I always make some sort of decorated Christmas treat for all the teachers who are involved with the kids. This year I had it all planned out, I was going to make 5 cake pops, put into mini terracotta pots that the kids have already painted. I started making the pops this evening and have had no end of trouble. The candy coating is cracking, the sticks are sliding through - the whole thing is a disaster. I need it all to be done by Wednesday afternoon. I think I probably should abandon the cake pops, but I am too tired to think let alone come up with an alternative idea.

If anybody had a good idea of something that is easy but impressive, I will be forever thankful!

Maybe you could try cookie pops instead? You could still use the pots if you did that.

Or just make some cake balls in different flavours, and fill each little pot, then wrap in sheets of cellophane with a bow on top...at least they have the nice pot and the delicious treat also!

Brownie pops are super-simple and taste good, too. I've done them two ways. The first is to just cut the brownies into squares and then form those into balls (wearing food-handling gloves). Then, just make small holes in each, insert the end of a lollipop stick into melted chocolate and then into the hole in the brownie ball. Let set for a few minutes and then dip in melted chocolate coating. I sometimes add sprinkles or a drizzle of a different color of chocolate.

The other way is to do it similarly to cake balls, breaking up the brownies and mixining in a binder. (Raspberry jam is a favoriate.)

how about a cupcakes bouquet?

How about cookies in a jar. You know, no baking, just put in the choc chips, flour, baking soda, etc attach recipe card and top with a fabric cutout and a ribbon. Allrecipes has all kinds of them.

As a teacher, I just would like to remind you that almost all schools have students with nut allergies now, so I would not use anything that contains nuts of any form. Even any type of extract. Most of the kids go into shock just from the smell of nuts.

But us teachers we do love cookies and sweets.

As a retired teacher a simple plate of cookies sounds wonderful, also easy to carry home. The pot with cake pops sounds delightful, but then it has to be carried home. Since I generally had a bunch of stuff to take home at Christmas break, adding a cake pop bouquet sounds like one more trip to the parking lot. Cookies on a pastic plate -non-breakable- wrapped securely would be a great, easy to deal with treat.

Save the pot bouquet for Valentine's Day. Your teachers would have two hands to carry it, and it would really stand out. Teachers get all sorts of stuff at Christmas time- Valentines day not so much. OK- Cards.

Thank you so much everyone for your ideas. In the end I went to bed and slept on it, I tried again in the morning and although they were not perfect I did manage to complete the cake pops. I will never again make 75 pops in 5 designs, was way to stressful. I have filed away your ideas for next time I do teacher gifts, it is definitively the last time I do something so elaborate.