As if anyone needs further proof!  I’m pretty sure that’s why even Oprah came to the Texas State Fair this year - there are ridiculous foods on a stick everywhere.  We DID attend the fair this year, but managed to forget our camera - scanned pictures from our overpriced-bought-at-the-fair-disposable camera will be coming.  As soon as they’re developed...

Anyhow - Liam, Ella and I made these treats tonight and they were super fun!  We made the filling on Saturday morning, froze it over night and then dipped and decorated these guys tonight while Dad was doing his hometeaching.  The plan was to make a bunch of Jack-o-Lantern treats to be passed out to friends... a great plan until I saw Liam licking the chocolate after each pumpkin face he drew.  So, these will be staying in the family, but we might crank out another non-licked batch for playgroup on Friday.  Ella did all the green leaf/stem work on each pumpkin, and Liam did the faces.  I’m so proud of my little fine-motor-blessed helpers :)

Here’s how to make them, if you want to give them a whirl with your own little helpers:

(check out Bakerella.com for some awesome pics and very detailed instructions)

1. 1. Bake a cake in a casserole dish.  Let it cool.  Dump the cake into a big bowl.  Make sure ALL your helpers have washed their hands before moving to step #2.
   

2. 2. Add between 1 and 2 cups of frosting to the cake - smush it all together until well combined.  More frosting - softer centers.  Less frosting - more cakey centers.  You can use store-bought or homemade frosting - whichever suits your time frame and wallet.  Chill this mixture for about 30 minutes (we stick ours in the freezer)
   

3. 3. Scoop out about 1 tsp. of the mixture - roll into a ball and place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  The size of each ball is up to you - these are super sweet and rich, so a little goes a long way.  After all the balls are made, chill or freeze again until firm.  This is a great time to pop the stick in, too.
   

4. 4. Melt candy wafers (Wilton kind works great - almond bark stuff is okay, too) for each color you’d like to use.  Dip each ball in candy coating, let dry for a few minutes and then decorate.  If you’re going to use sprinkles, make sure to get them on there while the candy is still melty.
   

5. 5.Ta-dah!  Cake truffles dipped in candy/chocolate and decorated to your heart’s desire! And they’re on sticks!!!  People are terribly impressed when you show up to a party with these.