My latest obsession is cake pops. When Cara announced she will marry in August (in our back yard!), I immediately began my internet search on 'backyard' weddings. Though the dinner will be catered, Cara wants a dessert table with favorites provided by family and friends. Cake pops abound in lavish displays of wedding goodies on Pinterest and I decided to give them a try, though I've never been a fan of the traditional cake pop. Being a cake connoisseur, the idea of taking light and fluffy cake, reducing it to crumbs, mixing it with frosting then mushing it all together in a ball seems quite disgusting to me. And I've had one or two that were made that way ... ick. But I have seen those cute little appliances produced by Babycakes and, as I have never met a kitchen appliance I didn't like, determined that might be the way to go. Not readily finding a Babycakes cake pop maker on the shelves of local department stores (though Amazon and Ebay are adequately stocked), I picked up a Nordic Ware cake pop pan at Target.
Prior to testing out the pan, I read many internet reviews, as well as debates on the methods used to create the perfect cake pop. Who knew cake pops could be a controversial subject?!? Fans of the mush & smush method routinely criticized the cake balls that the Nordic Ware pan produced, and there were a few pictures of baking disasters where the pan either refused to release the cake or the overfilled/underfilled pan produced shapes that did not resemble a round ball. Still, there were a few reassuring reviews that led me to believe that this pan could perhaps produce a decent cake pop.
Anna's birthday provided the perfect opportunity to test out the pan. The recipe that came with the pan produced a fudgy, brownie like cake and I used Ghirardelli chocolate from the Decorette Shop for the coating. The technique of dipping the stick in a bit of melted chocolate, inserting it into the cake then freezing the pops before dipping--widely recommended by all internet reviewers--is a definite must. Not only does it keep the cake on the stick, but the chocolate hardens a bit faster, producing a smoother surface.
The cake pops were a hit at Anna's party and very yummy. The cake was very moist and the texture was perfect. Though I underfilled the first batch a bit, by the second batch I had learned the exact amount of batter needed to make the perfect sphere. Though many recommended using a pastry bag to fill the pan, my tablespoon cookie scoop worked perfectly. Clean up was a breeze, just a swipe of the sponge with a bit of dish soap was all that was needed.
By August, I should have this down. And hopefully I will find a cake pop display rack, although the inside of an orange juice squeezer worked just fine this time around.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Saturday, March 8, 2014
A Dream Come True
Shortly before Christmas, I dreamt Michelle had her baby and named her Macy. At the family Christmas Eve gathering, everyone tried to get Michelle and Greg to reveal the chosen name, without success. When Terri texted Tuesday morning that the baby had arrived but she had no details, I logged into Facebook, knowing Michelle's proclivity for cute baby posts. Sure enough, the announcement was there and no one was more surprised than me to see the chosen name.
Welcome, sweet Macy Jane!
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