♣GREEN Velvet Cake Balls♣

I have been baking up a storm this past week:)

But I had to try the famous Red Velvet Cake Balls in GREEN!!

I used my homemade recipe that you can find HERE and used 1 bottle of GREEN food coloring instead of 2 red.  I cooled the cake, added about 1/2-3/4 of the homemade frosting and mixed it well with a spoon.

Rolled them into cute little balls...turning my hands a pretty shade of GREEN!!  Placed them  on a cookie sheet with wax paper and put them in the freezer for 1/2 hour.

Then it's time to dip!!  I mentioned telling you all about my new easy dipping method last fall and got horrible morning sickness and never got a chance to make them.  So here is my tutorial...

First - melt your chocolate according to package.

Then stick a ball on a toothpick (I stick toothpick into the flat end of the ball) and dip about 3/4 of ball in chocolate.

Second - place on a foam block to dry.

Third - take half dipped ball off the toothpick and redip just the bottom of the cake ball into the chocolate.

Fourth - place on clean wax paper to dry again.  Next I would drizzle with more chocolate or white almond bark, but I accidentally put holes in my bottles warming them up in the microwave:(  And you can't find baking stuff around here!!

The next thing of course would be to DEVOUR this scrumptious little treats...

But beware they may turn your mouth GREEN!♣

I definitely prefer the homemade recipe over the box mix any day!!!!

Of course I had little helpers that were dying to try some dipping of their own.  So I gave them toothpicks, let them dip away and we sprinkled them with yummy lemon, lime sprinkles:)

Good Ole Family Fun...

This weekend I got together with my wonderful cousins and we mixed, rolled, froze, dipped and drizzled till our hearts were content:) We tried some old and some new recipes for making cake pops/balls and I wanted to share them...
Here is the links to my other Cake Pop adventures--

Basic Cake Pops
Cheesecake Balls
Bakerella's Blog for further instructions and ideas - gotta give credit where credit is deserved:)

Over the past few months I have worked out a lot of my kinks and perfected my dipping methods. So here is a few tricks I have had up my sleeve that will make this process a little easier:
-Really pay attention to the type of chocolate you use. I have found that Kroger is the best and Western Family brand would be my second choice. DO NOT use gourmet chocolates...tastes the best but doesn't set up.
-Double check the boxed brownies you purchase...the more oil it calls for the greasier they will be and harder to keep shape. I actually prefer the WF brand as well. Plus start out with 1/4-1/2 of the 8oz. of cream cheese.
-Now my dipping technique...I will explain and than post pics next time I do this (sorry I keep forgetting to take them). If you are not putting them on sticks like in my basic instructions than put the balls in freezer till firm, almost frozen. My freezer will set them up in about 30 minutes. Than insert a toothpick into the flat part of the ball and dip in chocolate a little more than 3/4 of the ball up to the toothpick (do not cover whole ball). Tap excess off and twirl and tap to smooth. Place in foam block to set up. The faster you dip the less chance they will thaw out. If they start to fall off toothpicks place back in freezer to set up.
After they have hardened on foam block remove from toothpick and dip bottom of the ball into more chocolate and place on wax paper to set up. Then drizzle with more chocolate. Of course you can indulge yourself with a taste or wrap in bags, tie a pretty bow and share. Enjoy!!
I apologize if it's confusing I will get some photos up!!:)
-Another trick I learned was BUY some bottles at your local craft store that have a tip on them for drizzling. I usually would just use a baggie with the end cut off till I discovered using these this weekend. They were $2 for 2 of them (found in the baking section at my Micheal's) and I use one for chocolate and one for vanilla. They are a great investment.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask:)
Here is a new recipe we tried and some I plan on doing...

Cookie Dough Truffles --
3/4 c. Brown Sugar
1 Stick Butter
2 c. Flour
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 c. Mini Chocolate Chips
Cream together the sugar and butter. Then add flour, vanilla, milk, and choco chips. Place in fridge for 1/2 hour. Roll into balls, place on wax paper and firm up for another 1/2 hour. Than dip into melted chocolate. Enjoy:) The kids all LOVED these!!

These two I plan to try...

Blonde Brownies --
2/3 c. Melted Butter
2 c. Brown Sugar
2 lg Eggs
1 1/2 Tb Water
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Salt
2 3/4 Flour
2 c. Chocolate Chips
Mix first 7 ingredients, then add flour. Blend together. Add chocolate chips and stir. Spread in 9x13 pan. Bake 340* for 2-24 minutes. Or until edges start to brown. Cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Blondies --
1 cup margarine
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chunky peanut butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and peanut butter until smooth. Combine the flour and baking powder, then stir into the peanut butter mixture. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips. Spread the dough out flat on the prepared pan.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops of the bars look dry. Cool completely in pan.

To make the balls I would mix with chocolate frosting. And roll as instructed. I will play with these recipes and let you know how they turn out:)

DIPPING QUEEN!!

As you all know I love to dip EVERYTHING...
Brownies
Oreo's
Cakepops
Marshmallows
Cinnamon Bears
Fruit
...You name it I might have just DIPPED it!!
Well this last week I have been working on a Cakepop/ball Fundraiser for my mom to raise money for the Relay for Life my family is participating in. So I having become dipping CRAZY!! LOL!☺
I will post more about the fundraiser later but I wanted to show you my most recent recipe and a little Thank You I helped my mom whip up for her WONDERFUL nurses at the hospital --

These are Strawberry Cake Pops (hence PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness;)!!) arranged very pretty in a pot to say a huge Thank You to all those that have helped my mom along in her treatment! I sure hope they enjoy them!!:)

This is my newest dipping excursion...
I took Philadelphia Ready to Eat Cheesecake Filling (you could use a homemade recipe if you prefer). Than I scooped balls out with my Pampered Chef Scoop and rolled them in Graham cracker crumbs.

Place the cheesecake balls on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Place them in the freezer to firm up - about 15 minutes. When ready to dip warm chocolate according to package. Dip and drizzle. Package or EAT!!:) For other tips and recipes check out my other posts for CAKE POPS!

OOOHH Don't they look YUMMY!?☺

Now my husband has been such a great help...he's quite the Dipper! LOL So I had to give into his promptings to dip a Strawberry Twinkies in chocolate! It actually looks really GOOD!! But too sweet for me:) He said it was YUMMY...and that's all that matters!

Happy Dipping!!

!Go NS BRAVES!

Last week I was given the opportunity to make brownie bites for a friend's daughters MS graduation. I had the worst experience with them and it took me days to figure out!! I had bought a Betty Crocker brownie mix that called for 2/3 cup oil and I under cooked them to avoid the crunchy edges I have had in other batches. So they turned out a gooey mess. I ended up at the last minute making another batch with the same mix (that's all I had) but I over cooked them and added less cream cheese. They turned out OK, but I suggest using another brand that contains less oil when using them for balls to be dipped.
But on a more exciting note, I purchased this really cool new tool at Micheal's. It worked so well dipping and making neat swirls on top of the chocolates. Like I said I had a tough time so it worked only when they were really cold. I made the best of my situation and double dipped the ones that ended up too gooey to dip and turned the rest into brownie cups with a mold I got (I will post more on that after I finish making up those☺). Their colors are purple and gold so I had fun experimenting with this fun gold dust that a friend of mine gave me. I had purchased golden yellow that turned out looking orange...the kids told me it looked like fry sauce - LOL!! So the dust was a great alternative. I thought they turned out amazing and for the first time was rewarded graciously for my hard work.

[Party Pleasers!]

This weekend I hosted a party and everyone really enjoyed the food so I promised to post the recipes. I made the cake pops and brownie/cake balls for dessert and I already posted them so check out this link for the recipe - CAKE POPS. I got creative using the left over chocolate and vanilla almond bark and double dipped the red velvet cake pops I had made and I thought they were easier and looked really fun:) I served these in a fun glass vase and the cake pops in fun cups full of sugar. The rest of my menu was spinach dip served with crackers and sourdough baguette, veggies with dip, fruit with dip and a lemonade slush

Spinach Dip
1 pkg Pic-A-Sweet chopped frozen spinach
1 16 oz. Sour Cream
1 c. Mayo
1 pkg Knorr Spinach dip
1/2 c. chopped water chestnuts (optional)
Place frozen spinach in pan, cover with water, bring to boil and boil for 3min. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 4 minutes. Drain well. Cool spinach in fridge and than add remaining ingredients. Chill for 4-6 hours. Serve with crackers and sour dough baguette.
(I didn't have time to chill that long so I made sure the spinach was nice and cold and chilled the dip for an hour before I served - it still tasted really good:))

Fruit Dip
2 pkg 8 oz. Cream Cheese
2 jars Marshmallow Fluff
2 tsp. Vanilla (optional)
Use blender to mix all ing. well. Serve with fresh fruit: Apples, strawberries, bananas, etc.

Lemonade Slush
3 c. Sugar
8 c. Hot Water
1 can Frozen Lemonade (or favorite frozen drink)
2 liter Sprite
Dissolve sugar in hot water, add thawed can lemonade, mix well and place in gallon freezer bag. Freeze. When ready to serve partially thaw, dump into bowl and pour Sprite over top. It will turn slushy. You can garnish with lemon wedges:)

~CAKE POPS~

These cake pops are the most HEAVENLY little treat!! I came across them on BAKERELLA's blog and fell in love. She is an amazing, creative cook that is very talented. Mine are nothing compared to her creations. So check out her blog for more than a dozen ideas on how to make and decorate these fun new "pops"!!

I went crazy and made three different batches in one day. I baked basic boxed brownies, boxed strawberry cake with confetti frosting, and a homemade red velvet cake with frosting from scratch. That is why my pictures are all different. The recipe for each of them are at the end. I made a lot of mistakes and my last batch of pops turned out the best so please read and follow all directions if you want to learn from my mistakes - lol!!

I wanted to get them all baked fast, so I used a 13x9 pan, two round, and two heart pans. But any cake pan will do :)

Basic Cake Pop Recipe:
1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can frosting (16 oz.)
Wax paper
1 pkg chocolate or vanilla bark (Kroger brand is good) or any color chocolate melts
Lollipop sticks

After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
Mix thoroughly with 1 can frosting. (I use the back of a large spoon, but it may be easier to use fingers to mix together. But, be warned, it will get messy. Also, you may not need the entire can of frosting, so start out by using almost the entire can and add more if you need to.) I will admit I used the whole can and it made them too soft and not really cake-like, made it harder to roll and keep ball shape. So I prefer to use about 3/4 of the can:)

Brownie Pops:
I used a basic brownie boxed mix and after cooling I stirred in a 8 oz. pkg of cream cheese. I would suggest not using the full package if you don't want them to be as gooey as mine were (they sure tasted yummy though). They were harder to roll, keep shape, and dipping was a challenge. So use 1/2 of an 8 oz. pkg!! These were my favorite dipped in the white chocolate.

Red Velvet Cake and Frosting Recipe:
1 cube Butter
1 c. Sugar
Beat together till fluffy.
2 Eggs - add one at a time and beat well.
Make a paste of 2 Tbl. Cocoa and 2 oz. Red Food Coloring (2 bottles). Add to above mixture.
Add:
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 c. Buttermilk
2 3/4 c. Flour (sifted)
Alternate the milk and flour.
Last add 1 Tbl. Vinegar and 1 1/2 tsp. Soda
Mix really well - Bake 300* for 25-30 minutes.
Frosting:
Cook together -
1 c. Milk
5 Tbl. Flour
Cream 2 cubes Butter and 1 c. Sugar.
Add 1 tsp. Vanilla to cooked mixture and than add to sugar mixture. Beat till smooth and creamy - this takes quite a long time to fluff up.

Some other ideas and instructions for making cupcake pops click on the link below!! Have fun and ENJOY!!
cupcake pops

I had to take a picture of my RED hands from rolling the red velvet cake balls. Luckily it didn't stain! This was from the two bottles of red food coloring you add to the batter. Mine were a little gooey from using too much of the frosting though.

Roll mixture into quarter size balls or egg shapes and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50) Melt chocolate in the microwave per directions on package. (30 sec intervals, stirring in between.)Dip the tip of your lollipop stick in a little of the melted candy coating and insert into the cake balls. (Insert a little less than halfway.)Place them in the freezer for a little while to firm up. This is a very important step...I learned the hard way and my balls kept falling off the sticks. My last batch I got fed up, went back to her blog and found out I was suppose to stick them in freezer. Wow did they work so much better!!

Once firm, carefully insert the cake ball into the candy coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered. Once covered remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Don't tap too hard or the cake ball will fall off, too.Place in a Styrofoam block to dry. During this process I was having problems and not enough sticks, so I just dipped mine into chocolate. I wanted them to look like speckled eggs so I added pink and purple sprinkles to the white, vanilla bark. If anyone knows a good trick to dipping chocolates and making them look pretty -PLEASE- let me know. Mine didn't look as well as I hoped!!

I packaged some of them in fun Easter/Spring bags and tied them with a pretty bow!

The fun speckled egg pops I put in flower pots with "Nest" Krispy Treats (basic rice krispy treat recipe that I substituted chow mien noodles instead of rice krispy's) and chick Peeps for decoration. These where a fun treat that we gave to our family and friends for Easter!!