Cafe Mocha Non-Stick Pop-Sticks

Your kids can help you decorate these fun treats with sprinkles, candy balls, jellies -- the sky's the limit!

Servings: 16 "pops"

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt 3-1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 ounces prepared strong coffee or espresso
4 ounces unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

16 Popsicle sticks

Icing

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, melted
2 ounces strong coffee or espresso
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
Choice of toppings

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray two cupcake pans with non-stick cooking oil.

Sift the flour with the cocoa, baking powder, and the salt; set aside.

Place the two batter chocolates in the top of a small double boiler over warm water on medium heat and cook until the chocolate is almost melted. Remove the top of the boiler and set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft. Beat in the vanilla and the sugar and then the eggs, one at a time. Add the chocolate and beat to mix. On low speed, beat in half of the sifted dry ingredients, then add the sour cream and coffee, and lastly, the remaining dry ingredients. Beat until smooth (do not over-beat), scraping the sides with a rubber spatula.

Place 2 tablespoons of the batter into each cupcake cup, spreading it out into the corners. Bake for 20 minutes or until a tester comes clean. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes. Invert the pan and let pops cool on a wire rack. Insert a popsicle into the center of each cupcake.

Make the icing.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and stir in the espresso, the salt, and the sour cream. Spread the icing on the pops when pops are completely cooled. Have a flat plate filled with finely chopped nuts. Place the pops one side at a time into the nuts and place on a platter to cool in the fridge for half an hour, just to cool the icing and help keep the nuts in tact.

Gail Greco is the food editor of Carefree Cooking; a field editor for Romantic Homes magazine; and a contributor to many other publications.  She has authored more than 15 books on cooking, decorating, and home lifestyle.