cake-pops are a go!

I can finally say with confidence that I will be making cake-pops for the wedding reception!  A couple of weeks ago I perfected my technique, and I have decided to run with it.  I plan on having yummy, homemade, little cake-pops as a sweet treat to say “thank you” for sharing in our special day.  

If you get to know me, you will find out very quickly that I love to bake (probably because I will be bringing over little baggies of cookies when I visit or forcing you to try a “at least a bite” of something when you walk in my front door).  And because I love to bake, I thought it would be fun to bake a little something for the wedding reception…it had to be small, easy, individually portioned, and aesthetically pleasing of course! Cake-pops fit every piece of criteria!

(an old sketch in my wedding thought book

from when I came up with the idea)

So I had an idea--awesome!…but it was actually figuring out the best and easiest recipe to make them that proved to be a little challenging (but fun) for me. 

For anyone asking themselves, “what in the world is a cake-pop?!”, don’t worry; I would have asked the same thing several months ago… until I saw them at Starbucks (where I work) when we rolled out with some new tasty “petite” pastries.  They are basically all the goodness of cake (along with the frosting—the most important part) rolled into a ball and placed on a stick (like a lolli-pop), then dipped in a hardening chocolate shell.  The end result is whimsical, dainty, and decadent all at once.  Get fancy, and add some sprinkles or cinnamon-sugar on top, and you could even call it gourmet!

And the best part: they are beyond easy (and inexpensive too)!

The basic ingredients are as simple as it gets:

A box of cake mix

Whatever eggs, oil, and water the mix calls for

¾ can of frosting (whatever you think will be tasty with your cake)

Dipping chocolate (I’ve had my best luck with the candy making chocolate from Hobby Lobby…it melts perfectly and looks really smooth)

Popsicle or lolli-pop sticks

Styrofoam blocks

Every recipe I have looked at for these is very similar but they vary in small ways.  I am going to describe the way that I have found works best for me.

1. Make a 9x13 sheet cake just like the box of cake mix tells you to.
2. Let the cake cool completely (or as close to completely as your patience will allow…2 hours is the most I have ever been able to handle)
3. Here’s where it gets fun: grab handfuls of the cake (with clean hands of course!), and break it up over a very large bowl until you have broken up the entire cake and the cake crumbs are very fine.  I often leave out some of that very top edge of the cake because its often a little more crispy than I would like to include (...plus it’s a good excuse to try the cake and make sure it tastes good)
4. Then with a knife or spoon, scoop ¾ of your choice of frosting into the cake crumbles. Stir it up until it is all even.
5. Then, using a cookie scoop or your hands (my preferred method), roll the cake mixture into balls and place on a cookie sheet or pan with parchment or wax paper.  
6. Stick those bad boys in the fridge or freezer until they firm (several hours in the fridge—perfect if you’ve got stuff to do or 20ish minutes in the freezer—if you happen to be impatient like me)
7. When firm, get the chocolate (white, milk, dark, colored…whatever taste/look you’re going for) and melt it.
8. grab a cake-ball, put it on a stick, dip it in the melted chocolate, and wedge into the Styrofoam to dry, and TA-DA!!!!... you now have a cake-pop ready for consumption in minutes.  While the chocolate is still hardening, sprinkle with chopped nuts, sprinkles, or cinnamon-sugar for a special touch.  

When I make these, I usually can get about 50 cake-pops from one recipe (sometimes more, sometimes less…it just depends on how big I roll them).

(one of my early experimental batches)

While I have now pretty much figured out the best way (for me) to make cake-pops, I am still experimenting with flavors.  So far my favorites have been “cookies ‘n cream” (inspired by a cake my sister made earlier this year), “coffee-cake”, and “Reese’s” inspired flavored cake-pops.

I am still toying with the idea of a couple other flavors.  For instance: “strawberries ‘n cream” (strawberry cake, maybe with strawberries mixed in the batter, cream cheese frosting, and vanilla-flavored dipping chocolate).  Or even “chocolate covered strawberries” (same as above but dipped in milk or dark chocolate).  My wheels also began to turn when I saw a mint-chocolate dipping chocolate at Hobby Lobby the other day… maybe a “mint chocolate chip” inspired cake pop?...

Hmm….

…back to baking! I’ll keep you posted ;)

no, no i have not forgotten about the wedding

For the betterment of this blog, I feel that it is necessary that I quit school for the rest of the semester.

…ok…not really, but school IS definitely the reason that I haven’t been blogging lately.  Look back a couple of posts, and you’ll see that school was about to get into full swing, and I expressed some fears that school and wedding planning would be competing for my time.  Luckily I am balancing the two fairly well, but my poor blog has been left to gather dust.  Today I plan on wiping just a little dust off! 

…now, don’t  worry…just because I haven’t been blogging doesn’t mean that the wedding planning has also been at a stand still—I realized recently that A LOT has been accomplished actually!

For example, Kyle and I had our engagement photos done by Ashley Rodgers Photography.  We could not have been more pleased! This woman is seriously incredible.  To see some of her work, check out her blog!  I CANNOT WAIT for her to do my bridal portraits in a couple of weeks and then to capture the actual big day in a little over two months…

ALSO... we received the proof for our invitations TODAY from the printers, and we will have the real deal within the next week or so!!!  Those little guys turned out to quite an undertaking when Kyle and I decided to design them ourselves.  I did a little sketch, and Kyle did all of the wording and finishing touches.  We wanted something that was very “us”—something that went along with the sweet and simple feel that we are going for.  I did a few sketches, and Kyle and I worked together to decide exactly what we wanted….so then I did a few more sketches…and then a couple more…until we had come up with something that we both are very proud of.  And the printers rock (seriously).  We used GreenerPrinter.com …they are an eco-friendly online print company and use only 100% recycled paper.  We just had to pick our paper and upload our image.  They even emailed us a couple of times to make sure that our uploaded images were exactly what the printers needed and what Kyle and I wanted before even beginning the print process.

And like I said…we got the proofs today!! They were delivered to my mom’s house, and Kelby (my little sister and Maid of Honor) was sweet enough to bring them to me at work so I could see them immediately.  Let me just say, I nearly peed my pants I was so excited.  The prints were perfect.  I am well beyond pleased!  Holding those invitations was a bit surreal…it is all really happening…. (81 days to be exact :)

The invitation wording was definitely an interesting dilemma.  We have two different types of invitations because we are having a small, intimate wedding ceremony with close friends and family and then a much larger reception immediately following.  This “little wedding-big reception” thing is growing more common, but that doesn’t exactly help with the wording on an invitation!  We are blessed to be inviting so many wonderful people who have impacted our lives individually and as a couple, and we don’t want anyone to feel that being invited to the wedding reception only makes them any less important to us.  We want them to join us for the CELEBRATION (“food, drink, and merriment” as the invitation states)!!

I love more and more everyday the idea of getting married on New Year’s Eve.  I think the symbolism of the day is beautiful…ending the year together so that we can welcome the new one hand-in-hand as a brand new family.  It’s perfect.  Kyle also jokes (but is totally serious) that the date will be impossible for him to forget. :)

Speaking of Kyle…..We went to Dallas a couple of weekends ago for the wedding of one of Kyle’s cousins, and while we were there, we were able to go shopping for his wedding attire. Oh. My. Goodness.  He is gonna look FINE.  We found the whole sha-bang (sans shoes).  The attire includes khaki-brown slacks, a classic white oxford shirt, a perfect butter-yellow tie (that Kyle picked), and a brown tweed vest.  He looked great…and most importantly, I think he looked like himself—genuine and comfortable.

lookin' sharp.

love this picture of Kyle with his new purchases.

As for my attire… it is getting closer and closer to finished!! I am having a summer dress custom-altered just for me.  The mother of one of my closest friends/bridesmaid is an incredible seamstress, and she agreed to help me with this project.  It makes me wiggle in my chair to think about my dress.  It will be very “me”… you may take that as you will.

But while I cannot reveal my dress, I think it is only fair to reveal my (KILLER) shoes… when my mom and I saw them, we looked at each other and both said “do you think…?”.  I tired them on, and the answer was “yes”.  Enjoy.  

I think that is as good an update as I can handle for just one post, but plenty more has happened that I will certainly post soon…