The 145th Kentucky Derby will be this Saturday. This "Run for the Roses" earned its nickname for the blanket of roses draped over the winning horse. The event is held annually on the first Saturday in May, and with it there are several traditions observed. Spectators dress super-fancy (not really my thing...anyone who has seen the 4 dresses in my closet, or my 3-year-old "nice jeans" would guess this), gather en masse (also not my thing, as an introvert) at Churchill Downs Racetrack, place bets (again, not my thing as a non-risktaker) on the performance of horses groomed specifically for this "Greatest Two Minutes in Sports," while they enjoy traditional "Derby Day" food and drink, such as the Mint Julep, a cocktail of bourbon, sugar, and mint (something I can get excited about! Yes!). However, more exciting to me than a sweet, minty alcoholic drink is a tiny drink-shaped cake pop. Everyone at the party can enjoy them: even the Designated Driver ;) 

A mint julep is traditionally served in a silver "Julep cup." I decided to make my little mint julep cake pops with grey chocolate coating, instead of painted silver. However, if you'd like a metallic silver finish on your cake pops, I recommend creating an edible paint by mixing Nu Super Silver Edible Luster Dust with lemon extract or Everclear (grain alcohol) or use Edible Art's Metallic Silver Edible Art Paint. Wait until your cake pop's chocolate coating is fully cooled and hardened before applying the paint. 

This tutorial assumes that you already know how to make cake balls or cake pops. If you are new to cake pop-making, I highly recommend Bakerella's book Cake Pops. It's what I used to teach myself when I first started making cake pops in 2011. Make a few rounds of standard cake pops before you start getting all "Derby fancy" with these!

​To make these Mint Julep cake pops, you'll need the following: 

Ingredients and Supplies
*Cake Balls, in your choice of flavor(s)
*White candy coating, such as Mercken's Super White melting wafers
*Black candy coating, such as Wilton's Black candy melts
*Leaf-shaped sprinkles, such as these from Wilton
*Rock candy, such as these from Hoosier Hill Farm
*Sugar crystals, such as these from CK Products 
*Piping bag
*Lollipop sticks
*Chef's knife (for sculpting)
*Scribe (the "pointy thing" used for popping air bubbles). Mine is from Scribes by Vivid Sister
​*Paramount Crystals (optional) to thin chocolate, if needed

​Start by rolling each cake ball into a cup shape. I use chef's knife to roll the cake ball back and forth to start forming a cylinder. As the cylinder starts to take shape, I slant the knife (by dropping one edge of the blade) to manipulate the cylinder in such as way as to make a tapered cup shape.

Note the slant of the knife blade to match the slope of the cup shape.

Once all of the cake balls are shaped into tiny cups, mix and melt the black and white candy melts. Start with mostly white candy melts, and add just a few black chips to the mix. It is much easier to add black chips to make the grey darker than it will be to add white chips to make it lighter. I use a microwave to melt the candy coating. Place the chips in a glass or plastic jar, then microwave 30 seconds at a time at 50% power. Stir between each heating session until the melted chocolate is smooth and "runny enough for dipping." Be careful to avoid overheating, as that will cause the chocolate to harden irreparably. If you find that the chocolate is too stiff (and you know that you haven't overheated it), try adding some Paramount Crystals to thin it, and make it easier for dipping and coating. 

To better secure the cake pops to their sticks, I recommend first attaching the lollipop sticks by dipping them in the melting chocolate before inserting each stick into a cake ball. Allow the chocolate on the stick to cool/harden before dipping the cake ball into the jar of melted chocolate.

Once all the cake pops are ready for dipping, prepare your toppings. I recommend putting the rock candy and sugar crystals in small bowls, for easier access (and neater sprinkling!). 

Dip the cake pop into the melted chocolate. Tap off the excess chocolate, and use the scribe to pop any air bubbles present on the chocolate coating. Then, working very quickly (if you are too slow, the chocolate will harden before you finish adding all the details), place 2 "mint leaves" on the top edge of the cup, and rock candy to fill most of the surface (to resemble ice cubes). Finally, sprinkle sugar crystals to fill any remaining space, and to add extra sparkle.

Once the chocolate coating has fully-cooled/hardened on the cake pop, fill a piping bag with some of the melted grey chocolate from the jar. Use that to pipe dots around the rim, and a line around the base, to mimic the style of a traditional julep cup. 

Once the piped details have cooled/hardened, you can add the edible metallic silver paint, or just leave as-is. If you're feeling super fancy (and bold), you can remove the stick to create a tiny cake ball/cup. Be mindful that removing the stick may cause the cake pop to crack. If you want to try it, I recommend carefully and slowly twisting the stick it while you pull it away from the cake ball/cup. After the stick has been removed, fill the hole with piped chocolate, then rest on wax paper to cool.

If you use this tutorial to make your own Mint Julep cake pops, please share your feedback and photos! Tag Sweet Whimsy Shop on Instagram or Facebook as @SweetWhimsyShop

Many thanks in advance, and happy creating!!

I live in Savannah, Georgia, home to the nation's second largest St. Patrick's Day parade (New York City has the largest). This year's parade will be the city's 195th, and many of Savannah's 146,500 residents will be among the event's 400,000 spectators. (Yes, it's a zoo here). The city essentially shuts down for the day; schools and businesses close, UPS doesn't run routes. It's like Irish Christmas, but outside, and warmer. And, much like real Christmas, the holiday is virtually unavoidable here. So...why not embrace it, and celebrate with green abandon? 

I love the combination of marshmallow and chocolate, and I don't need much of an excuse to indulge. St. Patrick's Day is a worthy cause in this case. These Crispy Marshmallow Pops were created with the holiday in mind, but they can easily be modified for any celebration, or private indulgence. The addition of crisp rice cereal adds an amazing crunch that makes these treats so irresistibly yummy!!

You can use your own rice krispie treat recipe for the filling. However, it will be tricky to work with, because the traditional RKT mixture is designed to harden relatively quickly. Thus, you'll need to fill the chocolate molds as soon as you make the krispie treats. Otherwise, they will be too hard to sculpt. I have created my own recipe that works perfect for the filling. It does not harden, and remains gooey inside the chocolate coating. If you're interested, you may purchase a digital copy of the recipe here.

To make these St. Patrick's Crispy Marshmallow Pops, you’ll need the following:
 
Ingredients and Supplies
*Crisp Rice Marshmallow mixture (use your own, or purchase/download my recipe here)
*Milk and White chocolate candy coating 
*Swirl Cakesicle Mold, available from Baker's Party Shop
*Mini popsicle sticks
*Piping bag for melted chocolate
*Tiny shamrock confetti sprinkles, or green jimmies
*Sprinklefetti St. Patrick's Day mix, from Baker's Party Shop

Most of these supplies can be purchased from your local craft or cake decorating supply store, or click here to find them in my "Supplies List" on Amazon

Once you've gathered all your supplies, begin by heating and melting the milk chocolate. Pour enough melted chocolate into each cavity to cover the base generously, then be sure to push the chocolate all the way up to edge, all the way around. Make certain to clear a space through which the popsicle stick will later be inserted. After all 4 cavities have been prepared, freeze the mold for 5-10 minutes to set the chocolate.

While the mold is in the freezer, make your rice krispie treat mixture. Or, follow the directions for my Crispy Marshmallow filling, available here, If you are using sprinkles, add them at the end of the recipe, as a final mix-in. 

​​Working quickly, press the crispy rice & marshmallow mixture into each cavity of the mold. Pro tip: if you are using my Crispy Marshmallow filling recipe, handling it will be easier if you wear food-safe nitrile gloves with a thin coating of butter or shortening on them. 

Carefully compact the mixture into each mold, leaving room at the top to add more melted chocolate. Then insert a popsicle stick through each hole, and into the crisp rice & marshmallow filling. The stickiness of the marshmallow should help keep the stick in place. Or, you can add some melted chocolate to the stick to help "glue" it to the filling. 

Use melted chocolate to completely cover the filling, and seal each pop. Then freeze for 5-10 minutes. 

Once the chocolate has set, carefully remove each pop from its mold. You may need to use a paring knife to clean up some of the edges. 

To decorate, fill a piping bag with melted white chocolate/candy coating. Drizzle across the pop, or pipe "frosting" between every other layer (as I did). Sprinkle with the St. Patrick's Sprinklefetti mix, then allow chocolate to set and cool completely. 

When finished, you'll have a super festive, tasty, and unique treat that will make your celebration even sweeter. Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

​I did not make a 2019 New Year's resolution; although "blog more consistently" would have been a good one. If you've been following me (or trying to) since my first post (May 2018), you know there's been quite a gap. 2018 was a regrettably memorable year for our family: significant deaths, various medical issues, and costly legal shenanigans (due to a greedy bakery located 600+ miles, and several states, away from me), on top of the general stress of raising a tiny human. "Blogging" fell off the priority list. 

We could not get out of 2018 fast enough, and in my rushed & desperate departure, I never paused to consider "How/what can I improve in 2019?" Rather, the mantras have been: "I'm still standing." "Still vertical." "2019 HAS to be better [no effort required]." Perhaps I will be more consistent with blogging, but it will not be the result of a strategic plan or resolution. With that, you should probably embrace this tutorial to its fullest, because I'm not sure when the next one will be! ;) 

A Valentine's Day-themed tutorial seems perfect for a blog re-launch. The holiday is one of my favorites, because I love pink, and sparkles...and also flowers and chocolate! And, there are a LOT of folks who DIY their valentine gifts. Cakesicles are a fairly new confectionary trend. They are comparable to cake pops (a chocolate/candy-coated ball of cake, set on a lollipop stick), but they are popsicle-shaped, and can be made using a "casting" technique, instead of dipping. 

"Casting" is a way to make "stuff" using a mold. Generally, a liquid like heated metal, plaster, or in this case: melted chocolate, is poured into a cavity. When the liquid cools/sets/hardens to a solid form, it takes on the shape of the mold in which it had been cast. I love the casting technique for cakesicles, because it produces a lovely smooth and shiny finish. 

This tutorial assumes that you have general knowledge of how to make cake balls (made from a baked cake that is crumbled and mixed with frosting to achieve a "dough" whichcan be rolled into a ball shape). If you do not know how to do that, I highly recommend reading Bakerella's book Cake Pops. The photos are beautiful, and the step-by-step processes are super user-friendly! 
 
To make these Valentine's Cakesicles, you’ll need the following:
 
Ingredients and Supplies
*Cake Balls, in your choice of flavor(s)
*Pink and White colored chocolate candy coating (such as Wilton’s Candy Melts)
*Mini popsicle sticks
*Piping bags for melted chocolate
*Sugar crystals, sprinkles, or any other festive edible topping
*Cake Pop Popsicle Mold, available from Baker's Party Shop
 
Most of these supplies can be purchased from your local craft or cake decorating supply store, or click here to find them in my "Supplies List" on Amazon

​To begin, make sure you have all your ingredients readily available...so you're not freaking out trying to find the popsicle sticks while the chocolate is hardening. Just a little pro tip for ya ;) 

If you have never melted candy coating, I recommend microwaving the chips in a food-safe, microwave-safe container, for 30 seconds at a time, at 50% power. Be sure to stir after each 30 seconds.

​
​Use a spoon to fill each cavity with melted chocolate/candy coating. 

​Then fully-coat the cavity, all the way to the edges. 

​Before the chocolate hardens, use one of the popsicle sticks to clear each hole where the cakesicle’s popsicle stick will eventually be inserted. Then freeze for 5-10 minutes.

​
After removing from the freezer, carefully press one cake ball in to each cavity of the mold, then insert a popsicle stick through the previously-cleared hole of the mold, and into the pressed cake.

​Use a spoon to cover the cake and fill the mold. If you are working in a cool/cold space, you may need to reheat the chocolate coating before you attempt this. Otherwise, it will harden before you are able to fully-cover each cakesicle (I learned this the hard way). Once all cavities are fully-covered, place the mold in the freezer for another 5-10 minutes.

​When the chocolate has fully hardened, and the cakesicles are fully-set, carefully remove each cast from its mold.

​
Prepare for decorating by filling bowl(s) with whatever sprinkles, sugar crystals, or decorations you've chosen. Fill a piping bag or a parchment paper cone with melted white candy coating. Set up the bowls of toppings before you prepare the piping bag. Otherwise, the piping chocolate may cool/harden as you're preparing the bowls. 

​Use the piping bag to decorate the top of the cakesicle in a "drippy style," similar to that of hot fudge or melted marshmallow cream on an ice cream sundae. Before the chocolate cools/hardens, sprinkle your toppings over it, then set the cakesicle aside to cool. 

​I hope you found this tutorial helpful and inspirational! Please, please, if you make your own cakesicles with the help of this how-to, I would love to see them (and would very much appreciate a shout-out/credit!). You can find (and tag!) me on social media as @SweetWhimsyShop 

Questions? Tips? Exclamations of excitement? ;) Please leave a comment!! 

Wishing you a sweet 2019,
​Becca