REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUP CAKE POPS

Steps:

• 1. You can either make your own vanilla or devil's food cake from scratch or if time is short you can make a store bought mix. Follow box directions and add 1/2-3/4 of a cup of creamy peanut butter. You can add more or less depending on how strong you like it. Allow to cool completely.
• 2. Once cooled, crumble the cake with a fork into small pieces. Melt 3 regular size or 6 small Reese's peanut butter cups in the microwave in 30 second increments. Do not substitute any other type of peanut butter cup. The flavor will not be the same!
• 3. Add the slightly cooled peanut butter cups to 3/4 of a cup of your own home made cream cheese frosting and gently incorporate into the cake crumbs. Mix with a spoon until frosting is completely combined with cake. You can use 3/4 of a cup of store bought cream cheese frosting. Either will work.
• 4. Roll mixture into half dollar size balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. (Should make 20-24).
• 5. Place them in the freezer for a little while to firm up (at least a few hours). Ideally you will want to plan ahead and leave them in the freezer overnight. They are so much easier to deal with then.
• 6. Before you take the cake pops out of the freezer, melt chocolate (you will need 2 packages for this many cake pops) in the microwave per directions on package. (30 sec intervals, stirring in between). I like to use the dark chocolate, but you can also use the peanut butter flavored melts. Merckens makes the best, but Wilton's will work too. You can buy them online at:http://www.streichs.com/Chocolates/Merckens-Candy-Melts-1lb.html
• 7. Once you are ready to begin,remove cake pops from freezer. Dip the tip of your lollipop stick in a little of the melted candy coating and insert into the cake balls. (Insert about half way.)
• 8. Once firm, carefully insert the cake ball into the candy coating by holding the lollipop stick and (using a spoon) pour the melted chocolate over the cake pop until covered. Coat them twice and make sure to make a complete seal around the entire cake pop. Especially the base when the stick was inserted. Once covered, rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Don't tap too hard or the cake ball will fall off as well!
• 9. When the chocolate is almost set, sprinkle the top half of the cake pop with ground up butter finger candy bars, finely chopped peanut butter cups, or orange and brown decorative sprinkles.
• 10. Using a styrofoam block set in a box or flip a large size box over and punch holes in it with a screw driver, set them in the block or box to dry. Do not place them in the block until they are almost set, otherwise you will get a big chocolate mess!
• 11. Once completely set, you can use the smaller lollipop bags and decorative ribbon to cover them. I like to coordinate the ribbon with the type of cake pop. I used brown and orange striped ribbon for my peanut butter cake pops. Enjoy!