CHRISTMASSY CAKE POPS

Why not get the kids to help make these scrummy festive cake pops? They’d make a great gift for school friends.

EASY

Prep time: 20 mins (plus 30 mins chilling) Total time: 60 mins

MAKES 8 Ingredients:

200g sponge, gingerbread is nice and festive, but other flavours are great too.

If you need a sponge recipe, visit oetker.co.uk

60g unsalted butter, softened 125g icing sugar

5ml (1 tsp) Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Extract

To decorate:

200g Dr. Oetker White Chocolate

Dr. Oetker Reindeer Cheer Sprinkles

Dr. Oetker Food Colour Gels red & green (optional) 8 lollipop sticks

METHOD:

★ Put the sponge in a food processor and blitz until fine. Or do this by hand if you prefer.

★ In a separate bowl, make buttercream by beating the butter until smooth, adding the icing sugar in intervals and beating in the vanilla extract.

★ Mix the buttercream into the sponge until it begins to stick together.

★ Using your hands, roll the mixture into 8 equal balls and place them on a tray lined with greaseproof paper.

★ Push a straw or lollipop stick into each pop. Place them in the fridge for 30 mins.

★ While they chill, put the white chocolate into a heatproof bowl and melt it in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring after each.

★ Once chilled, dip the cake pops, one at a time, into the melted chocolate. Gently tap the straw on the side of the bowl to remove any excess, and return the pops to the greaseproof paper.

★ Pour the sprinkles into a bowl and dip each pop in to cover it in festive cheer!

★ Leave them in the fridge to set completely for about an hour before wrapping the tops in parchment or cellophane and tying with a festive ribbon. TIP: To add some colour to your cake pops, add a few drops of food colour gel (red and green are the classic Christmas colours) to any remaining melted chocolate, then drizzle over the cake pops.