6 baking heaven APRIL
CREATING THE SHEEP
AND CHICK POPS
1 Break the cooled cake into small pieces and
add to the bowl of a stand mixer.
2 Add the chocolate buttercream and mix
together to achieve a firm, mouldable
consistency.
3 Create 10-12 round or egg-shaped balls. If
you're making an egg shape, have
a hen's egg to hand to help you achieve the
right shape! A
4 Insert the cake pop sticks/straws through the
centre of each ball/egg to create a core,
leaving a little sticking out at the top. B
5 Bend one end of the wire to form a circle or
kink so that, once inserted into the pop, it
cannot slide off. Thread the wires through
the centre of the cake pop sticks/straws. C-D
6 Put the pops into the fridge to cool and
harden. If you can hang them, they will keep
their shape. Cover the chilled cake pops with
an even layer of melted chocolate – you may
need two layers – using white chocolate
melts for the chicks and dark chocolate for
the sheep. Use a pastry brush to get
texture. E
TOP TIP For the chicks, add the yellow
food colouring after you have melted the
white chocolate.
7 Hang the cake pops back up, then put them
in the fridge to cool and harden.
TOP TIP We used an upturned mesh
wire rack to hang the cake pops.
8 For the chicks: Use chocolate to paint one
melt per chick (for the wings). Leave to cool,
then cut them in half. Mould a beak shape
from the gold modelling paste. Attach the
wings and beaks with melted chocolate. Use
black paint, applied with a paintbrush, to
create the eyes. Place the cake pops in theMAKES APPROXIMATELY
12 CHOCOLATE CAKE POPS
FOR THE CAKE POPS
1 x 20cm (8in) baked chocolate
cake, cooled (follow the
instructions for the chicken
cake on page 20, using third
quantities)
chocolate buttercream (follow
the instructions on page
20, using third quantities)
DECORATION
For the sheep
150g (5½oz) Food Thoughts
Dark 70% Chocolate Cacao
Melts, plus 1 whole Melt for
each sheep face
ready-made edible eyes
mini white marshmallows
For the chicks
150g (5½oz) Food Thoughts
White 35% Chocolate Cacao
Melts, plus 1 whole White
Melt for each pair of wings
black edible paint, for eyes
gold modelling paste, for beaks
yellow food colouring
You will also need
cake pop sticks (hollow centre)
or straws
something to hang your
finished cake pops on e.g.
a branch
florist's wire/thin gardening wire
pastry brush
pliers
Easter chick
& sheep chocolate
cake pop decorations
Create your very own Easter centrepiece with these fun
characters by Food Thoughts (www.foodthoughts.co.uk).
Kids and adults will love their adorable faces!Step-by-step
fridge to fully cool and harden. F-H
9 For the sheep: Make the faces by piping ear
shapes onto greaseproof paper, then top
with a whole Chocolate Melt for the face.
Stick on the ready-made eyes, then put them
in the fridge to cool. Paint the bodies with
melted dark chocolate and also use this to
stick mini marshmallows to the body. Place
in the fridge to fully cool and harden. I-J
10 Cut small pieces of cake pop stick or straws,
then use melted chocolate to attach these
to the back of the sheep’s head. It helps if
the chocolate is tacky at this point. Place in
the fridge to cool and harden, then thread
these onto the wires (above the body). K-L
11 Make sure the cake pops are kept cold
until required. Remove the pop sticks and
wire before serving.
TOP TIP Use a clean branch from the
garden held in a heavy-based vase as a
hanger for displaying your cake pops.WWW.FOODHEAVENMAG.COMTOP TIP
For extra help making
this project, find how-to
videos at http://www.food
thoughts.co.uk