Candy Cane Pops

Don't Forget to enter the Giveaway in the post right before this one! Perfect for Christmas!

The Hostess Blog has these very cute Candy Cane Pops!

PEPPERMINT CANDY CANE CAKE BALLS

{inspired by Bakerella‘s cake pops}

YOU’LL NEED:
– 1 box white cake mix (baked as directed on box)
– 1 can vanilla frosting
– 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
– White Candy Melts – 2 bags
– Candy Canes, crushed
– Red Candy Melts – 1 bag (optional, used only for design #2)
– Styrofoam – sheet or blocks
– 6″ white Lollipop Sticks
– Red Ribbon
– Hot Glue (or clear-drying tacky glue)

INSTRUCTIONS:
Here are Bakerella’s original cake pop instructions, (with my addition of crushed candy canes on step #8):

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can frosting. (I use the back of a large spoon, but it may be easier to use fingers to mix together. But, be warned, it will get messy. Also, you may not need the entire can of frosting, so start out by using almost the entire can and add more if you need to.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50)
4. Melt chocolate in the microwave per directions on package. (30 sec intervals, stirring in between.)
5. Dip the tip of your lollipop stick in a little of the melted candy coating and insert into the cake balls. (Insert a little less than halfway.)
6. Place them in the freezer for a little while to firm up.
7. Once firm, carefully insert the cake ball into the candy coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered. Once covered remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Don’t tap too hard or the cake ball will fall off, too.
8. While still wet, roll cake pops in crushed candy canes (for design #1)*
9. Place in a styrofoam block to dry.

* For Design #2, (the “smooth” design) let dipped cake pops dry, then add a few red Candy Melt stripes on top. Using a zip-loc bag with a tiny piece of one corner snipped off, drizzle the melted red candy back and forth across the top of each cake pop.