Bluebird Cake Pops

Ingredients

• 1 box chocolate cake mix 
• 12 oz cream cheese frosting 
• 8.8 oz raspberries blue
• 0.5 oz cranberry-orange relish assorted (from 17.6-oz box neon colors)
• 18 oz candy melts blue
• 4.5 teaspoons shortening 
• 0.8 teaspoon purple gel food coloring blue
• 48  you will also need: parchment paper 
• 1 serving weight cream cheese 
• 1 serving m&m candies black

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• microwave
• kitchen scissors
• lollipop sticks

Directions

1. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan, using water, oil and eggs. Cool. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Crumble cake into large bowl.
2. Add frosting; mix well. Shape into 1 1/4-inch oblong balls; pinch narrow end to look like tail feathers.
3. Place on cookie sheet. Freeze until firm; keep refrigerated.
4. With kitchen scissors, cut taffy candies into wing shapes. Shape fondant into 1/4-inch cones for beaks. In microwavable bowl, microwave candy melts and shortening uncovered on Medium (50%) 2 minutes, stirring once, then in 15-second intervals, until melted; stir in candy color until smooth. Dip tip of 1 lollipop stick about 1/2 inch into melted candy; insert stick into 1 cake ball no more than halfway. Repeat. Return pops to cookie sheet. Refrigerate 5 minutes; remove a few at a time. Dip each cake ball into melted candy to cover; tap off excess. Poke opposite end of stick into foam block. Immediately attach wings, confetti for eyes and orange cone for beak.
5. Let stand until set.