Protein Cheesecake Egg Pops

Note to self: Never, ever, EVER do multiple dessert offerings during a week when the kids aren’t home.

Moving along…

Of all the offerings so far – the protein carrot cupcakes w/ protein cream cheese frosting, the Cadbury Cream Egg protein dessert…this one was the MOST fun to make.

As I was making it, I thought about how much the divas would probably enjoy this. Outside of Easter, you can certainly make round shaped pops. This seems to me a wonderful way to keep kids occupied on a rainy day.

Nik’s Protein Cheesecake Egg Pops
(makes 8-12 depending on the size of your pops)

Ingredients

One of Nik’s Protein cheesecakes
Popsicle Sticks
A mini-scoop (or two large spoons)

Toppings used above:

Sugar-free chocolate, melted
Sugar-free almond granola (from Whole Foods)
Sugar-free ice cream sprinkles
(for the kids) Colored sugar

Directions:
A note about the cheesecake. It’s ridiculously easy to make. Especially for this recipe because, unlike a cheesecake you intend to use as a cheesecake you a) don’t have to use a springform pan and b) who the hell cares if it cracks. Also ditch the crust in the above recipe. You don’t need it!

When the cheesecake is all cooked and cooled you’ll want to scoop out hunks of it. TIP: wet your hands and then spray them down in non-stick (yes both). It makes egg forming a LOT easier. Here’s what they look like pre-decorated.

Now don’t worry if the surface of your eggs isn’t perfect. You can go back and fix that (we’ll get to that in a moment). For right now, though, get your popsicle sticks. Dip about 1/4″ of them in either your melted chocolate, some sugar free cake icing or even some left over cream cheese. Then insert into the egg. Why? When it freezes it’ll hold the heavy egg on the popsicle stick!

Then, lay them on a wax-paper lined plate and pop those babies in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Whilst they are chilling, let’s contemplate toppings, shall we? The sky really is the limit but in the interest of not going TOO crazy…keep it reasonable. The sprinkled one is for La Grande Diva. Even though it is sugar-free sprinkles, I’m just not a sprinkles kinda gal. The sugared egg is for La Petite Diva. She loves pink. Now that chocolate one with the granola? That one is for me!

Anyway, set out a dipping station and let the kids choose the toppings they like.

Take the pops out of the freezer and allow the kids to dip them. If they fall off the stick, re-dip the stick in chocolate or icing and re-insert and re-freeze. Unless you have a bunch of kids doing this, take out a few at a time from the freezer so they get really cold.

If you’re not eating them right away, put them back in the freezer until you are ready to eat them.

These are a really cute conversation piece when you’re having folks over. I didn’t have time to do the presentation piece the way I wanted but the above is just a simple $1 glass filled with Easter Candy with the pops in it. Again, use your imagination!

Some tips/warnings:

#1 – Your hands will get dirty!!! (And your clothes, and your kitchen, and your floor…)

#2 – Smoothing out the egg

Once they are firmed up a bit in the freezer, dip your fingers in water and smooth out the surface of the egg. Remember to put it back into the freezer for a few minutes to firm back up aftward. This is all a moot point, however, if you plan to coat the entire egg.

#3 – These WILL go fast! Get yours and then get the heck outta dodge!!!