Tweedledee & Tweedledum Brownie Cake Pops

Description

Source: ALICE in WONDERLAND THE OFFICIAL COOKBOOK - ELENA CRAIG & S. T. BENDE

Some of the finest combinations are also the most unexpected—logic and manners, cabbages and kings, and, in the case of this recipe, brownies and cake pops! Tweedledum and Tweedledee would delight in this captivating combination of two beloved desserts. There’s nothing contrariwise about it!

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) salted butter
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into small pieces
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter
• ½ cup chunky peanut butter
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• 15 ounces yellow candy melts
• 10 ounces red candy melts
• 1 ½ cups (½ recipe) Royal Icing
• Blue food coloring

Directions

1. To make the brownie base: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment paper.
3. In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and the chocolate.
4. Microwave for 1 minute, stir, and then microwave for 30 seconds more, if needed.
5. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
6. Add the sugar, and stir until combined.
7. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition, to incorporate.
8. Add the flour, and stir until completely incorporated.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out mostly clean.
10. Allow the brownies to cool for 15 minutes.
11. Use the parchment to remove the brownies from the pan, place on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
12. To make the frosting: With a mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar until the mixture is pale in color and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
13. Add the vanilla, and mix again briefly.
14. Set aside.
15. To assemble the cake pops: In a large bowl, break up the brownie mixture, and add 1 cup of the frosting to it.
16. Stir to combine, making sure all of the frosting is incorporated.
17. The mixture should start to come together like a dough.
18. Add more frosting as needed, a tablespoon or two at a time.
19. Prepare a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment.
20. To form the pops, use a cookie scoop about 1 ½ inches across to scoop out a generous 2 tablespoons of the mixture.
21. Roll the mixture between your hands to create a ball as perfectly round as possible.
22. Place the ball on the prepared baking sheet, and insert a stick into it going almost to the bottom.
23. Repeat until all the mixture has been used.
24. Freeze the pops for at least 30 minutes.
25. When the cake pops have frozen, melt the yellow candy melts in a melting pot or microwave-safe bowl, being careful not to overheat.
26. Dip each cake pop into the yellow, making sure it comes to the base of the stick.
27. Shake gently to release the excess candy melt, and set the cake pop back down on the baking sheet.
28. When all the cake pops have been coated in yellow, melt the red candy melts.
29. Dip each cake pop about halfway into the red candy melt, gently shake it, and set it back down on the mat.
30. When the candy has set completely, dye a third of the royal icing blue, and leave the rest white.
31. Put the white icing into a pastry bag with a writing tip, or snip a small hole in the end of a bag.
32. Pipe white collars onto the cake pops.
33. Let set for about 30 minutes.
34. When the collars have completely set, put the blue icing into a pastry bag and then pipe on bow ties.
35. Let set for about 30 minutes.
36. When the bow ties have set, the cake pops are ready to serve.

Yield: About 24 cake pops