How has it already been three weeks since my fabulous trip to HERSHEY’S headquarters? Sigh. I miss Hershey’s. The luxury hotel room, the spa, the royal treatment, the excitement of working with the wow-amazing crew in the HERSHEY’S test kitchens. Oh yeah, and the chocolate. So very much chocolate. At least I have the chocolate in my kitchen. And so can you!!  One of you lucky folks will receive:  an apron, cookie cutters, set of recipe cards and variety of Hershey’s baking products from HERSHEY’S.  

Scroll to the end of this post for the GIVEAWAY.

My latest chocolate adventure is a super-easy one. What with this baby coming in six days (yeah, SIX days), everything I’m making falls under the category of “super-easy.” Chocolate Christmas tree pops. Quick and yummy.

how to make chocolate Christmas tree pops

you will need:*

HERSHEY’S Premier White Chips

HERSHEY’S HERSHEY-ETS Candy Coated Milk Chocolates in red and green colors

disposable decorating bags

scissors

baking tray(s)

wax or parchment paper

lollipop sticks

*Find the disposable decorating bags and lollipop sticks (6-inch is best) in the craft store.

what to do:

Line a baking tray or trays with wax or parchment paper. Place ½ to ¾ cup of Hershey’s white chips in a decorating bag. Microwave at 50 percent power for 1 minute, 30 seconds. Massage the bag and continue to microwave at 30 second intervals until the chocolate is melted. Massage the bag to remove any lumps. TIP: Close the top of the decorating bag with a rubber band, if you like. Snip about 1/4-inch from the tip of the bag. Pipe a dot on the baking tray, place a lollipop stick on top, then pipe a tree on top of the stick. Don’t worry about precision! I just piped back and forth to make three rows of “branches.” Immediately press the green and red Hershey-ets into the chocolate. Fill the rest of the tray(s) and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Want more chocolate?

Visit HERSHEY’S Kitchens for tons of recipes and craft ideas.

Check out my fellow bakers at Cookie Headquarters.

And if you need more inspiration, I’m collecting holiday goodies made with HERSHEY’S on a Pinterest board.

And now…. THE GIVEAWAY!!!!

THE PRIZE:

HERSHEY’S apron, cookie cutters, recipe cards and baking products.

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment to this post before Friday, December 7th, 2012, midnight, EST.

THE DETAILS:

Prize ships directly from HERSHEY’S to US addresses only.

Winner has 48 hours to respond after being notified before another winner is drawn.

EXTRA:

If you’ve baked any goodies using HERSHEY’S products and have blogged about them,

include the link and I’ll add to my Pinterest page, if you like.

(This one is NOT necessary to enter the giveaway, it’s just for my own collection.)

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So I thought my last post was all about last minute, but these chocolate bunny pops are reeeeeeally last minute. And they take no time at all to make. And they are easy enough for a four-year-old. Mine made these all by herself. I did nothing but melt the candy melts and snip the tip, she did the rest solo.

If it isn’t obvious, those are flowers (see the flower and the leaf halfway down the stick… I thought that was brilliant, of course).

how to make chocolate bunny pops

you will need:*

candy melts (white or any color)

disposable decorating bags

rubber bands

scissors

baking tray(s)

wax paper

lollipop sticks

confetti sprinkles

*Find the candy melts, decorating bags, lollipop sticks and sprinkles in the craft store.

what to do:

1. Prepare the baking trays by lining with wax paper. Have the sprinkles handy in a bowl (I used tiny pink and purple confetti sprinkles, my daughter used hearts.)

2. Melt the candy melts: Fill a disposable decorating bag with about 1/2 cup of candy melts. Microwave at 50 percent power for 90 seconds. Massage the bag and continue to microwave at 50 percent power at 30 second intervals, then 15 second intervals just until the candy melts completely. (Don’t overheat!) If you don’t have a microwave, you may also melt the candy melts in a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl resting over simmering water and transfer to the decorating bag. Close the bag with a rubber band if kids are handling.

3. Snip 1/2-inch from the tip of the bag. To make a bunny, first pipe the ears and a small dot on the tray. Lay a lollipop stick on the dot and pipe another dot on top, about the size of a nickel or slightly bigger. Immediately place a confetti sprinkle on the candy for the nose. Because candy melts dry quickly, complete one pop at a time. (My daughter just placed a lollipop stick on the tray, and piped her design on top, then added sprinkles.)

4. Let the pops dry at room temperature, about 1 hour.

NOTES:

• Candy melts cool quickly, but they may be hot when first taken out of the microwave. Use caution when handling and let cool slightly before giving to children.

• If you run out of candy melts, don’t reheat more in the same decorating bag. Dispose of the decorating bag and start with a new one.

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Feel free to share (nicely)! While my blog's photographs and text are protected by copyright, I do allow (and encourage) you to share ONE photograph with credit to "the decorated cookie" and link to this blog post. PLEASE don't reprint any part of the blog post and PLEASE don't post a photo without credit. Thank you!