Chocolate Carrot Cake Pops

Carrot Cake

1 1/2 cup oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

4 eggs

3 cups finely grated carrots (about 3 large carrots) 

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream sugar and oil, add eggs and beat until smooth.

Add carrots, dry ingredients and nuts.

Bake in a greased & floured tube pan 1 hour 15 min. at 350.

Cream Cheese frosting: (May have to double or triple the recipe for cake pops) 

1 pkg. Philadelphia cream cheese (room temp) 

1 ½ cup icing sugar

¼ cup unsalted butter (room temp) 

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream the cream cheese and butter together whipping with a hand blender or in the stand up mixer with a paddle attachment.  Add sugar and vanilla. Whip and chill until ready to frost cake.


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For cake pops:

Remove the sides of the cake by slicing with a serated knife to remove the tougher crust.  Keep only the soft middle parts of the cake and begin to flake with fingers to create a sort of crumbly crumb mixture.  Add the frosting gradually and work in with fingers.  

If the filling needs chilling then do so by placing in the fridge for 30 minutes before working it again and rolling truffle sized balls.

Once the balls are rolled, place back in the fridge for about 12 hours. 20 minutes before coating with chocolate place the cake pops (carrot cake/cream cheese frosting rolled balls) into the freezer.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler stove top.

I use dark chocolate, the amount depends on how many cake pops you make.

Gently dip the cake pops in the chocolate to coat then remove using a fork or special chocolate dipping tools (if available) Place on a parchment and cool.  You can drizzle with extra chocolate or add whatever decoration you desire. 

If you'd like to make the cake pops on a stick then you dip the stick in a bit of chocolate and place into the cake pop by gently pushing it inside about half way (like a lollipop) Allow to cool by chilling again then using the stick hold them firmly and dip to coat into chocolate. Shake off excess gently and either place on a plate or use a piece of Styrofoam to pierce the sticks inside to keep them upright when cooling (to keep the round shape).

Enjoy!

Hot Cacao Nuggets

Hot Cocoa Nuggets are the perfect thing for this time of year, or maybe share it with someone?  (makes a lovely gift!)

Simmer the following in a saucepan over medium low heat:

-1 cup heavy cream
- 1 pinch course sea salt (or two pinches, if you like more of the salt taste in your desserts)

About 450 g good dark chocolate (70ish % is ideal I think)
If using ounces then about 16 ounces.

Chop your chocolate and place in a dry bowl (never get your chocolate wet so use dry utensils!)

When the cream is simmered pour over and let stand for 10 minutes then begin to blend and whisk until smooth.

Place in the fridge for about 2 hours.

Remove and at this point if you want rough shapes just slide the hardened piece of chocolate out of the bowl (use a bowl it's easier to slide out of this shape than something square) and then using a large knife chop the large piece of "hardened" ganache into almost equal size pieces (dicing action works!)

Mix about 2/3 cup cocoa powder and 2/3 cups powder sugar together and roll the nuggets around to coat.
Place in jar and keep in fridge!

When ready to prepare drop a nugget (or two, depending on their size really and the size of the cup) and sweeten with whatever you choose (I recommend sweetened condensed milk for that rich cocoa experience but some people like agave..etc so I did not sweeten them)

If you'd like to pre sweeten them (if it's for a gift and you want a no fuss experience involved for the receiver) then add sweetened condensed milk into the mix at the start. Also for flavours like peppermint or cinnamon or whatever floats your boat then you can infuse your cream with spices or add flavouring drops when blending with the chocolate.

I hope you enjoy!