Game Ball Cupcake Bites

Use a candy mold to make cupcake bites, and decorate these sweet treats for your favorite sport.

You’ll need

48 uncoated Basic Cupcake Bites

48 ounces (3 pounds) chocolate candy coating

2 or more deep, microwave-safe plastic bowls

Large squeeze bottle

Medium-sized plastic candy cup mold (with cavity openings 1½ inches wide)

Baking sheet

24 ounces (1½ pounds) white, yellow, or orange candy coating

Toothpicks

White candy writer, for tennis balls

Small squeeze bottle

Red candy writer or candy coating, for baseballs

Red jimmies, for baseballs

Black candy writer, for soccer balls and basketballs

Tip

· The ridges formed in the chocolate by the candy mold can melt slightly when you hold them for more than a few seconds. Wearing candy gloves can reduce fingerprints on the coating.

To decorate

Have the cake balls chilled and in the refrigerator.

Melt the chocolate candy coating in a microwave-safe plastic bowl, following the package instructions, and transfer it to a large plastic squeeze bottle.

Use the large squeeze bottle to fill a cavity of the candy mold with chocolate coating, and immediately place one of the cake balls into the coating. Start out by filling the cavity about halfway. Slowly push the cake ball down until the pressure causes the candy coating to force its way up and fill in around the sides of the cake ball. You may have to experiment with a couple to get the right amount. Stop pushing once the chocolate reaches the top edge of the candy mold so that it doesn’t form a lip around the edge. Half of the uncoated cake ball should be raised above the mold to form a mounded top. Repeat with the remaining cavities of the mold.

Place the filled candy mold tray in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. Placing it on a baking sheet will keep the candy mold from bending.

Remove from the freezer and separate the cupcake bites from the candy mold. Give the mold a twist and pull, holding on to the exposed cake balls.

For the soccer and baseball cupcake tops, melt the white candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl. For the tennis balls, melt the yellow candy coating, and for basketballs, melt the orange candy coating.

Holding the bottom of each cupcake bite, dip the top in the melted candy coating until it meets the edge of the chocolate coating. You can use a toothpick to touch up any uncoated areas.

Remove the cupcake bite from the coating, turn it right-side up, and swirl your hand in a circular motion to help smooth out the coating. Set aside and let dry completely before decorating the details.

For tennis balls, use a white candy writer (or pour some melted white coating into the small squeeze bottle) and pipe on wavy seams.

For baseballs, use a red candy writer (or melted red candy coating) to pipe semicircles onto the tops. Add red jimmies while the coating is still wet, or pipe on red for the stitches, and let dry.

For soccer balls, use a toothpick to etch hexagon shapes into the white coated tops. You can use the markings as a guide to outline the shapes using a black candy writer. Fill the shapes in with black.

For basketballs, use a toothpick to etch two perpendicular lines and then two semicircles. Trace the markings with a black candy writer.

Let the cupcake bites dry completely.

In addition to cake balls, bites, and pops, you can combine other ingredients that will allow you to mold different shapes. These footballs are actually crushed Oreos mixed with cream cheese. You can shape them out of cake and frosting as well, but don’t limit yourself. Feel free to experiment with other sweets, like cookies, and brownies. Or for other pop examples, visit:www.bakerella.com/category/pops-bites/other-pops/

Date: 2016-01-14; view: 534