Eggnog Cake Balls

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Cake balls has truly been this year's baking craze, and with good reason; they're delicious, they're cute, and they're delicious.  How awesome would it make you look if you brought a tray of these to your next Christmas party!?!  

I have made my regular boring ol' vanilla cake into a festive eggnog cake, perfect for the season!  Then I dipped each ball of confectionary goodness into milk chocolate, and sprinkled with fun decorations.  Cake balls are not difficult to make, but they do take some time and patience.

Ingredients:

• 1 box vanilla cake mix
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 can (16 oz-- you could always use homemade if you'd like) vanilla frosting
• 2 12 ounce bags of milk chocolate chips
• festive sprinkles 
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Steps:

Make your cake according to the directions.

Add the nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla to the cake batter (this is what turns it into an eggnog cake.)

Make sure that you spray the pan well for easy removal of the cake.

Notice all the flecks of flavor in there!

When the cake is done baking, allow the cake to cool for 5-10 minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack, and let the cake cool completely.

When the cake has cooled, break the cake up into large pieces using your (clean) hands, and place the pieces into a bowl.

Using your fingers, gently crumble the cake into small uniformed crumbs.

When the cake has been completely crumbled, add about half of the can of frosting to the bowl.

Using your hands (or a spoon if you would like, because this is quite messy--however, I found it easier to do this by hand) mix the frosting with the cake.

The mixture should resemble dough.

If the cake and frosting is too crumbly, add more frosting until you get the right consistancy.

Using a Cookie Scoop put a small ball of 'dough' into the palm of your hand.  Roll the ball into a quarter-sized ball of deliciousness, and resist popping it into your mouth.  Place the rolled ball onto a cookie sheet. 

Repeat this process until all of the cake and frosting mixture has been used up (this should make about 60 cake balls.)

Place the tray into the refrigerator overnight.  Cover the tray with a kitchen towel.

When the cake balls have chilled out overnight, they are ready for their pretty outer layer.

Over a double boiler, melt your chocolate.  

I like to only work with 1/2 a bag of chocolate chips at a time.  For each 1/2 a bag, add 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil.  

When the chocolate is nice and smooth, remove it from the heat.

Take a few (no more than 4 or 5) of the cake balls out of the fridge, and place them on a small plate lined with wax paper.

Using a spoon and a fork drop 1 cake ball into the melted chocolate.

With the spoon, cover the ball completely with chocolate.

When the ball is covered, scoop the ball out of the chocolate using the fork.

With the spoon, gently tap the fork to get the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl.

Place the covered ball onto the wax paper and sprinkle with decorations.

Repeat with the remaining 3 balls.

Place the plate in the freezer for 10 minutes, or until the chocolate coating has hardened.

When the chocolate has set, transfer the bite-sized drops of yummy back onto the cookie sheet in the fridge.

When all of the balls have been dipped and decorated, they are ready to make their debut at your next party!

If you don't plan on eating them immediately, store them in your refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to a week.

If you wish, you could make a bunch of cake balls and store them in the freezer for up to a month.

Homemade Butter-Fingers

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Do you have left over candy corn from halloween?  I know I do.  At a loss as to what to do with it?  Well, whatever you do don't toss it.  Make this yummy version of a classic candy instead.  That's right, you can make butter-fingers right from your own kitchen in a matter of minutes!

What you will need:

• 1 cup candy corn (I had a cup of the autumn mix left from when I made chocolate covered candy corn)
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 graham cracker sheet, crumbled
• 1/2 cup bitter-sweet chocolate chips

How to make butter-fingers:

Grease a cake pan with a generous amount of cooking spray.

Spray the inside of a microwave safe bowl generously with cooking spray.

Pour the candy corn into the bowl.

Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir.

Repeat the cycle of heating for 30 seconds then stirring until the candy has melted.

For me, this took 3 times.

Be careful not to over heat the candy.

It should be slightly puffy when it is ready.

When the candy is melted, immediately add the graham cracker crumbles and the peanut butter.

Stir until completely combined.

Pour the candy mixture out into the cake pan.

Using a spoon, press the candy into a sheet that is about 1/4" thick.

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips for 30 seconds, remove and stir, then heat for an additional 40-45 seconds or until chocolate has melted.

Pour the chocolate over the candy sheet, and evenly spread to cover the candy.

Place the cake pan into the refrigerator and allow the chocolate to set.

This took about 20 minutes.

Once chilled, peel the candy sheet from the cake pan, and cut into bite-sized pieces using a pizza cutter.

Yum!  Homemade butter-fingers from you left over candy corn.  

Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers

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Such a wonderful treat: light and crisp graham crackers covered in rich bitter-sweet chocolate.  This is a great afternoon pick-up, or bed-time snack enjoyed with a tall glass of cold milk!  

To make this treat you will need.

• 1/2 cup bitter-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Baking Chips and these are what I would recommend)
• 3 graham cracker sheets

Steps:

Using either a double boiler or a heat-resistant glass bowl placed on top of a simmering pot of water, melt your chocolate until smooth.

When the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the pot of water.

Break the graham cracker sheets into four small rectangles.

One by one, dip each of the crackers into the chocolate, press down lightly to make sure that the chocolate completely coves side that is facing down.

Using a fork, flip the graham cracker over.

Lift the covered graham cracker out of the chocolate, and transfer to a wax paper lined plate.

I used my fork to create a pretty design in the chocolate by moving my fork in a circular motion lightly over the top of the chocolate coved cracker.

Put the plate with your dipped grahams on it in the fridge, and wait (I know, its the hardest part when chocolate is involved) until the chocolate has set.

What a delightful little snack to share (or not.)

What a Spooktacular Treat: Chocolate Covered Candy Corn

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What's super-sweet, tastes like a s'more, and is yellow and orange in the center?  Candy corn covered in chocolate then sprinkled with little graham cracker crumbles.  What a unique Halloween (or anytime) treat!

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of candy corn (I chose to use the autumn mix, I like those little pumpkins... I know that they taste just like regular candy corn, but somehow I like them better.)
• 2 cups bittersweet chocolate
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 crush graham cracker sheets

Steps:

Place the chocolate chips and the unsalted butter into a double boiler (if you don't have a Double Boiler, you can make one by placing a heat-safe bowl over a pot of simmering water)

While the chocolate is melting, crush the graham crackers.  To do this, place the crackers into a zip lock bag.  With a Rolling Pin crush the graham crackers into tiny pieces.

When the chocolate has melted, place a few pieces of candy corn into the chocolate.

Use a fork to fully submerge the candy.

Lift the candy corn one piece at a time from the chocolate.

Place the chocolate covered candies onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet.

Sprinkle the dipped candy corn with the graham cracker crumbles.

When all of the candy has been dipped and sprinkled, place the cookie sheet into the refrigerator and allow to cool for at least one hour.

Peel the cooled candy from the wax paper.

You can either devour them right on the spot, or place in a air-tight container kept in the fridge until you plan on eating these delightful little morsels of yumminess.

Chocolate Covered Potato Chips

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Salty, sweet, and crunchy... everything a great snack should be.  This special indulgence includes crunchy potato chips covered in luxurious chocolate.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag ridged potato chips
• 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Steps:

In a Double Boiler (or a heat-safe glass bowl on top of a pot of simmering water) melt the chocolate chips, stirring occasionally.

  

When the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the heat.

One at a time, lay a chip into the melted chocolate, and press down slightly (make sure that your hands are clean.)

With your fingers (or a spoon), cover the rest of the chip with chocolate, making sure that it gets into all the crevices.

Remove the covered chip from the chocolate, and using your fingers, gently remove the excess chocolate.

Place the covered chips on a plate (or cookie sheet) lined with wax paper.

Place the chips in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow the chocolate to harden.

Simple as that!  What a delicious sweet treat that is a great addition to your movie night.

Double Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

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Rich, decedent, sweet, and better than chocolate covered strawberries are just a few words that have been used to describe this amazing dessert.  I know what you're thinking, "How can they be better than chocolate covered strawberries?  Those are chocolate covered strawberries."  These treats have a special surprise hidden inside: fudge brownies.  These stuffed and dipped strawberries take some time to make, but they are well worth the effort.

Ingredients:

• 2 cartons of strawberries (make sure that there are some pretty good sized ones in the carton)
• 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 box of fudge brownie mix

Steps:

Make the brownies according to the directions on the box.

Allow the brownies to cool.

Once cool, use a fork to crumble the brownies.

I crumbled all of the brownies except for the outer edge that was a little bit crispy.

After crumbling the brownies, I transferred the crumbles to a bowl.

  

Wash the strawberries.

Use a paring knife to cut the tip off of each strawberry.

Use your pinky to hollow out each strawberry.

Carefully stuff the brownie crumbles into each hollowed out strawberry.

Use some of the brownie crumbles and mold them into a tip for each strawberry.

Place the stuffed strawberries on a plate, and allow to cool in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

While the strawberries are chilling out in the fridge, create a double boiler using a heat-safe bowl over a pot of simmering water.

Pour the chocolate chips into the bowl, and stir occasionally until they melt.

Line a plate (or cookie sheet) with wax paper.

Remove the chilled strawberries from the fridge.  Dip each strawberry in the melted chocolate by dipping one side in, and then rotating to coat each side until the entire strawberry is covered.

Place the chocolate covered strawberry onto the wax paper.

When all the strawberries are dipped, put them into the refrigerator, and chill for at least an hour or until the chocolate has completely hardened.

Serve these delectable bites chilled.

Perfect for that special get together, or date night!

Choceur Chocolate Crisp Bars: Quality Made German Chocolate Part 2

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Germany we have a problem because I'm going eat all your awesome chocolate. I just can't break myself away from quality chocolate made in Germany. This time I've gone too far and bought more of it because it's always guaranteed to satisfy a chocolate craving like no other. Choceur Fine Chocolate Crisp Bars are no exception.

What I experienced in this particular chocolate crisp bar was delicious crispy milk chocolate rounded out by smooth hazelnut creme. The crisp part was brought to me courtesy of Kit Kat like wafer. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm biased towards wafer chocolate because I've been known to consume massive amounts of Kit Kats. Kit Kats just so happens to be one of my favorite candy bars next to Snickers but this opinion of mine is probably shared by many others.

I bet you can't eat just three.

Ok, I'm sure you're going to seek these out now so I gotta tell you what you're getting yourself into. I was amazed when I opened the box and found not 1 not 5 not 7 but 10 modest sized bars waiting for my sweet tooth. You just can't beat that value for German made chocolate especially coming in at a little bit over a $1.50. That's of course if you're lucky enough to have a Aldi store nearby. Hopefully you do because if your into saving money on groceries like me then Aldi is the place. What is Aldi? Aldi is a German grocery store and they've opened a ton of stores in the last 2 years so you might be in luck.

Last but not least, how do I rank these fine chocolate wafers? They definitely deserve a 8 out 10 which equals these are more than addiction, they're a permanent part of your sweet tooth.