Looking for something sweet

EAT MORE DESSERT is overflowing with simple-to-make and fun-to-eat treats for any celebration, big or small.  With themes ranging from baby showers, weddings, holidays and birthday parties, you’ll find ideas and recipes to celebrate any and every occasion.  I’ve shared my core group of desserts including my famous sugar cookies to the secret inside my ever-so-moist cupcakes.  In addition to over 100 dessert recipes, the book is filled with tips and tricks for creating the perfect dessert table, from choosing a fantastic theme to styling your sweets.

Birthday Cake Waffle Cone Cake Pops

Makes 40 cake pops

Ingredients

• Cooking spray or Crisco or butter plus flour, for pan
• 1 (18.25-ounce [517 g]) box Duncan Hines Funfetti cake mix
• 1 (3.4-ounce [110 g]) box Jell-O vanilla instant pudding and pie filling, dry
• 1 cup (235 ml) water
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 package birthday cake Oreos, crushed
• ½ to ¾ cup (120 to 175 ml) Buttercream frosting (page 10)
• 40 waffle cones
• 3 (12-ounce [340 g]) packages white candy melts
• 40 pink sixlets
• Pink candy oil

You Will Need

• 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan or casserole dish
• Serrated knife
• Styrofoam
• Disposable pastry bag

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Coat the 9×13–inch (23×33 cm) baking pan with cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan, tapping out the excess flour. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, and using an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil and eggs on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until well blended. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again until all the ingredients are incorporated.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Place the pan in the preheated oven, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely before making the cake pops.
5. Mash up the cake and place in a large bowl. Using an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the cake, crushed Oreos and ½ to ¾ cup (120 to 175 ml) of frosting on medium speed until well blended and the mixture can be molded into a ball.
6. Measure and roll the mixture into tablespoon-size balls, place on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until firm.
7. Using a serrated knife, carefully saw off the top third of each waffle cone to make their size in scale to a cake pop.
8. Melt the candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments at 40% power for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring as needed until smooth. Remove the bowl from the microwave. Add the pink candy oil and stir again.
9. Barely dip the top of the waffle cone into the melted candy, just enough to put a ring around the top of the cone. Place the cone upside down on top of the refrigerated cake balls. This helps the candy adhere to the cake balls. Continue until all are finished.
10. Dip the cake balls (with waffle cone attached) into the melted candy, completely coating them to the edge of the cone. Stand the cones upright in Styrofoam to dry.
11. Once all the cones are dipped, add the pink candy oil to the remaining melted white candy. Fill the disposable pastry bag with the melted candy, cut the tip cut off and drizzle over each cake pop. The messier the better! Top each with a pink Sixlet candy while the candy is still wet. Return the cake pops to the Styrofoam to finish drying.

Rice Krispie Treat Ice Cream Bars

Kids love these fun rice krispie ice cream bars. They’re fun to make and easy to eat with the popsicle stick handle. Parents will love that these ice cream bars don’t melt into a sticky mess. Makes 9 ice cream bars

Ingredients

• Vegetable Spray
• 5 Tablespoons (70 G) Butter Or Margarine
• 1½ (10-Ounce [280 G] Packages) Mini Marshmallows (6 Cups)
• 9 Cups (250 G) Rice Krispies Cereal
• 1 (12-Ounce [340 G)]) Package White Candy Melts
• Pink Candy Oil
• Rainbow Sprinkles

You Will Need

• Wilton Ice Cream Bar Pan, Or 9×13-Inch (13×33 Cm) Baking Pan Or Casserole Dish
• Round Cookie Cutter
• 9 Oversize Popsicle Craft Sticks
• Styrofoam

DIRECTIONS

1.  Lightly oil or spray a Wilton ice cream bar pan, or the 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan with vegetable spray.
2.  In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the marshmallows and stir until melted and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat.
3.  Add the Rice Krispies and stir until completely coated. Pat into the prepared baking pan and let cool completely to set.
4.  If using the 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) pan, cut into nine rectangle shapes. Remove the bars from the pan and insert a Popsicle stick into each end. Using a round cookie cutter, round off the tops, then use cutter upside down and cut a “bite” out of the ice cream bar.
5. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the entire package of candy melts in the microwave at 30-second increments at 40% power. Continue for about 1½ minutes, or until all they are thoroughly melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Add the pink candy and stir again.
6. Dip the bars in the melted candy and sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles. The messier and drippier the better! I let my ice cream bars dry in a block of Styrofoam rather than laying them on waxed paper.