2 Broke Bakers

Cinnamon Sugar Mini Apple Pies

2013-10-16T22:41:00.000-07:00

Every now and then you need some external influence for your cooking. That's probably why you're here looking up recipes on our blog. Welcome Friend! Here at 2Brokebakers we also learn from others. Especially the TV show The Chew. If you haven't seen this lovely show, its time to start. With a great set of hosts who hilariously banter and amazing recipes, its a sure win. And thats where we got the idea for these Cinnamon Sugar Mini Apple Pies. They're bite-sized and delicious and you'll have to walk away before you eat them all up single-handedly.

Start by peeling four Granny Smith Apples.

Cut the apples into some pieces.

In a medium sauce pan add 2 tablespoons of butter. Once melted add all the apple slices.

Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, the zest of 1 lemon and 1/8 cup flour.

Once cooked pull off the stove. Let sit.

On a floured surface lay a pre-made pie crust and cut out circles. Do this with both pie crusts in the box.

Ashley's tip: We used a small bowl but a cookie cutter would also work. Find what's available in the kitchen.

Put a small amount of the apple mix on a crust. It's about a tablespoon of apple mix.

Fold over and use a fork to seal the edges together.

Flash fry in a pan of oil. Once pulled out of the oil place on a paper towel. After plotted dry, but not completely cold, place the mini apple pie into a container of cinnamon sugar mix (1/2 sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon).

These are definitely better warm so consume immediately. For a more tart flavor add the juice of the lemon as well. For a sweeter flavor skip the lemon altogether.

Barbara Ray's Pumpkin Bread

2013-10-06T16:36:00.002-07:00

For this recipe, we decided to go vintage. Using a recipe straight from the 60's. And considering that it has survived into the next century, you know its got to be dang good. And trust us, it is. Plus with October here and fall in full swing (well maybe not in Southern California), the time of year has come to obsess over pumpkin! Pumpkin bread is pure autumn flavors and because fall is only around for a short time we better cash in now. This super moist, throwback Homemade Pumpkin Bread recipe makes enough for everyone to share (it's less than $1.50 a loaf so literally enough bread for everyone)!

Ingredients needed: oil, eggs, water, canned pumpkin, flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon, and sugar. Simple and delicious.

Start by beating 4 eggs in a bowl.

Add 1 cup oil, 2/3 cup water and 2 cups of canned pumpkin puree.
Set this aside.

In a large bowl add 3 1/2 cup flour, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp nutmeg, 2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp cinnamon and 3 cups sugar.

Make a large well in the middle of the bowl.

Add in the pumpkin mixture.

Stir until dry ingredients are moistened.

Aubree's Note: If you like raisins and nuts then add them now. About 2 cups raisins and 1/2 cup chopped nuts (either walnuts or pecans).

This makes 3 loaves. Grease and flour the pans.

Bake for about 50-60 mins at 350F.

Ashley's Tip: Check the bread around 50 minutes. Then add time according to your oven.

Homemade Pumpkin Bread.

It's the best.

Recipe

1 Cup Oil
4 Eggs, beaten
2/3 Cup Water
2 Cup Canned Pumpkin
3 1/2 Cup Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
3 Cups Sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350F.
Combine oil, eggs, water and pumpkin.
In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar.
Make a well in dry ingredients. Add pumpkin mixture. Mix until dry ingredients are well moistened.
Grease and flour pans.
Bake for 50-60 minutes.
Enjoy!

Double Dipped Rice Krispies Buckeyes

2013-09-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

When it comes to baking, utilize your resources. We had a box of Rice Krispies in the cupboard just lying around and we decided to not let them go to waste. And from here the true creativity begins. Instead of normal old (but still delicious) Rice Krispy Treats, we chose to combine two classics: Rice Krispies and Peanut Butter Buckeyes. And ta-da! Double Dipped Rice Krispies Buckeyes. Normal buckeyes are rich and you can only eat a couple at a time. With the krispy rice in the beginning, these bite-sized treats take on a whole new dimension. And become that more irresistible in the process.

The Double Dipped Rice Krispies Buckeyes require peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, butter, rice krispies, semi sweet chocolate and paraffin wax.

Start by emptying one 18 ounce jar of peanut butter into a large bowl. Mix with 1/2 cup of softened butter. Add in a tablespoon of vanilla extract.

Mix in one pound of powdered sugar.

Slowly add in 2 cups of rice krispies treats. If you want more crunch add in more of the cereal.

Roll the mix into 1 inch balls. Place onto a cookie sheet and then into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.

Ashley's Tip: Rub butter onto your hands in order to prevent massive amounts of peanut butter sticking to your hands.

While the peanut butter mix is in the refrigerator, heat the entire bag of semi sweet chocolate on medium heat in a small sauce pan. Add 3-4 oz of paraffin wax. Keep stirring to avoid overheating the chocolate.

Use tooth picks to dip the peanut butter balls. Then place onto a cookie sheet. To save on toothpicks pull them out after a couple of minutes and reuse them.

Aubree's Note: To add more chocolate flavor dip them twice. Wait for the chocolate to harden the first time before dipping them again.

These are still pretty rich so beware, however the recipe makes lots so be sure to share!

Recipe

1 18oz jar of peanut butter
1/2 cup of softened butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 lb powdered sugar
2 cups rice krispies
1 bag semi sweet chocolate
3-4 ounces of paraffin wax

Beat peanut butter, butter, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
Add powdered sugar and then slowly add in rice krispies.
Roll into balls and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
Melt chocolate and paraffin wax in a small sauce pan over medium heat.
Dip the peanut butter balls into the chocolate and let harden on a cookie sheet.
Dip a second time.
Enjoy!

Maxine's Acini Di Pepe Salad

2013-09-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

Summer may have come and gone, but the food can stay year round! While the fall will bring wind and rain, we can enjoy the sides that made our hearts so happy on the old summer days. In our opinion sides are sometimes the best part of some meals-- that's why we're sharing one of our absolute favorites. This one-of -a-kind salad features a unique type of pasta, acini di pepe. Maxine's Acini Di Pepe Salad is a cool, light, and fruity combination that's perfect to take on a picnic. The recipe yields plenty and holds well which means you can eat it later in the day, and the day after, and the day after that. We always do!

Start by cooking a box of acini di pepe per the instructions on the box.

Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water.

In a medium sauce pan combine 1 beaten egg yoke, 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup pineapple juice plus 2 tablespoons pineapple juice and 1 tablespoon all purpose flour.

Cook over medium heat, stirring consistently, until thickened. Poor over pasta, mix well and then cool completely. Leave it in the refrigerator and come back to it later.

Ashley's Tip: Use the pineapple juice drained from one of the cans of pineapples that you will need later in the recipe.

Drain one 8oz can of pineapple tidbits.

Drain one 8oz can of crushed pineapples.

Combine all the pineapples into the pasta mix. Next add in one 8oz container of cool whip and 2 cups of miniature marshmallows.

Last add in one drained 8oz can of mandarin oranges.

Aubree's Note: Grapes cut in half also are super good in this recipe! However our family friend Maxine's original recipe did not call for the grapes so it's really up to you.

Our mom has been cooking this recipe for years, it's truly one of our favorite go-to's. Hopefully you enjoy this cold salad!

Recipe
1 14.5oz pkg of acini di pepe pasta
1 egg yoke beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoon pineapple juice
1 can 8oz crushed pineapple drained
1 can 8oz pineapple tidbits drained
1 can mandarin oranges drained
1 8oz carton cool whip
2 cups miniature marsh mellows

Cook pasta according to the box. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Combine egg, sugar, flour and pineapple juice in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir continuously until thickened. Mix into pasta. Cool completely.
Mix in all pineapples, cool whip and marshmallows,
Drain mandarin oranges and combine.
Enjoy!

Chocolate Covered Frozen Bananas

2013-07-05T00:37:00.002-07:00

So basically its been super hot lately. And with that, our need for dessert goes from warm gooey cakes to cold and icy delights. We decided to create our own version of Trader Joe's Gone Bananas, which are delicious little bite sized frozen banana chips and chocolate. These Chocolate Covered Frozen Bananas are ridiculously simple with only 2 ingredients. Plus even more importantly, Ashley recently got herself a new camera. One that makes taking pictures of our kitchen creations even more enticing. So you can be sure that there will be plenty of recipes to come soon!

There are really two ingredients needed. Bananas and chocolate.

Start by slicing bananas into small pieces.

Place the slices onto a lined cookie sheet and freeze for 10 mins.

Meanwhile heat the chocolate in a saucepan over low heat.

Add a small piece of paraffin wax into the saucepan. Continue stirring until completely melted.

Ashley's Tip: The more wax you use the thinner the chocolate. If you want the bananas to be covered in a thicker layer of chocolate use less wax.

Use a toothpick to dip the bananas in the chocolate.

Aubree's Note: if the bananas get soft and the toothpicks fall out put them back into the freezer for a few minutes.

Once they are dipped put them back onto the sheet and into the freezer. Now the patience has to occur--it takes about 30-40 minutes for the bananas to completely freeze.

Super quick and easy, these go even faster with more hands. Also if you have other fruit laying around the house the chocolate is perfect to cover strawberries and such.

Recipe

4 Bananas

1 bag of semi sweet chocolate chips

1 oz parrafin wax

Slice the bananas. Freeze for 10 minutes.

Melt chocolate in saucepan over medium to low heat. Add wax.

Use toothpick to dip bananas in chocolate. Place on cookie sheet.

Freeze for 30-40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Pirate Cake Pops

2013-06-23T15:40:00.001-07:00

Helloooooo SUMMER! Hello to more free time, enjoying that beautiful summer sun, and more baking adventures to please our souls. Summer is all about relaxing and doing the things that make us happy. So naturally we had to start this summer off right by making some Cake Pops. This time around we made little pirates. They are random but cute and super easy to make. And most importantly, ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. If you're unfamiliar with cake pops, 1. Where have you been lately? 2. You can find the step by step guide here.

Start the pirates by using a white colored modeling chocolate as the base.

Let them dry completely before moving on to the next steps.

Separate some red (or whatever color you would like to use as the bandannas) M&Ms and star sprinkles into a small bowl. You will need them before the dipping of the bandannas starts.

This step requires some quick or multiple sets of hands. Dip half the cake pop into another color like red.

Ashley's Tip: in order to get a smooth top don't tap the cake pops on the rim of the bowl like you would when dipping the entire pop.

Immediately after dipping, add the M&M and one sprinkle. They might want to fall off but if you hold them for a few seconds they will stay.

Last step is to add faces with black marker or frosting. Then these one eyed pirates are ready to eat. Hope you enjoy them!

Traditional Bruschetta

2013-04-07T16:47:00.000-07:00

So the word bruschetta presents a very large challenge for poor old Ashley. She cannot pronounce it to save her life. So while we were making these traditional bruschetta, there was much fun had at Ashley's expense. Aubree continuously asked, "What is that?' as Ashley fumbled over sounds and tried to say this word. It was all good fun. And in the end, it doesn't matter if you can prounounce bruschetta, as long as you can make it! And luckily for us all, this is one of the easiest recipes ever. Just a couple incredients, a bit of baking, and you're sinking your teeth into a crunchy Italian classic.
Bon Apetit!

This recipe is quite simple. Start with tomatoes and basil.

Roll up the basil and finely chop 1/4 cup worth.

Chop two tomatoes and place into a bowl.

Add the basil and 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil.

Slice one loaf of bread and place onto a cookie sheet. Sprinkle garlic salt over each piece.

Grate Parmesan cheese and cover each slice with it.

Bake for 10 minutes at 400F.

Once that cheese is nice and melted, add a small amount of the tomato and basil mixture.

Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

When this is finally done, you have warm gooey cheese, soft baked tomatoes and a toasty slice of bread. The Trifecta!

Enjoy!

Recipe

2 diced tomatoes

1/4 cup finely chopped basil

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1 loaf sourdough bread

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

dash garlic salt

Combine tomatoes, basil and olive oil in a bowl. Add a dash of garlic salt.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Slice bread approx 1-1/2 inches thick. Lay on cookie sheet.

Sprinkle shredded cheese on one side of bread. Bake for 10 minutes.

Put a tablespoon of tomato mixture on bread. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Low Calorie Red Velvet Cupcakes

2013-02-07T00:26:00.000-08:00

Donna from the television show Suits is one of our favorite characters right now. She is smart, witty, clever, and has her crap together. In addition, she knows how to make justifications. Have the skinny Starbucks in order to justify the whipped cream on top. Well this cupcake is just like that. We have a lower calorie cupcake to compensate for the glorious mountain of our Cream Cheese Frosting. This recipe has been adapted from a Weight Watchers Cookbook and was only 5 points for the entire cupcake. Add in our cream cheese frosting with this red velvet cupcake is pretty perfect for Valentine's Day.

Start with a few ingredients. Luckily, most of these should already be in the pantry.

These Low Calorie Red Velvet Cupcakes use sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking soda, salt, low-fat buttermilk, red food coloring, white vinegar, vanilla extract and almond extract.

Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup and 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add two eggs, one at a time and beat until creamy after each egg.

In a separate bowl, combine 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 2 cups flour.

For the flour, spoon flour into a measuring cup and then level off with a knife.

Combine 1 cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon red food coloring, 2 teaspoons white vinegar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract in a separate bowl.

Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to the sugar mixture.

Be sure to start and end with the flour mixture.

Ashley's Tip: To spoon the batter in evenly use a 1/4 measuring cup. It's makes the process easier.

Bake the cupcakes at 350F for 16-18 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Top with some cream cheese frosting (our favorite recipe found here).

Make sure to enjoy these red velvet cupcakes without feeling too guilty!!!

Recipe

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup and 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 large eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup low fat buttermilk

1 tablespoon red food coloring

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

Combine sugar and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Add in eggs one at a time, beating until creamy after each egg.

In a separate bowl, add flour (spoon into measuring cup), cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

Combine in a medium bowl buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and both extracts.

Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternatively into sugar mixture. Start and end with the flour mixture.

Spoon batter into the muffin cups.

Bake at 350F for 16 -18 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Top with Cream Cheese Frosting and enjoy!

Caramel Covered Pretzel Sticks

2013-01-30T23:52:00.000-08:00

Our grandmother has turned into a teenager. She has become someone with a million different nicknames and frankly we can't keep up. In December her nickname on our presents was "Granny J." Where this came from, don't ask us. Then there's our nickname for her when we're texting- "Gma" and lastly the good old "Grandma" because we're classy like that. She is not only responsible for many good times, but is also responsible for these Caramel Covered Pretzel Sticks. We know what you're thinking: Caramel AND drizzled chocolate? That must be super rich! But the pretzel provides a perfect salty balance to that delicious sweetness. Perfect for the Super Bowl or other parties, these Caramel Covered Pretzel Sticks will become your favorite go-to snack.

This recipe requires pretzel sticks, one 16 oz package of caramel, walnuts, condensed milk, and chocolate--we used bother vanilla and semi sweet.

Start by melting one package of caramels in a sauce pan on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of cream. We had condensed milk on hand and used that. It's only a small amount so use what you have on hand.

Continue stirring until the caramel is completely melted. Be sure not to over heat.

Meanwhile chop a cup of nuts. The more pretzel sticks you cover, the more walnuts needed.

Once the caramel is melted start covering the pretzels.

Aubree's Note: Use a spoon to cover the pretzel with caramel. Tip it down so the extra caramel goes back into the sauce pan and so the layer of caramel isn't too thick.

Cover the pretzels with the walnuts. Having multiple hands help with this process.

Ashley's Tip: Roll the caramel covered pretzels in nuts on a plate and then place on a greased cookie seat.

Melt both chocolates and prepare them to cover the caramel covered pretzel sticks. Only a cup of chocolate melted is needed.

Create any design you want. The zig zag was the easiest.

These Caramel Covered Pretzel Sticks were made in a snap and destroyed even quicker. Best thing is our Gma discovered something great in time for the Super Bowl.

Recipe

1 Package Pretzel Sticks
1 16 oz Package Caramels
2 Tablespoons Condensed Milk
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1 Cup Melted Chocolate

Melt the caramel in a sauce pan on medium heat. Add in the condensed milk.
Cover the pretzels with caramel and immediately add nuts. Let dry on greased cookie seat.
Use melted chocolate to drizzle over pretzels.
Enjoy!

Potato Skins

2013-01-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

There comes a time in every wannabe chef''s life, when your small concoctions here and there make you realize you can do anything. You can make that pesto instead of buying it, you can make your brownies from scratch and add nuts and peanut butter chips to your heart's content. And this year, we realized we could do more than just buy potato skins as we celebrate New Year's Eve. We wanted to make this awesome appetizer from scratch. Unlike the boxed version which makes only 8 potato skins that are small and often not even that crispy, these home made potato skins really bring this bacon and cheesy treat to a whole new level. Best part of course is that these do not cost $4.99 for a box of 8 halves. We estimate the cost to be about $2.00 for 8 halves.

Start by preparing the baked potatoes. Microwaving them is an option however we recommend throwing them in the oven, the potato is easier to work with.

Make sure to coat the potatoes in olive oil and wrapped in tin foil. Bake the potatoes for 60 minutes at 400F.

While the potatoes are in the oven becoming delicious, grate some cheddar cheese.

We used bacon bits for these appetizers but if you want to use the real thing cook the bacon and let it cool during the hour cook time. Then cut them into small pieces.

Once the potatoes are cool to the touch cut them horizontally, in half, and then scoop out the inside.

Ashley's Tip: use a melon scooper to carve out the middle. However try to leave 1/4 inch of potato around every edge.

Coat both sides of the potatoes in canola or vegetable oil; try to avoid olive oil as we want the edges to get crispy and smoke.

Aubree's Note: We didn't have a brush to coat the potatoes so we became resourceful and used a spatula. It worked really well, you never know what tool can be used for multiple purposes.

Sprinkle on some salt and place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Try to use a heavy duty sheet in order to avoid warping.

Bake the potatoes for 10 minutes at 450F.

Flip over the potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes.

Once the potatoes are done cooking, flip the potato skins right side up and place cheese and the bacon bits into opening.

Sprinkle with pepper and return to the 450 oven for 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

These potato skins are best eaten with ranch dressing. Please consume immediately and enjoy these delicious appetizers.

Recipe

Medium to Large Potatoes
Olive Oil
Canola Oil
Salt
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese
Bacon Bits
Pepper

Bake the potatoes by rubbing in olive oil and wrapping in aluminum foil. Bake for 60 minutes at 400F.
Once cooled, cut potatoes in half and scoop out the middle of the potato.
Coat in canola oil and salt. Bake on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 450F. Flip potatoes and bake for another 10 minutes.
Once cool enough to touch put cheese and bacon bits into middle of potatoes. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake for another 2 minutes.
Add a scoop of ranch dressing and enjoy!

The Best of 2 Broke Bakers: Our 10 Most Favorite Posts

2012-12-31T01:51:00.000-08:00

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Well this blog has had some lack luster posts. But then, we hit the jack pot. That is as this blog has progressed we have decided to become blog post geniuses. From witty one liners, to a plethora of eye catching images, to an insurmountable number of movie references we have found our stride. Here's our 10 favorite posts-- we came, we made, we posted.

1. Jeanie's Banana Bread

2. Our Favorite Books Cake Pops

3. Tri-Color Pasta Salad

4. Aebleskivers

5. Cake Pops 101

6. Fresh Raspberry Homemade Ice Cream

7. Mediterranean Grilled Cheese Sandwich

8. Strawberry Banana Angel Food Cake

9. Pumpkin Cupcakes

10. Cake Pop Greatest Hits

The Best of 2 Broke Bakers: The 10 Most Popular Recipes

2012-12-28T15:07:00.000-08:00

As 2012 comes to an end we wanted to do a roundup and look at all the favorites posts throughout the year. Since we've only been around for less than a year it's been quite the journey.

10. Cake Pop Greatest Hits

9. Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

8. One Eyed Monster Cake Pops

7. Dark Chocolate Banana French Toast

6. Not Quite 7 Layer Dip

5. Cake Pops 101

4. Strawberry Banana Angel Food Cake

3. Peacock Cake Pops

2. Hippo Cake Pops on the Prowl

and the most popular post on 2 Broke Bakers in 2012 was.....

1. Elephant Cake Pops

It's been a great year for us and we look forward to more in 2013. Up next is our personal favorite posts of 2012.

Gingerbread House

2012-12-27T19:47:00.001-08:00

Tis the season!!...
for amateur architects like ourselves to make wonderful structures of candy and icing. Normally we go full amateur using graham crackers and frosting, which don't get us wrong is still super fun. But this year we opted out for a kit. Yes we may not have baked anything for this post, but making cute designs with candy is something we like to do. And oh, we did like making this epic gingerbread house for the holiday season. Its great practice decorating with candy and a great activity for the whole family!

This kit was purchased from Joann's and it is found everywhere. Usually these things fall down after a short time (at least ours did). We found the trick: after you put together the three walls let it sit for 30 minutes. Then put on the roof and decorate.

Aubree's Note: The icing in the kit hardens after a period of time which helped. If you make it by scratch, the frosting may remain lose so keep that in mind as you pile on the candy decore!

The rest is all fun. Everything in the pictures are from the kit. We stuck to the box. To make the snowman eat some of the peppermint candy; the road is made of crushed peppermint.

We're quite proud of our little house. We're still baking so our next post will be up soon!

Great Grandma's Cream Cheese Frosting

2012-11-29T10:34:00.000-08:00

Our Great Grandma Kate had an amazing cream cheese frosting. Finger-licking, fighting over who gets to lick the spoon type of frosting. WWIII over the spoon type of frosting.....okay maybe not that intense, but still its that good. Plus, we've been able to use it for a bunch of recipes like pumpkin cupcakes (shown above), carrot cakes, red velvet cakes, you name it. Its super easy to make and with only four ingredients, there's no excuse to not make this cream cheese frosting from scratch.

Here at 2BrokeBakers, we have a personal vendetta with store bought frosting. Its good when you're low on ingredients or with cake pops, but when possible, go home-made.

Cream together the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl.

Ashley's Tip: It can be difficult if both items are cold, so let them soften by either microwaving them for a few seconds or letting them sit on the counter.

Aubree's Note: I'm notoriously impatient so sometimes I grab the cream cheese (still in package of course) and hold it in my hands for a bit so as to quicken the process with body heat..haha win!

The result is this nice fluffy mix.

Add in the teaspoon of vanilla extract.

And last but not least throw in one package of powdered sugar also known as 16 oz.

Once all mixed together the frosting is ready to go.

This also means you can consume instantly.

The only thing we ask is that someone lick the mixer, the bowl, and the spoon so that none of this delicious frosting goes wasted.

Cinnamon graham crackers also serve as a fine utensil to consume this frosting.

P.S. If you're wondering that cupcake recipe is shown here its our Pumpkin Cupcakes.

Recipe

8 oz Cream Cheese
1 stick Butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
16 oz or 1 package Powdered Sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Mix in vanilla extract.
Beat in powdered sugar.

Frosts 24 cupcakes or 1 cake.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

2012-11-04T21:10:00.001-08:00

We're back! We were abducted by martians...

Just kidding! Actually just Aubree was abducted. She decided to go off to college far away leaving Ashley, who is now working full time and being a slacker part time, to fend for herself on the baking front. It's been a tough battle thus far, but that ends now! Nothing like the holiday season to get you out of that no-baking blues. These pumpkin cupcakes with home-made cream cheese frosting are an excellent choice given the time of year. They taste heavenly, so much so that Ashley wanted to ship one to Aubree (sadly it probably won't survive) and they only cost $5 for 24 cupcakes (that means its 21 cents a cupcake).

Aubree's Note: It also means I'll be demanding

some when I get back for the holidays!

This recipe was adapted from the book The Frugal Foodie Cookbook which has many different interesting ways to cook on a budget.

It requires oil, pumpkin puree, milk, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, sugar, milk, salt, baking soda, and flour.

Mix 1/2 cup milk, 2/3 cup oil, 2 eggs beaten and 1 1/3 cup pumpkin puree in a large bowl.

The mess above should become that on the left. (looks much more appetizing now!)

In a separate bowl mix 2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 2 cups flour.

Once all the dry ingredients have been combined,

slowly add the dry into the wet ingredient mix.

The oven should be preheated to 350F.

Add approx. 1/4 cup mix to every cupcake holder.

Bake for 20 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.

Now comes the guilty pleasure addition: home-made cream cheese frosting. This part of the baking creation is a family recipe, and we've sure used it during a great number of baking adventures. So, the recipe is listed below but a more in-depth view of this frosting is here.

Happy Autumn!

Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe

2/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup Milk
2 Eggs Beaten
1 1/3 Cup Pumpkin Puree
2 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
2 Cup Flour

Preheat oven to 350F.
Mix oil, milk, eggs and pumpkin puree in a bowl. Set aside.
Mix sugar, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour in a bowl.
Fold in dry ingredients into pumpkin mix.
Fill cupcakes 2/3 full.
Bake 20 minutes.

Actually yields 24 cupcakes.

Home-made Cream Cheese Frosting

1 Small package cream cheese
1 Stick butter or margarine
1 Box powdered sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

(Optional: Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to frosting for a delicious twist!)

Cream together cream cheese and butter.
Mix in sugar and vanilla.
Frost onto cupcakes.

Enjoy!

Chicken Salad Sandwich

2012-07-25T23:49:00.001-07:00

Tired of that same old peanut butter and jelly, lunch meat, or tuna sandwich? Eating at home is clearly the more cost effective choice these days. Although we wish an In-N-Out burger still cost 25¢, that's just not the case anymore. So we thought we would share a fantastic sandwich that has lots of flavor and more importantly a break from the other sandwiches. Grapes, walnuts and celery spice up this chicken salad sandwich and make it a textured, tasty summer sandwich.

6 ingredients needed: bread, a can of chicken, grapes, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise.

The measurements on this recipe are rough. Go by eye. It really depends how much u want in your sandwich.

Start by draining the chicken and shredding it using a fork. Put in a large bowl.

Take maybe a cup of grapes, depending on the size of the grapes, and slice them into quarters.

Throw the grapes into the bowl. We like a lot of grapes in ours, its what gives the mix it's sweet taste.

Next ingredient is the celery. All that's needed is one stock. Slice into small pieces. This gives the crunch. It's also healthy so hey, that's always good.

Once again throw the celery into the bowl and go by sight for how much you want. If you don't want or like or can't have nuts then we would double the celery to add more crunch.

Walnuts. Delicious. All you need is about 1/8 cup, 1/4 cup max. We didn't buy a large bag from the store to avoid over purchasing. So we went to Sprouts, and scooped out what we needed from their self serve section. This way we saved $. yey!

So throw the walnuts in and then add in the mayo. It only takes about 1 tbsp- 1 1/2 at the most. Stir and go by eye to see if you need more or less.

The great thing about this sandwich is that it's easy to make in mass production. Make the Chicken Salad Sandwich on croissants and it looks like the sandwich is from a restaurant. It's truly a nice alternative to the boring ham and cheese sandwich.

Recipe

1 can chicken breast

1 cup grapes

1 stock celery

1/8 cup walnuts

1 tbsp mayonnaise

Drain chicken and shred with fork. Place in large bowl.

Dice grapes and add to bowl.

Slice celery into small pieces and combine with chicken mix.

Chop walnuts and add to bowl.

Add in mayo and stir.

Place on bread and devour.

Fresh Raspberry Homemade Ice Cream

2012-07-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

In honor of National Ice Cream Month and the fact that's its summer, we decided to share another homemade ice cream recipe. This one is made from fresh raspberries with some dark chocolate chip chunks. If you think you've had true raspberry ice cream before, you're wrong. The fresh berries in this makes it taste so much sweeter and real. It's very similar to our Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream in that it is easy and cheap. We can't go on long enough about how delicious this ice cream will turn out, so you'll just have to experience it for yourself.

The ingredients are simple for this recipe: sugar, heavy whipping cream, milk, raspberries, a lemon and some chocolate.

Start by throwing 2 cups or 16 oz container of fresh raspberries into a bowl. Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon and 3/4 cup of sugar.

Thoroughly combine these ingredients and then cover.

Here comes the patient part... refrigerate the raspberry mix for 2 hour and stir every 30 minutes.

Once you've waited for your berries long enough, mix the other ingredients.

In a separate bowl beat 2 eggs until they are light and fluffy. This took us a couple of minutes.

Next add in 3/4 cup of sugar slowly. After add in 1 cup of milk and 2 cups of heavy whipping cream.

Make sure the cream mixture is thoroughly combined.

Now that your berries have chilled for 2 hours and your cream base is made, add the juice only from the raspberry mix.

Take the remaining raspberries and mash using either a blender, food processor, or hammer.

Aubree's Note: The hammer was a joke, just in case you couldn't tell. (I couldn't the first time...stick with the blender).

If you like your ice cream with chunks of the fruit in it, then don't mash the raspberries too much. However if you want the smooth texture then blend thoroughly.

After add the raspberries to the cream mixture.

Whisk until blended together well.

Pour ice cream mix into the ice cream maker and begin the process of freezing this stuff.

We made our ice cream at night. I believe the neighbors hated us. The ice cream mixer ran for approx. 30 - 40 minutes. We checked a few times and made sure there was plenty of salt to lower the temperature of the ice. (yes that is actually possible)

Once the ice cream looked almost done throw in some chopped chocolate if you'd like. Let it run for a few minutes and then pull out the ice cream.

So of course who is actually patient enough to let the ice cream harden after the mixing is finished. However, placing the ice cream in the freezer is key to making store bought looking ice cream.

Ashley's tip: Let the ice cream sit in the freezer overnight. This way it won't melt on you in 2 seconds after you scoop it.

This ice cream sat for 8+ hours before we scooped it.

That's it. Mix some fruit, mix some cream and then use an ice cream maker. We doubled the recipe and made 4 quarts of ice cream for a total of $7. Yup, good day.

If you're not a fan of raspberries, or you had this and want to try more then all you need to do is switch the fruit out. Other berries like blackberries, strawberries or boysenberries would be delicious; Or go for peaches or apricots. Any of these combinations sound amazing, top with fruit or candy and you're set for summer.

Recipe

2 cups Raspberries
1/2 Lemon
1 1/2 Sugar
2 cups Heavy whipping cream
1 cup Milk
2 Eggs

Combine raspberries, juice from 1/2 a lemon and 3/4 cup sugar in bowl. Refrigerate for 2 hours and mix every 30 minutes.
Whisk 2 eggs until light and fluffy. Slowly add in 3/4 cup of sugar continually whisking. Then combine with milk and heavy whipping cream.
Add in raspberry juice. Mash raspberries and then mix with cream mixture.
Use ice cream maker and mix for 30-40 minutes or until firm.
Freeze and enjoy.

Makes 2 quarts.

Our Favorite Books Cake Pops

2012-07-11T23:28:00.000-07:00

During the summer we read...and read...and read some more. We're in a constant battle between finding new greats and caving in to re-read those older series that we know and love. (Case in point: We've probably re-read Harry Potter at least 5 times each). Inspired by this inevitable summer activity, we decided to join our library with our kitchen for a short while and turn our beloved novels into cake pop form. This way we can get the best of both worlds--baking and reading. If you haven't seen our other cake pop posts be sure to check out Cake Pops 101, our greatest hits, and the recipe section to view other cake pops we've made in the past.

Start the process as always with a baked cake. Lemon cake is the flavor of this cake. We wanted to do something different this time. It turned out a strong flavor and is a refreshing change from our preferred chocolate and chocolate frosting combo.

If you have a conversation with us it will be pretty clear that we have different opinions for many things. However we are unanimous in our decision to have Aubree shape the cake pops... every single time.

Aubree wanted to share this trick to make the shape: use a knife to help make crisp lines. Instead of relying on your hands use a knife to ensure a good shape.

These cake pops were a disaster zone to make. Be careful of the shape you create. We had to reshape every single cake pop because the shape was too long and thin. Yup, fun times (please hear sarcasm). That meant we shaped, chilled and then reshaped and re-chilled every single cake pop before we dipped them.

Clearly this batch of cake pops wanted to be a problem because we also had issues with the chocolate.

Here is our story. Once upon a time we decided to buy molding chocolate while it was on sale. That was months ago. Now when we went to make some, the chocolate did not melt in the right way. After realizing this and being frustrated we put the cake pops in the refrigerator and waited to go buy new chocolate.

The moral of this story... only use newer chocolate. Old chocolate will make dipping the cake pops a nightmare.

So on to the fun part. After you've dipped them put some of the left over vanilla frosting into a ziplock bag. Aubree has become a genius with this stuff. To make the pages take a small tip and carefully make lines across the top and one of the sides. This creates the pages.

Aubree's Note: Its impossible to make the lines straight and perfect like a book. After 2 seconds I realized that even with all my OCD, its gonna look messy (more like an old, crinkled book).

Also more fun times while this happened because we could not shake the table. lol we survived.

The type of icing that you use on the cake pops is also important. The gel type of the left does not harden. So the work you do will smear.... stay away. We use the icing on the right to write the book titles and authors on the binding.

Harry Potter & Divergent Cake Pops

Made-up titles, just as cool as the classics.

Pride & Prejudice Cake Pops

Here is our moment to "lightly" mention the reasons why we chose these specific books for this batch of book cake pops. To say it lightly, WE LOVE THESE NOVELS. When given a chance to show our love for Jane Austen, J.K. Rowling, and Jodi Picoult, we absolutely could not resist! Just Saying...and some of our recent discoveries like The Hunger Games and Divergent must be added too (just because). When in doubt, go read Harry Potter :)
Oh, and stay away from old chocolate.

Homemade Donuts

2012-07-06T21:01:00.002-07:00

We have been waiting to share these with you for sooooo long. Homemade Donuts!!!! Aside from our Cream Cheese Blintzes this breakfast is probably one of our favorites. Our mother's fastest way to get us kids out of bed was to have donuts ready to eat. In our house it's survival of the fittest when it comes to good food. We realize that might sound a little harsh, but having 5 kids fighting for food can be ruthless. So yeah, we would get up as soon as possible for these cinnamon sugar donuts because they were just too delicious.

This is truly the easiest recipe ever. It requires biscuits, sugar, cinnamon and some oil to make them in. Pillsbury makes the biscuits, but the Ralph's brand was on sale for $.49 each so we went with that brand. Yeah this meal costs $.49 per 10 donuts. CHEAP ftw!

Start by warming up some oil in a pan. When we normally make these we use a large skillet so more donuts can be cooked at once, but the pan works fine as well.

After we finish we used to save the oil, label it donut oil and then use it again. This saves money, plus it's kind of a waste to just dump it, but do what's best for you.

Good luck opening the containers. Aubree had a hard time opening the package, so this is me, Ashley publicly making fun of her :)

So you must be asking how do we easily make biscuits into a donut shape? Well we stole the pumpkin carver from those cheap little kits and use them. Yup, pumpkin carving tools. They're perfect.

Dig the tool into the biscuit and twist. There's some finesse involved, but not too bad.

Then pull them apart and keep the donut hole. That's arguably the best part of this recipe.

Next throw the donuts into the hot oil. Okay maybe not throw, but carefully place them in so you won't get burnt. The donut holes get thrown in as well.

Once they puff up flip them over and cook the bottom half. It takes a few minutes on each side.

For the donut holes, try to flip them around. They're a little more difficult.

While the donuts are cooking put 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon into a bowl. It's not exact measurements, but basically you want to taste the cinnamon in the sugar.

Once the donuts are cooked place them on a plate that has a paper towel on it. Flip it over. This takes the unnecessary grease off.

Last step is to put the donuts into the cinnamon sugar mix. Flip them again. And they're done.

These donuts are best warm, so don't wait around. Truly one of the simple and most cheap recipe we could possibly have. Plus they're freaking amazing.

Recipe

1 pkg biscuits
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Use pumpkin tool to make biscuits into donut shape.
Fry in pan of warm oil.
Cook both sides and then let rest on paper towel.
Dip into sugar and cinnamon mixture.
Eat immediately.

Grouch Salad

2012-07-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

On this side salad, you have to trust us. We realize that it looks weird, you're probably never heard of it and you're highly suspicious. That's okay, we're about to blow your mind with this side. Ever since we can remember our family has been making the Grouch Salad. Something to do with Oscar the Grouch and it being green gave this dish its name. All in all the texture is light and fluffy (see Despicable Me reference), and tastes like lime jell-o with a hint of pineapple.

It requires four ingredients: crushed pineapples, cottage cheese, lime jell-o and cool whip.

Start by draining the crushed pineapples and placing them in a medium size bowl.

Add 12 oz of cottage cheese to the pineapples and mix.

Pour in the entire package of lime jell-o powder into the bowl as well.

Once that's all mixed in, add room temperature cool whip. It's best to let the cool whip thaw--this is what makes the salad fluffy.

And that's it. Lime-pineapple flavored cottage cheese/cool whip mix. It's truly an original and unlike anything else. Grouch is $6 so even if you try it and don't like it there's not much cost involved, however this is a venture worth taking.

Recipe

1 can drained pineapples
1 12oz container cottage cheese
1 lime jell-o box
1 8 oz cool whip

Combine pineapples, cottage cheese, and lime jell-o in bowl.
Fold in cool whip.
Refrigerate or serve immediately

Jell-O Sundae

2012-06-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

As the Fourth of July is coming up and July is the National Picnic Month, we thought a little Jell-O Sundae was the perfect answer. While jell-o by itself might seem a bit mundane, this spruced up version is pure refreshing on a hot summer day. For picnic style it's easy to just pack the jello in tupperware containers and bring a spoon or put it in a wine glass and be fancy.

For 2 seconds lets talk about how cheap this dessert truly is. Jello is approx a dollar, so multiply that by 2 and add 2.. the total is $6 for the jell-o sundae.

Berry blue is amazing, raspberry is good--at least it doesn't taste like red medicine!

Find a container to put the jell-o in. Then pour the contents into the dish.

Pour in 2 cups of boiling water and stir continuously thoroughly mixed. Keep stirring...

and stirring... until its time to add in more water.

Then add in 2 cups of cold water. let it chill for a few hours and then viola, your done!

Spoon out chunks and then add in the whipping cream.
Easiest. Dessert. Ever.

Cream Cheese Blintz

2012-06-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

In our family this breakfast is the holy grail... well for the majority of the family that is. Cream Cheese Blintzes are perfect for special occasions, or just whenever you're in the mood. The best part about this is the filling. Inside the blintz is a warm, creamy, sweet filling which is heavenly with the apple topping. While Aubree isn't over the moon about these Ashley is. And by george if she could eat them more often she wouldn't be too sad. Most blintzes are challenging to make, however here at 2 Broke Bakers we have the cheap and easy way to make this delicious breakfast.

In order to make these you'll need the following: crescent rolls, honey, cottage cheese, cream cheese, a topping if you want and a sandwich maker.

Start by making the filling. 1 tablespoon honey, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and 4 oz of cream cheese.

Have fun trying to open the crescent rolls, they have been known to shock a few people when they actually pop open.

If you survive that then separate them by length wise, not into triangles. Then take the large rectangle and cut it in half.

Once the sandwich maker has warmed up spray both sides with some non-stick spray.

Gently add one of the halved crescent rolls onto the sandwich maker and then put roughly 2 tablespoons of the filling onto the dough.

Once you've done this to both sides of the machine through another half onto each of the blintzes so it becomes a sandwich.

Once covered close the machine and let the magic happen. It will take only a few minutes to cook.

Cook to sight and once they are a nice browned color pull them off the grill.

Once it's all cooked the debate over the topping will ensue. Some in our family prefer the cheese blintzes plain. Others prefer a topping, like apple. We use a pie filling which is found in the baked goods section of the store.

There are plenty of options for the topping as well. Strawberries or blueberries would both make a delicious alternative. Throw on some powdered sugar and you're ready to eat.

Once you try these, we believe you will be converted to the easy way to make cheese blintzes. Then get ready to take a bite, have the filling spill out, and enjoy the warm tasty greatness.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich

2012-05-29T15:51:00.001-07:00

While we're pretty sure it's much easier to just go to the store and buy ice cream sandwiches, there is something great about being able to decide exactly what type of cookie ice cream sandwich you want. As our first attempt to this slightly messy recipe, we decided to keep it simple with our homemade peanut butter cookies. Then, to keep it easy, we bought neapolitan ice cream from the store. (If you want to be ambitious, try our Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream instead of the store bought) Peanut butter and chocolate, vanilla or strawberry are all fantastic options. Be creative and don't let the ice cream melt!

Start by making the cookies. For the peanut butter cookies we needed butter, peanut butter, egg, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and flour.

The 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/2 butter should be mixed together, then add in 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 egg, sugars (1/2 cup packed brown and 1/2 cup sugar), 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 cup flour.

After mixing in the remaining flour (3/4 cup) roll the desired amount into a ball and roll in sugar. Make sure to use a fork to make the criss-cross shape.

Bake at 375 for 7-9 minutes.

When they come out of the oven let them cool on a wire rack. The recipe makes around 36 cookies so if you can resist the urge to eat one you'll have around 18 sandwiches.

Next is the ice cream part. Take a cookie sheet and line it with parchment or wax paper.

Meanwhile let the ice cream soften so that you can reshape it.

Once the ice cream is softened flatten it out on the cookie sheet using a spoon. Then place it back in the freezer to harden.

Once the ice cream is ready it's time to put it in between two cookies. We used a pizza cutter to cut through the ice cream.

Wrap the ice cream sandwich in saran wrap and the freeze for another hour or so. This ensures that the ice cream sandwich will keep its shape.

If the ice cream softens too much while making the sandwiches, put the ice cream back in the freezer.

Whether strawberry or chocolate is your favorite, this recipe can please the whole family. With neopolitan ice cream, everyone can get their perfect flavor. Plus, you really can't go wrong with this peanut buttery greatness!

Recipe

Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/14 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix peanut butter and butter in mixing bowl
Add 1/2 cup flour, the sugars, egg, baking powder, baking soda and vanilla. Combine thoroughly
Beat in remaining flour.
Shape dough into 1 in balls. Roll in sugar. Flatten by crisscross method.
Bake at 375 for 7 to 9 minutes.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

On parchment covered cookie sheet flatten softened ice cream. Freeze for 1 hour.
Place ice cream on cookies. Wrap in plastic wrap. If the ice cream becomes too soft place back in freezer. Once completed freeze for an additional hour.
Eat quickly once ready!

Tri-Color Pasta Salad

2012-05-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

The Tri-Color Pasta Salad is possibly one of our favorite side dishes. The assembly is easy and quick, and the finished product is addicting. Its ridiculously easy to eat way too much of this. Plus, its light and colorful so it's perfect for the classic summer picnic aka Memorial Day. The other part about this dish is that we have been known to eat it straight out of the serving dish... waiting to put it on a plate or bowl to eat just takes way too long. So yeah, we grab a spoon and go for it. Luckily for us this salad is healthy and that means we can have our fill without worrying about the calories!

This salad uses tri-color pasta, carrots, cheese, broccoli, black beans, and Italian salad dressing.

This recipe is pretty big so feel free to chop this in half, quarters, or whatever you need. Don't worry about the exact measurements.

Start by cooking two 12 oz packages of tri-color pasta according to the package.

Drain and place pasta into large bow. Cool the pasta in the refrigerator until cold.

While the pasta is cooling, cut 1 1/2 cups of carrots into small pieces.

Then add the carrots into the pasta mix.

Up next is cheddar cheese. Cut the cheese into small cubes. You'll need approx. 1 1/2 cups of cheese.

Then add the cheese to the pasta mix and stir.

After is the broccoli, cut approx. 1 1/2 cups of this as well.

The last add in is the black beans. We just drained one can and threw it in.

The last step is to add the Italian salad dressing. For this large of a batch we use almost 3/4 of a bottle.

This might seem like a lot, believe us we always try to add less, but as our mother likes to say when we make this, "it soaks it up." So don't be afraid to douse this thing. In fact add some, wait a bit before you serve by storing it in the refrigerator and then add some more dressing.

And that's it. Cook pasta, add in extra stuff, throw in salad dressing and it's done. It takes next to no time, is delicious, healthy, and wait for it.... cheap. Coming in at around $9 makes this 20 healthy servings dish equal chump change.

Recipe

2 12oz packages tri-color pasta
1 1/2 cups carrots sliced
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese cubed
1 1/2 cups broccoli
1 can drained black beans
Italian Dressing to taste

Cook the tri-color pasta according to packages. drain and let cool in refrigerator.
Add carrots, cheese, broccoli, and black beans to the pasta. Mix well.
Add in Italian dressing until it is thoroughly coated. Eat as fast as humanly possible.
Serves a small nation.

One Eyed Monster Cake Pops

2012-05-18T17:33:00.001-07:00

It has been said: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Well, we say when you overheat your modeling chocolate, make One Eyed Monsters. Baking often involves adapting and coming up with new and creative ways to salvage your food even if you make a mistake. Luckily for us this time, we had some store bought eye balls and some helpers who weren't afraid to get their hands dirty.

If you haven't made cake pops before check out Cake Pops 101 to get the step by step.

To make the wild and nonuniform chocolate covering, just dip the cake pops and mess up the surface with a spoon or your fingers.

Then we stuck on the eyes which we purchased from Target. I'm sure you could make your own eyes but we thought these were pretty good looking plus for 75+ eyes we paid $3.

There's really no rhyme or reason to the way we made these. Just stick on a couple eyes and it should do the trick.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and over heated modeling chocolate is a pretty rough place. However when in doubt, don't be afraid to take a breathe, let your chocolate cool, and find another creative solution to your cake pop struggles.