Instant dessert recipes on a stick: Tanghulu, Pancake kebabs and cake pops using simple ingredients

Anything on a stick can be really fun to eat and make once all the layers come through and you can admire your handiwork. Make cake pops, mini pancakes and the viral and easy-to-make tanghulu. All you need is a bag full of wooden or metal skewers, cake, some chocolate, fruits, and sugar. Kids will love and these are perfect when you're in the mood for something fun and sweet that needs little effort to make. So follow these instant dessert recipes and you’re good to go.

1. Cake Pops

(Makes 20 pops)

Ingredients

• 300 gm cake box mix (choice of flavour) 
•  85 gm icing
•  300 gm chocolate (milk, dark or white)
•  Lollipop sticks
•  topping: sprinkles, finely chopped nuts, candy balls, chocolate drizzle, crushed cookies

Instructions

1. Prepare the cake as per the instructions on the box. Set it on your counter to cool.
2. Once the cake cools, crumble it up in a large bowl, add the frosting into the bowl and mix. 
3. Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the mixture into tight balls. Use your hands to firm the balls.
4. Repeat until all of the cake-frosting mixture is used up. 
5. Take around 30 gm of the chocolate and melt in the microwave (heat in batches and stir in between). Stick the cake pops into the liquid chocolate and arrange them on a cookie tray.
6. Freeze for 15-30 minutes. Take the rest of the chocolate and melt in the microwave in a mug. Take out the cake pops and dip until the whole ball-heads are immersed in the chocolate. 
7. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off and place the cake pops back on the cookie tray. 
8. Immediately sprinkle with your toppings before the chocolate solidifies. Repeat with all the cake pops. 

2. Tanghulu

(Makes 10 sticks)

Ingredients

•  10 pieces each of fruits of choice cut into same sizes pieces (strawberries,  grapes, thick kiwi slices, peach, plum, banana)
•  200 gm sugar 
•  120 ml water

Instructions 

1. Wash the fruits you have picked and pat dry. Remove the skins (banana, kiwi), and tops (strawberry) where necessary and cut down the bigger fruits (pineapple, melons). Pro-tip: don't pick fruits that ooze juices to avoid a mess. Combine a trio of fruits on a skewer, the smaller the length, the better. 
2. Set the fruit-lined skewers on a parchment paper.
3. Take a pan and fill it with cold water (around 1 inch). Keep it next to your stove. 
4. Take a saucepan or cooking pot and add the sugar. Fill it up with the specified amount of water. Don't stir but make sure the water covers the sugar. 
5. Bring to a boil over low heat. The sugar will be hard and immovable. To check, dip a skewer and immediately put it into the tray with cold water. If it yields the specified results your sugar solution is ready. The temperature should be below 150°C to avoid the sugar from burning.
6. Take the pot, dip it into the iced water for 2 seconds and set it back on the stove. 
7. Tilt the pot to make the sugar pool on one side and dip the skewers to coat all the fruits. Twirl to completely coat all of them and set aside on the parchment paper. 

3. Pancake Kebabs

(Makes 8 pancake skewers)

Ingredients

• 200 gm flour
• 260 ml milk
• 40 gm sugar 
•  1 egg
• 10 gm Cadbury Cocoa powder 
• 20 ml oil
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder 
• ½ tsp vanilla essence 
• Hazelnut spread or molten chocolate

Instructions 

1. Take a bowl and mix flour, milk, sugar, egg, baking powder, oil and vanilla essence. 
2. Divide the batter and to one of them add the cocoa powder and mix.
3. Take a teaspoon to measure out small portions of the batter to make mini pancakes. Do it with the plain and cocoa batter to yield a plate full of mini pancakes.
4. If you don't like hazelnut spreads, use melted chocolate instead. Skewer one pancake, add the spread or chocolate and add another pancake. Alternating between the vanilla and cocoa pancakes. 
5. Drizzle with melted chocolate. You can substitute the middle layer with a fruit of your choice, banana or strawberry ideally. You can also dip the skewers into whipping cream and eat them.