Mustache Chocolate Valentine Pop

You’ve seen all the cute “mustache” tags out there in blogland, right?  Well, there’s no way my kids would hand Valentine’s out at school if they contained the words ”love”, “be mine”, “heartbreaker”, “eyes for you”, you get the idea.  Boys are gross, girls are gross, end of story.

But I love the mustache so much, so this was my answer, and as luck would have it I’m planning on making 70+ chocolate mustaches for Valentine’s Day this year – I know, I’m crazy!

However, if my kids are any indication, these should be a big hit with their friends.  I got some great pics of them all posing with their chocolate mustaches – too cute.

I bought the mustache mold from here.  The treat bags can be purchased at Walmart in their cake decorating/wedding section, or from here.  The lollipop sticks can be purchased here.

Chocolate Mustache Valentine Pops

Chocolate compound coating. 1 pound makes approx. 12 mustaches

lollipop sticks

mold

Melt the compound coating according to the directions on the package.  Place the lollipop stick into place and spoon the melted compound coating into each mustache well and roll the stick around to make sure it’s completely covered in coating.  Gently tap the mold onto the counter to smooth out the coating and help prevent bubbles (some of mine still had some).

Place in the freezer, lying flat, for 10 minutes.  When done, carefully turn the mold over onto a clean counter and they should come right out.  If not, gently tap the corners of the mold to release any that are resistant.

Let come to room temperature before you package.

“Alice” Sugar Cookie

Happy Belated Valentine’s Day!  This is what I’ve been up to for the last couple of days – baking & decorating sugar cookies!  I love Alice in Wonderland, so I wanted to do an “Alice” cookie.

The kids got to choose between “The Red Queen” and “Alice” for their teachers, and we mixed in a few bees.  I thought they turned out cute.

Linking to: Sweet Sugarbelle Valentine Cookie Share

Oreo Pig Pops

I saw these in the Taste of Home Good Food for Kids!/Kids’ Party Food Magazine – in stores right now.  And I am a complete sucker for kids party and dessert magazines, so of course I picked it up!

Who says pigs don’t make good Valentine’s?!  These were a lot of fun to make, and it’s even better if you have lots of helping hands so everyone has a dedicated job – like an assembly line.

Oreo Pig Pops Adapted from Taste of Home Good Food for Kids!/Kids’ Party Food Magazine

16 large pink marshmallows

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 packages (12 ounces each) pink candy coating

32 Double Stuf Oreos

32 popsicle sticks

64 mini chocolate chips

64 mini M&M’s – I only used brown

or

64 heart sprinkles, optional (for the Valentine’s pig)

Melt the candy melts as directed on the package, or in a double boiler over simmering water.  Stir until completely melted.  Set aside.

Twist the cookies apart and set aside.  Line a cookie sheet with wax paper (you will assemble the cookies on this).

Next, dip the popsicle stick into the melted candy and place it on one of the cookie halves and top with the other half – press gently.  Continue with the remaining cookies and popsicle sticks.  Place the cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.

In the meantime, cut the marshmallows into thirds.  Use the two outer ones for snouts, and cut the middle one into fourths (for the ears).  Dip any sticky marshmallow pieces in sugar so they’re easier to work with (particularly the ears).

After the cookies are done in the freezer, spoon the remaining melted candy over the cookies and place them back on the wax paper-lined cookie sheet.  Add the marshmallow snout, the eyes, and the ears while the candy coating is still wet.  Press gently.

Next, take a small paint brush (for food only) and paint melted candy onto the back of the M&M’s (or Valentine hearts) and place on top of the snout, and press gently.

Place the cookie pops in the freezer for 10 minutes to set up.

Linking to Tidy Mom, Thirty Handmade Days, Crumbs and Chaos, Inside BruCrew Life

Whipped Cheesecake Strawberry Fool

I really like whip cream, especially when it’s mixed with cream cheese.  It kind of reminds me of cheesecake – another dessert I adore.  And there’s nothing I like better on cheesecake than strawberry topping.

This would be the perfect dessert to serve on Valentine’s Day!

Whipped Cheesecake Cream

8 ounces cream cheese, full fat

1 – 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 cups heavy cream

Whip the cream cheese and the powdered sugar on low in a medium mixing bowl.  When it’s creamed together, slowly add the cream while continuing to beat to loosen the consistency of the cream cheese.  Continue to beat until fluffy and thick.

I sample the whipped cream at this point and determine if it’s sweet enough for me, if not, add more sugar until desired sweetness.

Strawberry Topping Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

dash of salt

1/3 cup water

4 cups fresh or frozen strawberries

Place the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan and whisk together to break up any lumps.  Then add the water and stir well.  Add in the strawberries.

Over medium heat, cook and stir until the sauce is thick and just starting to boil.  Stir for 1 to 2 minutes more, then take off the heat and let cool.  Store in the refrigerator.

To Assemble: Simply scoop whipped cheesecake into serving dishes, top with strawberry topping, and continue layering!

I was able to make the “heart”* with the strawberry topping by first layering in the whipped cheesecake, then spooning two small teaspoons of topping next to each other against the glass.  I then added another layer of whipped cheesecake.  I took a skewer (flush against the glass) and pushed it through the middle of the two teaspoons of topping inside of the glass and pulled the skewer back through the middle of the dessert to take it out.  This only worked for me once!  So it’s a bit tricky, but makes for a stunning presentation.  Good luck if you try it!

*I saw this technique in Woman’s Day magazine in 2006.  They used pudding and seedless jam (for the hearts).  I may have to try that next time and see if I get better results.

Linking to Tidy Mom, Chef In Training, Something Swanky, Thirty Handmade Days, Crumbs and Chaos, Inside BruCrew Life