Red Velvet Cake Pops

So I made some cupcakes for a friend a few weeks ago and this week I needed to make something that didn't require my cupcake pan as I had not yet retrieved it.  So on Tuesday I made cake pops, sticking with my portable obsession.  I love red velvet, so I whipped out one of my mixes and went to work.  Here they are:

 Meet Mauria, my house manager.  

Dry Mix:
1 1/2 c sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 c cake flour
1 tsp baking soda


You can mix all of these ingredients together and store in a plastic bag for a quick cake mix.

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 c shortening
3 eggs
2 oz. red food coloring
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c buttermilk
3 tsp vinegar (optional, adds a bit more silky texture)

Other:
1 can of frosting (whatever flavor and brand you like)
candy wafers (about 1 1/2 lbs)

       Heat your oven to 350°. Cream together wet ingredients and add in dry while still mixing.  Don't overmix, it is okay for the pops because you will break the cake up, but if just making the cake it may get rubbery if overmixed.  Pour in a 9x13 pan and bake for 20-30 min until a toothpick comes out clean.
       Once the cake is cool break the cake up into a bowl.  Add 1/2 c of icing (I used cream cheese for this recipe) and mash all together with the cake bits. Add more if needed for the mixture to be formed into balls that will hold together.  Next I use a tablespoon to scoop out the cake mixture and roll into balls.  Once all the cake mix is rolled up I put the balls in the fridge to harden up a bit.
       While they are in the fridge I melt candy wafers (from the candy making isle of the craft store) in the microwave.  I used pink and dark chocolate.  I also get my lollipop sticks and some of that green flower arrangement foam at the craft store, I love Hobby Lobby, affordable, nice people, great products.  Make sure to keep the cake balls cold during all of his so that they don't break all apart.
       I poke hole in each of the cake balls with the lollipop sticks.  I put a bit of the melted chocolate in the holes and stick the lollipop sticks back into the holes to glue the sticks in.  Then roll the pops in the melted chocolate to coat and push the sticks into the foam to let the chocolate dry.  Once the chocolate is dry you have delicious portable cake morsels.

This may sound really involved and hard, but I swear it is not that bad, and it is super fun and everyone (even those who hate red velvet) will love these!



Now I hope you and yours enjoy these!  But please keep those in the South in your prayers right now.  We were struck with a horrible storm this weekend.  While myself and friends and family were blessed, many of my fellow North Carolinians and other Southerners were really affected and harmed by this storm, so please keep all of those affected in your prayers and thoughts.  With all of the death and destruction it will be a very long time until many here recover!  Thank you!

Banana Bread!

Why hello there, Spring.  You sure are a sight for sore eyes!
      So as the weather warms I start to see more disgusted faces on my housemates faces as I pull sweets out of the oven.  Apparently I am trying to ruin their figures.  So I decided to whip up a little something healthy.
      Last Sunday I bought some nanners at the store and I didn't eat them all this week before they passed that too ripe point where they were so sweet that they hurt your teeth.  So the only thing to do was make banana bread.

    In my house people are flitting in and out all the time so portability is one of my main concerns when baking so I made muffins, but a loaf would be just as good I'm sure, but keep in mind it would have to bake longer.
     I'm sure you've heard of using applesauce instead of oil or butter. I've even posted recipes like that on this blog.  And I am here to tell you, "DO it."  you will not see much of a difference, if any, and you can feel real good about serving healthier things to friends and family.  I even use the no sugar added kind, it's perfect.

Banana Bread:
3 or 4 mashed ripe bananas
1/2 c (or one single serve cup) applesauce
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c sugar (You can use anywhere from 2 Tbsp to a whole cup, it is just as you want it)
1 1/2 c flour
Nuts or semi-sweet chocolate chips as desired

Preheat the oven to 350°.  With just a mixing spoon mix everything but the flour together in a mixing bowl until well incorporated.  Add the flour and mix until completely wet.  Add in nuts or chocolate chips if you like.  Fill lined muffin tins till almost full and bake for 10-15 min or until fork poked in center comes out clean.  This should make between 12-15 muffins or one loaf.
I hope you and yours enjoy this guiltless treat.

Quick Post

Has anyone seen how cute Google's icon is today?  I vote it stays this way I love it!

Well, have a blessed Sabbath everyone!