Pocky Cake Pops, #SundaySupper

NinjaBaker — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 08:37:17 +0000

“Pokkin, pokkin.” Ah, the symphonic sounds of a bite of Japanese Pocky. (A chocolate covered biscuit stick.) In America, M & Ms are Mom’s prayer to avoiding messy hands. In Japan, Pocky allows mommies to hand over snacks without worry. A small portion of the Pocky stick - the handle - is free of any chocolate coating. In the past several years, new Pocky cream coatings have surfaced.

Pocky!

The strawberry cream coated Pocky are perfect Valentine’s Day presents…And provide edible cookies sticks for cake pops! This week’s #SundaySupper discussion around the virtual Twitter dinner table revolves around bite-size tapas. Pocky cake pops are a sweet compliment to savory mini-snack tapas.

Tapas bars fill their wine glasses with fine Burgundies.
This Ninja Baker fills her goblets with Pocky cake pops!

For more info about the #SundaySupper, please scroll down. I am grateful that The Foodie Army Wife, Constance Smith, a consummate cook and photographer will host the Twitter tapas dinner. Thank you, too, to Conni and her husband and all the US service men and women who dedicate their lives in service.

Here’s the Pocky Cake Pop How-To:

Strawberry Pocky Cake Pops

1. Whip up yellow cake batter.
I used a recipe from Cake Pops Holiday by Bakerella (Angie Dudley) everybody's favorite blogosphere princess. A very similar recipe is found here.

2. Bake cake balls in a Babycakes machine or in cake pop baking pans.
Freeze for 10 minutes or until firm.
*Alternate method: Bake yellow cake. (Any size.)
Crumble and mush together with frosting. Shape into cake balls and freeze for 10 minutes or until firm.

3. Dip the tips of the cream coated ends of Pocky sticks with frosting.
Insert into the cake balls. (If you can’t find Pocky in your local supermarket or at an Asian market, Pocky are available at Amazon.)

4. Place candy melts in a microwavable container in a microwave for thirty seconds. Stir. Repeat the process until well melted.

5. Handle the fragile Pocky biscuit sticks with care and dip into the melted candy melts. Sprinkle with pink sanding sugar. Or simply frost the cake pops with pink frosting.

6. Gift your Valentine with Pocky cake pops and enjoy his/her bright smile!

Here’s what’s on the #SundaySupper tapas table:

Stuffed Green Queen Olives with Garlic Infused Olive Oil from MarocMama
Cheesy, Tortellini Tapas & Spicy Bacon Ranch Dip from Daily Dish RecipesBlack-Eyed Pea Cowboy Caviar from Shockingly Delicious
Goan Beef Croquettes from Masala Herb
Giardiniera Salad from Peanut Butter and Peppers
Bacon Wrapped Calamari from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
Patatas Bravas from Supper for a Steal
Caramelized Onion & Gruyere Bites from The Foodie Army Wife
Agave Truffles from Killer Bunnies, Inc
Pear, Brie, and Honey Crostini from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Tomato Bread from girlichef
Clams in Green Sauce (Almejas en Salsa Verde) from The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Roasted Tomato-Basil Flatbread from Take A Bite Out of Boca
Herb and Citrus Marinated Olives from Magnolia Days
Smoky Paprika Peppers from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Balsamic Raspberries with Mascarpone Cream from That Skinny Chick Can Bake Gambas al Ajillo from Manu's Menu
Squid in Garlic Chili Olive Oil from Food Lust People Love
Tortilla Española from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Croquetas de Pollo from Cookin' Mimi
Low-Carb Salmon Croquettes from Yours And Mine Are Ours
Bruschetta Topping from What Smells So Good?
Herb Roasted Almonds from Curious Cuisiniere
Artichoke Heart and Manchego Spread on Fried Garlic Bread from The Wimpy Vegetarian
Tortillita de Camarones from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Patatas A La Riojana (Rioja-Style Potato & Chorizo Stew) from Cupcakes & Kale Chips Gambas al Ajillo y Clementina (Shrimp with Garlic and Clementines) from FoodieTots Tortillas De Papa y Atun (Tuna and Potatoes Tortilla) from Basic N Delicious
Pocky Cake Pops from NinjaBaking.com
Chorizo Filled Dates Wrapped in Bacon from I Run For Wine
Manchego-Stuffed Spanish Meatballs from The Weekend Gourmet
Roast Onions with Blue Cheese and Pine Nuts from Healthy. Delicious.
Shrimp and Chorizo Tapas from The Texan New Yorker
Blueberry and Lemon Yogurt Quesada from In The Kitchen With KP
Chorizo with Spicy Sweet Potato Tapas from Soni's Food
Chorizo and Manchego Toast Tapas from Family Foodie
Roasted Bone Marrow with Citrus Salad from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen Mushroom Chevre Crostini from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
Serrano Ham and Manchego Croquetas with Smoked Pimenton Aioli from My Other City By The Bay
Krab Filled Avocado Tapas from from Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
Polenta Crostini Bites with Caramelized Mushrooms: Cicchetti - A Venetian Tapas Tradition from La Bella Vita Cucina
And wine connoisseur Martin Redmond gives his recommendations: Best Wines To Pair With Tapas from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on Twitter every Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy! You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement

Cupcakes are yummy Pocky cake pop holders.

Wishing you Valentine kisses and blessings every day.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

Pocky cake pos

strawberry

#SundaySupper

Slightly Sophisticated PB & J Cake, #DessertChallenge

NinjaBaker — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 08:54:15 +0000

Sheryl, The Lady Behind the Curtain, peeked out to whisper the theme of June’s dessert challenge that was to be kept secret until today. I leaned in and heard strawberries and raspberries.

Hmm, fruits are rife on French influenced Japanese tarts. The berries are always artistically displayed and almost always on white flour and sugar laden pastries.

Raspberries, Strawberries & Stacks of Fruit & Flour, Oh My!

Photo Credit

The strawberries and raspberries I employed for the task of the challenge were placed on a slightly healthier foundation. I love white refined sugar but to benefit the well-being of family and friends, I opted for a honey, peanut butter based cake: Averie Cooks Peanut Butter Honey Buttermilk Cake, I followed the cake recipe exactly as written here and omitted the streusel.

The result was a peanut buttery cake filled with remembrances of adolescence. After a 1.5 hours commute from school to home on the Tokyo trains, I’d slide into my Dad’s easy chair and escape into a book while I munched on smooth peanut butter piled high on crumbly Ritz or graham crackers.

But I digress. Back to the Strawberry and Raspberry challenge cake. Inspired by the iconic childhood sandwich of PB & J, I infused buttercream frosting with a purée of raspberries. (Frappé a small box or raspberries in the blender and add to 3 cups of your favorite buttercream frosting.)

Peanut Butter Cake Teamed with Royal Raspberries Frosting,

Crowned with Strawberry Chocolate Drizzle

To add a touch of grownup elegance, I drizzled chocolate over the cake. The how-to is simple: Melt 3 tablespoons of butter with 1 ounces of semisweet chocolate and 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate. Stir in 2 tablespoons of Wholesome Sweeteners Strawberry Agave. Being careful not to burn your fingers, drizzle the mixture with a piping bag fitted with a writing tip. (A fork works, too.) The taste is sublime. Especially when combined with the hearty peanut butter cake and flirty, light raspberry frosting.

Note: The Strawberry Agave and Raw Honey for the cake were gifts from the lovely ladies at Wholesome Sweeteners. However, their products already line my shelves so my opinion was not influenced by the presents.

A bevy of other recipes for strawberry-raspberry beauties are featured below.

Wishing you fruitful hours, which last beyond the bright days of summer.

The Ninja Baker

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

The Ninja Baker - strawberry

Pocky Cake Pops, #SundaySupper

Slightly Sophisticated PB & J Cake, #DessertChallenge