Gluten Free: Cookie Dough Pops

I love cookie dough. At least a quarter of all the cookies I make never even reach the oven. I tell myself it's for quality control purposes but, to be honest it's more like lack-of-self-control purposes! Instead of sneaking cheeky wee mouthfuls of it while I'm baking, I'm going to be proud of my not-so-guilty secret and celebrate cookie dough for all its deliciousness.

I've tried to make cake pops a couple of times, both attempts ended up with at least one pop dropping off the stick and into the chocolate, accompanied by copious amounts of swearing. I have accepted that my pops will never be as smooth or as beautiful as most, but I like to think that mine have rustic charm. It's far less stressful to make these pops than ones with cake, I promise.

You'll need

• 225g rice flour (Dove's Farm Organics do one that's great for baking)
• 125g butter, softened
• 75g soft brown sugar
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 110g chopped pecans
• 400g chocolate, or candy melts, whatever takes your fancy
• sprinkles or cupcake decorations

Make it!

• Combine the rice flour, butter, sugars, egg, vanilla and pecans to form a smooth dough. Chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
• Melt the chocolate or candy melts in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water.
• Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and roll walnut-sized pieces into balls. Dip lollypop sticks into the melted chocolate then push them into the dough balls. Pop them back in the fridge for 5 minutes to set.
• Either dip the cookie dough balls into the melted chocolate or spoon the chocolate over them to cover. At this stage, you can dip them into sprinkles or pop a decoration on top. Leave to set (florist's foam or a chunk of polystyrene is useful to push the sticks into while they set).

Start Movember in Style

Yep, it's November already. For some of you that will mean bashing out a novel over the next thirty days (good luck with that) and for others it'll mean trying to grow facial hair all in the name of charity. But if you're a girl, or indeed a boy who is folically challenged in the facial department, maybe we can help you get involved with Movember.


Just buy a moustache on a stick! Simple! This one is all sparkly and definitely eye-catching enough to see you through the month. I suggest taking it into super important meetings. The large one is £25, and the small one is £23, both from Hannah Zakari.


Or, you can get a moustache necklace from Tatty Devine! Even more chance for surprise moustache action! It's £23 and I suggest using this on the train to make cute boys smile. Don't worry, they won't think you actually have a moustache, that would be silly.