Marshmallow Pops: The Kids Party Sleeper Hit

This past weekend I finally got a chance to do a dessert table, something I've been wanting to do for a very, very long time. The occasion: Cati's 4th birthday party. The setting: our house, decked out in various shades of pink and a little blue in honor of Sleeping Beauty. Among the various candies and confections on the table (more on the dessert table as a concept later), I added these very tasty and festive (and stupidly easy to make) marshmallow pops. I stole the idea from my good friend Virginia who made them for her daughter's birthday last year.



[simply stick the marshmallow on the stick!]

Here's the basic gist: you need large marshmallows (not the minis this time), either chocolate chips or candy chips for melting, sprinkles, and a stick. You want to go for flavors and colors here, and your options are limited only to your imagination. For this party, I did simple marshmallows covered in melted chocolate, then dipped in blue sprinkles for the Make It Blue! portion of my pink and blue dessert table. You can use any chocolate you like -- dark, semi-sweet, milk, white -- just make sure you melt it properly and with care. Or, if you like color to your pop, use candy melts. These are simply sugar-based colored wafers that melt much like chocolate, so you can create colored candies. You can also flavor these with different flavor extracts if you like, so something like strawberry flavored red melts for a strawberry style pop. Unflavored, they have a mellow sweet taste that doesn't overpower the marshmallow.




[I use a double-boiler technique to melt the chocolate, but you can use the microwave just as well.]

As for your toppings, you can use any sprinkle or sanding sugar under the sun, or nuts! After you dip the marshmallows in the chocolate and then sprinkles, then you simply lay them out to set.



[you can use baking trays or I just laid out some wax paper on the counter right next to the double-boiler for a really easy production line]

I loved these pops for a few reasons:

(1) They're stupid easy to make. I, am not a baker or candy maker, and I made these very easily. They are 100% idiot proof.

(2) They are very fast, so if you're looking for party treats, school treats, bake sale item, church treat you can pull off quickly, this is your best bet.

(3) They are cheap.

(4) They feed a lot of people, so they are excellent for crowds and larger parties.

(5) They look adorable and everyone loves them.

Despite having cupcakes, candies, cake, fruit, and various other items to entice them, these were by far the biggest hit of the party among the kids (and adults!). Trajan ate 7 of them himself before we noticed. They are literally crack for kids. They are irresistible with their soft center and crunchy topping.

For more inspiration and ideas for pops, please check out this incredible website called Bakerella. She's so innovative and colorful and festive and creative and her ideas are infections. You will not resist trying out this pop-phenomenon. And with good reason: they're actually easy to make for the most party and present beautifully.

As for supplies, check out the links below:

For candy melts, click here.  You can order them from the website or buy them at Michael's or your local craft or bakery supply store.

For candy sticks, click here. I used the 8 inch sized ones and they worked beautifully because they could stand up higher in the vase. If you're planning to display them on a platter you can use the 6 inch ones or the 8 inch ones. You can also find them at Michael's or your local bakery/craft store. They are also called "lollipop sticks" or "candy sticks."

For the blue crystals sprinkles I used Wilton brand that I purchased at my local Michael's craft supply store, in the baking section. You can use any kind of sprinkle you like, but I (and everyone else) loved the crunchy texture of using a crystal-based sprinkle rather than the softer chalkier ones.

In terms of presentation, I took a square vase and wrapped blue ribbon around it, then secured it with a party circle I cut out from the pdf I ordered from TomKat Studio. Then I filled the vase with blue jellybeans up to the ribbon line. These

And now here's the recipe for the blue marshmallow pops I made for the party!

Make It Blue! Marshmallow Pops

1 bag large white marshmallows

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Toll House)

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

40-50 white candy sticks

1/2 cup blue crystal sprinkles

wax paper or baking sheets for setting out

Set up a double boiler. Take a pot and fill it about 2 inches high with water. Set the pot on the heat and bring it to a boil. Place a bowl that is large enough to fit on top of the pot, but so the bottom doesn't tough the boiling water. The steam from the boiling water below is going to heat the bowl on top and melt the chocolate. This is called indirect heat. If you used direct heat then the chocolate will burn and be not usable. Add the chocolate chips and butter and let melt, using a spatula to occasionally mix and help the melting along. The butter is going to help thin out the chocolate just enough so that you can easily swirl the marshmallow inside, but not compromise the flavor or consistency once the chocolate hardens again. (If you used cream, the chocolate wouldn't harden quite enough with the sprinkles and be more of a truffle consistency which is not what you want here.)

While the chocolate melts, stick your marshmallows on the sticks. Set out your sprinkles in a small mixing bowl. Set up your baking sheets or wax paper to receive the pops.

Take one marshmallow pop and swirl it in the chocolate, shaking off access chocolate and creating an even layer as best you can. I like covering them about 3/4 of the way down so you can see some marshmallow still. If you like, you can completely cover the marshmallow or only dip the first half or very tip. Whatever you want. Then immediately from the chocolate roll and dab the marshmallow in the sprinkles. Go lightly. You'll see the sprinkles will adhere instantly to the chocolate. Then set the marshmallow pop right on top of the wax paper with the stick facing up. The wax paper will prevent the chocolate and sprinkles from sticking. You can set the pops out to cool at room temperature (it will take around 2 hours to set) or if you need them faster, transfer the pops to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.

Once completely set you can store the pops in gallon-sized freezer bags or tupperware for up to 3 days in advance.