project gift it - Grad Pops

Happy Graduation Day to my mama!

As you guys know, I love to celebrate with a sweet treat. Hell, I love a sweet treat even without an excuse, but something sweet is perfect on this occassion because really, what is an appropriate graduation gift? Seriously guys, any ideas would be welcome because I really wanted to do a graduate gift guide towards the end of the academic year and the only thing I could think of that a recent graduate would want in this climate is a job worthy of their education!

So I offer up a no-bake, sort of feels like I'm cheating cos it's so easy Grad-Pops. I had one of those 'gosh darn it, why didn't I think of that?' moments when I found these Bakerella cakepops via Be Different, Act Normal but forgave myself instantly when I realised how supercute and simple these were going to be.

I'll be honest, I dutifully tottered off to the shops with Bakerella's list in hand: Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, little yellow sweeties, chocolate squares, yellow stringy confectionary type thing - and I bought all the stuff too. But when I got home my peanut butter cups were to short and wide (I later ntoiced Bakerella uses mini ones, and I had enough trouble getting the regular ones over here!), the yellow gummy snakes I bought could not be cut into the right size and the Smarties I bought to make little tops contained only one single lowly yellow Smartie in the entire tube. So I had a rummage around in the cupboards - thank god for my baking cupboard and hoarding tendencies - together we have a creative match made in the kitchen.

First up, in place of peanut butter cups I made solid chocolate bases using melted chocolate and petit four baking cases - they still have the fluted edge and are perfect height. Added the chocolate square tops - I used a block of Lindt milk chocolate and a knife to cut it for neater edges - using a warm spoon to gently melt the two pieces and stuck them together.

Then my brainwave - why am I trying to model confectionary to much frustration and little avail when I have perfectly good modelling fondant sitting in the cupboard? Seriously, what can't you do with fondant? The tassles were made with a blob of fondant and stuck on with a tiny line of melted chocolate.

Leave to set for a while, check the strength of your chocolate glue and add more melted chocolate if your two pieces fall apart. Et voila!

Of course if you want to go totally Bakerella you can add a lollipop stick and turn them into true pops. I decided against it as I am posting mine to my mum, but as always, food on a stick tastes infinitely better!

Blue Skies,

Charlotte xo