Cookie Dough Pops

• 1 cup margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup milk or soy milk
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 14 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 3 tablespoons shortening
• Cookie Crisp cereal

Special equipment:

• lollipop sticks
• Styrofoam board

Using an electric mixer, beat margarine. Add sugars, vanilla, and milk. Continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add flour, baking soda and salt; stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough until firm, about 1 hour. Using your hands, roll dough into tight 1-inch balls; set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine baking chocolate and shortening. Microwave for about 3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds,. Dip the tips of the lollipop sticks into the melted chocolate. Insert each stick halfway into a cookie dough ball. Place pops on a baking sheet. Place in freezer until firm and chocolate is set, about 20 minutes. At this point, the chocolate coating may need to be reheated in the microwave. For easy dipping, transfer the chocolate coating to a tall narrow glass. Remove the truffles from the freezer. Very gently, dip each truffle into the chocolate coating. Tap the stick gently to allow excess chocolate to fall back into the glass. Set each stick into Styrofoam. Top each pop with 1 mini cookie cereal. Set in the Styrofoam board to dry. Refrigerate until serving.