MAKE IT CUTE

Read the entire recipe before you get cookin’!

What you’ll need:

18.25-ounce box cake mix

9-by-13-inch cake pan

Large mixing bowl

One 16-ounce container ready-made frosting

Large metal spoon

Wax paper

2 baking sheets

Plastic wrap

32 ounces (2 pounds) candy coating

Deep, microwave-safe plastic bowl

Toothpicks

Resealable plastic bag or squeeze bottle (optional)

What you’ll do:

1. Bake the cake as directed on the box, using a 9-by-13-inch cake pan. Let cool completely. Once the cake is cooled, get organized and set aside plenty of time (at least an hour) to crumble, roll, and dip 4 dozen cake balls.

2. Crumble the cooled cake into a large mixing bowl.

3. Add three-quarters of the container of frosting. (You will not need the remaining frosting.) Mix it into the crumbled cake until thoroughly combined.

4. Roll the crumbly mixture into pear-shaped balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Place the balls on a wax paper-covered baking sheet. Use one with sides so the balls don’t roll off!

5. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for several hours in the refrigerator, or place in the freezer for about 15 minutes. You want the balls to be firm but not frozen.

You can make the cake balls ahead of time and store them in an airtight container on the counter or in the refrigerator for several days.

If you don’t need or want to make 48 cake balls, simply divide the cake in half for 24 cake balls or in quarters for 12 and freeze the remaining cake for later use. Remember to reduce the amount of frosting proportionally.

Make the snowmen

What you’ll need:

48 uncoated Basic Cake Balls, formed into pear shapes (see recipe below)

48 ounces (3 pounds) white candy coating

Deep, microwave-safe plastic bowl

48 paper lollipop sticks

48 orange candy-coated sunflower seeds

96 chocolate jimmies

Styrofoam block

Toothpicks

144 blue miniature confetti sprinkles

Black edible-ink pen

Small squeeze bottle

48 Murray Sugar-Free Chocolate Bites cookies

48 large dark chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli

What you’ll do:

1. Melt the white candy coating in a microwave-safe plastic bowl, following the instructions on the package. The coating should be about 3 inches deep for easier dipping.

2. When you are ready to dip, remove a few cake balls at a time from the refrigerator, keeping the rest chilled. 

3. One at a time, dip about ½-inch of the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted candy coating, and insert the stick straight into the bottom side of a snowman body, pushing it no more than halfway through. Dip the cake pop into the melted coating, and tap off any excess coating.

4. While the coating is still wet, attach a sunflower seed in position for the nose and 2 chocolate jimmies in position for the arms. Hold each in place for a few seconds until the candy coating sets like glue, and place in a Styrofoam block to dry. Repeat until all the snowmen have noses and arms.

5. When the pops are dry, use a toothpick to dot a small amount of melted candy coating in position for buttons, and attach 3 blue confetti sprinkles to each snowman.

6. Draw on eyes and a dotted smile with an edible-ink pen and let dry completely in a Styrofoam block.

7. Pour the remaining melted coating into a small squeeze bottle. Squeeze a small amount onto the very top of a snowman’s head. Attach 1 chocolate cookie. Squeeze another small amount of coating in the center opening of the cookie. Push 1 chocolate chip, pointed side down, into the center. As you push, the melted candy coating will be forced up the side, giving you a white rim for the hat.

8. Place in the Styrofoam block to dry completely.

by Bakerella | 2/1/2016