S’mores Peeps Pops

March 28, 2013 by 1 Comment

S'mores Peeps Pops by JavaCupcake.com

Last week I participated in the Spring Hop Along Peeps party with 22 other amazeball bloggers and I collected a LOT of Peeps to prepare for it.  So now, I’ve got DOZENS of Peeps and needed something to make with them – S’mores Peeps Pops!  Seriously can’t go wrong with dipping marshmallows in chocolate and crushed graham crackers!

{Fun for the kids} S'mores Peeps Pops by JavaCupcake.com

I had a few helpers with these yummy treats!  My daughter and a few of the neighborhood kids came over to help decorate some of the Peeps.  We had graham crackers, sprinkles, jimmies and little baby chicks to sprinkle all over the chocolate.   Afterwards, one of the parents told me they thought these were such a great idea that next year for Easter they were going to decorate Peeps instead of eggs!  I think I started a new family tradition!

After the chocolate hardened on these pops, I packaged them up in treat bags and tied them with a piece of string and sent them to school with my daughter to hand out in one of her classes.  They make the perfect individual treat!

Enjoy!

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S’mores Peeps Pops

Ingredients

  • 3-4 dozen Peeps Chicks in assorted colors
  • 250g Lindt chocolate (or any other chocolate you want - just not baking chips)
  • 1 cup crushed graham crackers
  • Lollipop sticks
  • Styrofoam block
  • Wax paper (optional)

Instructions

  1. Chop the chocolate into small chunks and place them in a microwave safe glass bowl. Microwave the chocolate for 45 seconds on 60% heat. Stir and repeat until the chocolate is 85% melted. Continue stirring until all the chocolate has melted and it is smooth.
  2. Dip the bottom of the Peep chick in chocolate and shake off excess chocolate until no more drips off.
  3. Set Peep into the crushed graham crackers and press cracker onto the chocolate until it is covered.
  4. Dip about 1/2 inch of the lollipop stick into the chocolate the press it up into the bottom of the Peep - don't press it all the way through.
  5. Press the lollipop stick into the Styrofoam block and allow to set until the chocolate has hardened. NOTE: If you don't have lollipop sticks, you can just place the completed Peeps on wax paper to harden.
  6. Store in air tight containers or use candy bags to individually wrap them.
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S'mores Peeps Pops by JavaCupcake.com

 

Filed Under: chocolate, dessert, graham crackers, Peeps, perfect for spring, pops, recipes

Spring Hop Along PEEPS Party!

March 18, 2013 by 40 Comments

Hop Along PEEPS Party | PEEPS Truffles by JavaCupcake

Horray! It’s almost time for Spring and I am so super excited for the sunshine and warmer weather!  Springtime also means PEEPS bunnies and chicks and lots of delicious, fun recipes to make and eat!  So when Christi of Love from the Oven and Michelle from Sugar Swings! Serve Some asked me to participate in the Spring Hop Along PEEPS Party, I jumped on the chance!

I mean seriously – look at all the bloggers participating in this… I am a HUGE fan of EVERY SINGLE ONE of them! Make sure you take the time to click over to their blogs and check out all the fun food and crafts they’ve made… all featuring PEEPS!

Oh… and guess what?  There’s a PEEPS prize pack giveaway in this party too!! See below for all the details and to enter to WIN! 

What I’ve made for this party are Spring PEEPS Truffles… but not just any truffles.  I made Amaretto Truffles dressed them up super cute for Spring by rolling them in fun sprinkles and jimmies and topped them with a rainbow assortment of PEEPS bunnies!

A friend of mine said it looked like these bunnies were pooping truffles… hehe What do you think?

I think these cute little bunnies would look perfect on display at your Easter party!  You wouldn’t even have to put a PEEP on every single one… maybe just a couple sitting on top of a few truffles on your display.  SO CUTE!

Spring Hop Along PEEPS Party - PEEPS Truffles by JavaCupcake

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Spring PEEPS Truffles

Yield: 24 PEEPS truffles

Ingredients

    Truffles
  • 250g Lindt Excellence 50% chocolate
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream (I used 32%)
  • 3 Tbsp flavoring (I used Disaronno - but you could use any liquor or flavoring you wanted)
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
    • Adornments
  • Sprinkles/Jimmies - pastel colors, Spring/Easter assortments
  • Sanding sugar
  • Sugar pearls
  • 24 PEEPS bunnies
  • toothpics
  • Spring colored mini cupcake liners
    • Supplies for Rolling Truffles
  • Baking sheet
  • Wax paper
  • Melon baller
  • small bowls
  • forks/spoons
  • small plates

Instructions

  1. Finely chop the chocolate and place it in a medium glass bowl.
  2. Put the cream, butter and amaretto (or other flavoring) in a medium pot over medium-high heat.
  3. Stirring often, heat cream until it just beings to bubble. Remove immediately and pour over the chopped chocolate.
  4. Let the chocolate and cream sit, untouched, for 1 minute.
  5. Stir gently until smooth being careful not to create any air bubbles.
  6. Cool to room temperature, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
  7. Prepare all your supplies before you begin rolling truffles... Line baking sheet with wax paper. Place sprinkles, cocoa, sugar in small bowls and lay out forks & melon baller.
  8. Scoop 3/4in-1in balls of chocolate using the melon baller. Gently and quickly roll the chocolate in your hand until a ball forms. The chocolate will begin to melt by the heat of your hands, so work quickly. Place each ball 1in apart and in rows on your prepared baking sheet. Chill in the freezer for 5-10 minutes after all the balls are rolled. While they are chilling, prepare small plates by covering them with wax paper. Prepare one plate for each variation of coatings.
  9. Using a spoon or fork, lift one rolled ball at a time off the tray. Drop it into your desired coating and roll around until completely covered. Place coated truffle onto prepared plate. NOTE: Keep like truffles together... you don't want them to touch and get contaminate each other!
  10. Place each truffle in a mini cupcake liner.
  11. When ready to serve and display, press a toothpick into the bottom of a PEEPS bunny and place it into the top of the truffle.
  12. Store in a container with a lid in your freezer or refrigerator until ready to serve. Best served cold.
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Spring Hop Along PEEPS Party!

Ready for more fabulous PEEPS recipes and ideas?  

Visit the following websites, each is sharing an amazing PEEPS post for you today, so hop on over and check them all out!   Don’t forget to enter to win the fabulous PEEPS Prize Pack as well!   Happy Spring!
NOTE: Since I’m 6-9 hours ahead of everyone else… other bloggers may not have their posts live on their blog yet. Be patient and check back often! :)

It’s time to WIN some PEEPS!?!? Check out this awesome prize pack and use the entry form below for your chance to win it! 

Spring Hop Along PEEPS Party Prize Pack

Open to US Residents Only (APO addresses accepted).  

Use the Rafflecopter Widget below to enter, please remember it can be slow to load.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: contests/giveaways, dessert, desserts, perfect for spring, recipes, truffles

Amaretto Truffles

March 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Amaretto Truffles by JavaCupcake.com

I have no real reason for making these rich, decadent Amaretto Truffles other than I wanted to eat them myself.  I recently started a truffle board on Pinterest and have been obsessed with making them myself.  I’ve made ganache so many times that I questioned why I had never taken the next step and made truffles.

My husband graciously left me about 1/4 cup of Disaronno in the bottle – so I knew that these truffles would have to be amaretto.  I mean, chocolate and amaretto go hand in hand.

Overall – these truffles were pretty simple to make.  Not too many steps, few ingredients and a low skill level is needed.  The only part that I think will get better with more practice is the rolling into perfectly round balls.  I found that the chocolate melted so quickly in my hands and got soft… so it became hard to roll perfect balls.  Next time, I might try rolling them in smaller batches, keeping the unused ganache in the fridge and cold.

The next batch of truffles I’ll try… Bakerella’s Peanut Butter Truffles.  Woah – YUM!

Enjoy!

Amaretto Truffles by JavaCupcake.com

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Amaretto Truffles

Yield: 24 truffles

Ingredients

    Truffles
  • 250g Lindt Excellence 50% chocolate
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream (I used 32%)
  • 3 Tbsp Amaretto (I used Disaronno)
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
    • Truffle Coatings
  • Cocoa powder
  • Powdered sugar
  • Chocolate jimmies
    • Supplies for rolling truffles
  • Baking sheet
  • Wax paper
  • Melon baller
  • small bowls
  • forks/spoons
  • small plates
  • mini cupcake liners

Instructions

  1. Finely chop the chocolate and place it in a medium glass bowl.
  2. Put the cream, butter and amaretto in a medium pot over medium-high heat.
  3. Stirring often, heat cream until it just beings to bubble. Remove immediately and pour over the chopped chocolate.
  4. Let the chocolate and cream sit, untouched, for 1 minute.
  5. Stir gently until smooth being careful not to create any air bubbles.
  6. Cool to room temperature, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
  7. Prepare all your supplies before you begin rolling truffles... Line baking sheet with wax paper. Place sprinkles, cocoa, sugar in small bowls and lay out forks & melon baller.
  8. Scoop 3/4in-1in balls of chocolate using the melon baller. Gently and quickly roll the chocolate in your hand until a ball forms. The chocolate will begin to melt by the heat of your hands, so work quickly. Place each ball 1in apart and in rows on your prepared baking sheet. Chill in the freezer for 5-10 minutes after all the balls are rolled. While they are chilling, prepare small plates by covering them with wax paper. Prepare one plate for each variation of coatings.
  9. Using a spoon or fork, lift one rolled ball at a time off the tray. Drop it into your desired coating and roll around until completely covered. Place coated truffle onto prepared plate. NOTE: Keep like truffles together... you don't want them to touch and get contaminate each other!
  10. Place each truffle in a mini cupcake liner.
  11. Store in a container with a lid in your freezer or refrigerator until ready to serve. Best served cold.
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Filed Under: alcohol, recipes, truffles

Mint Chocolate Chip Bark

February 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 Mint Chocolate Chip Bark by JavaCupcake.com

I made a cake recently and garnished it with homemade mint chocolate chip bark.  It was so super simple and so super easy yet so super yummy that I thought it deserved it’s on post.

There are really only three things you need to make this bark – chocolate, mint extract and green food coloring gel.   It takes about 10 minutes plus a little more for the chocolate to set up and BAM – you’ve got chocolate bark.

Not only could you use this to top a cake or cupcakes – but this would make a great teacher gift, topping for ice cream or in your coffee.  Really the possibilities are endless!

Enjoy!

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Mint Chocolate Chip Bark

Yield: 2-3 cups bark

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Hershey's mint chocolate chips
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • Wilton Food Coloring Gel - Green
  • 1 oz semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • parchment paper

Instructions

  1. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate using a double boiler.
  2. Spread the chocolate in an 8x8 square on a piece of parchment paper. Place in freezer to set up - about 5 minutes.
  3. While that is setting up, melt the white chocolate in a double boiler. Mix in a small amount of green gel.
  4. Spread the white chocolate over the semi-sweet chocolate.
  5. Sprinkle chocolate chip chunks over the white chocolate.
  6. Put back in the freezer to harden - about 1 hour.
  7. Chop into chunks.
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Filed Under: bark, dessert, recipes