Tutorial - Odie the Dog

Welcome to my second "how-to" decorating tutorial!

In honor of "Odie Day", we will take a look at how to make Garfield's best bud,
Odie the Dog.

I will aim at creating one new tutorial each week as a companion to one of the holidays we recognize.
Follow along and celebrate with us!

Today, I will walk you through the decorating process on how to create this adorable pop.

Again, I will be using chocolate cake, but you can always substitute with any other cake flavor.

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

You will need:

 Vanilla Candy Melts, Strawberry Sour Belts, Mini-Tootsie Rolls, Jelly Beans, Wilton Yellow Candy Food Coloring, AmeriColor Black Food Marker, and also have

toothpicks on hand.


Step 2a: Shape the Pop
Shape the ball to have a narrow rounded base and flair out at the sides. Then, round the top.

You could actually shape the face to have more dimension, but this is a simple design anyone can follow and is a good template for decorating.

Step 2b: Cut the Sour Belt

Cut the sour belt down to size.
A 1.5" piece will give you plenty to work with.


 Step 3: Melt the Vanilla Candy Melts

Melt the candy melts to get the right consistency. 

I melt mine in the microwave to keep a close eye on it, stopping occasionally to stir.

After it is just right, stir in the Wilton Yellow Candy Food Coloring. Start with just a little bit, and add to get your desired color.


 Step 4: Cut and Roll Out the Tootsie Roll
Cut the mini-Tootsie Roll into two equal pieces.
By hand, roll out each piece until about 1.25" in length.

You could use Fondant as a substitute in this step, but I am a big fan of using Tootsie Roll.

Step 5: Dip the Lollipop Stick

Dip the lollipop stick in your melted candy melts about 1/2 inch. Then, place that end of the stick into the narrow rounded base of the pop. Go about half way.

At this point you can place the cake pop in the freezer.

Step 6: Dip and Tap the Cake Pop Ball
After about 5-10 minutes,
remove the cake pop from the freezer.
Dip the cake pop ball into the melted candy melts.
After the ball is completely covered, gently tap the stick on the edge of the bowl to drip off the excess.
This is essential for the hardening process.


Step 7: Place the Jelly Beans

As it dries, place two white Jelly Beans next to each other vertically for the eyes, and place one black Jelly Bean directly beneath positioned horizontally for the nose.

 Step 8: Place the Tootsie Rolls
If the shell has hardened at this point, use a toothpick to gently spread the candy melt on top of the cake pop, directly behind the Jelly Bean eyes. This will act as your glue. Place one end of each Tootsie Roll piece on the top of the cake pop. Hold there until hardened and Tootsie Roll can stand on its own.

Step 9: Bend the Tootsie Roll

After the Tootsie Roll pieces are set, gently bend them in half to resemble the ears.

Step 10: Draw the Eyes
With the Black AmeriColor Food Marker, draw small, round eyes on the white Jelly Beans.

At this point you can also use a toothpick and spread a little bit of candy melt over the top of the Jelly Bean "nose" to give a glare effect.

Step 11: Cut the Sour Belt (Again) 

Round the edge of the Sour Belt wide at one end, and narrow at the end that will attach to the cake pop - this should resemble the shape of a tongue.

This could be done at the very beginning, but I waited until this point to make it proportionate to the face.

Step 12: Place the Sour Belt
Fold the narrow end of the sour belt over about 1/4". Using a toothpick, brush the candy melt onto the folded part of the sour belt.
Apply that part to the cake pop, directly under the black Jelly Bean. Hold until it stays on it's own.

Success!

Odie the Dog is complete and now
Garfield had a pal to play with.
Great for birthday parties or celebrating "Odie Day"!

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but I just taught you how to make an old dog.
What do you think about that?