding mix.If you were unable to find pistachio chunk free pudding, you can take the powder mix and use a mesh strainer to get rid of the larger pieces.
6. Once the cupcakes have cooled, use a pastry bag ( I recommend http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/b304/index.cfm?pkey=cbkwpstdec)nt have a filling tip handy, you can also use a baster.
7. Inject the pudding in the middle of each cupcake, allow it to fill until just about over flowing . If any pudding is on the top of the cupcakes, I wipe it off with a paper towel.
8. Mix the butter cream frosting with 1 tablespoon of almond extract.
9. Place icing into the pastry bag and use tip of your choice for desired look. I sprinkled the top with clear sanding sugar to give a sparkling effect and topped with a football decor bought from Wal-mart.

For storing, I keep the cupcakes in a airtight container in the fridge. Cupcakes should be served within 1 day for best flavor but, they will last up to 6.