Food for Friday Week - 24

Last week we celebrated "one of the angels" birthdays at the lake. This scrumptious cheese tray was our prelude to a boat ride complete with a picnic at sunset while we watched the most amazing show put on by three eagles along the shoreline. It could not have been anymore perfect!!

For the occasion I made cakeballs since they would be bite size and easy to eat on the boat instead of birthday cake. Now I know cakeballs have been overdone but there are still some out there who haven't had the pleasure of tasting these heavenly delights. I have a friend in PA who has a daughter getting married in the fall. She invited me to the shower in July and I suggested I make cakeballs. She asked me what they were and when I told her she said send the recipe and she would also make them. So....JET my good friend.....here is how cakeballs are done:

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cakeballs

Ingredients:

Cake Mix

Can of Icing

Chocolate to coat - either almond bark or chocolate chips

Directions:

You can use any flavor of cake mix you like. I chose strawberry for this celebration but I love lemon dipped in white chocolate....the sky is the limit!!

Make the cake as directed on the box.

Cool, then crumble the cake into the large bowl of the mixer. Paddle the cake for several seconds until it is evenly crumbled.

Mix in about 1/2 of the can of icing and turn the mixer on. Add enough of the remaining icing until the cake forms a "dough". Not too much. I never use a whole can.

I use my small Pampered Chef scoop to form the balls and place then on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment.

Then I put the balls into the freezer for at least 10 minutes to harden. I you skip this step the balls will crumble while coating so DON'T skip this step. Longer in the freezer is fine too.

Shave the dipping chocolate into fine chards for easier melting. Put the chocolate into a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minutes. Stir for several seconds. Replace in microwave for 15 second intervals, stirring thoroughly between until the chocolate is smooth.

Next I have a special way to dip the balls which I found on the internet through another blog site....forgot which one again....sorry but thanks for the tip, it is a good one. I have made hundreds of cakeballs and this really is a nice tip on how to get a professional smooth exterior to the product.

Dip the balls halfway in the chocolate and then set them on the wax paper cookie sheet.

Let the chocolate harden completely.

Now holding the bottom dip the top into the chocolate and let the excess drain then turn right side up and sit on the cookie sheet.

Perfectly dipped cakeballs.

I had some small boxes from a wedding left over so I lined the box with a waxed food paper then put two cakeballs into each box.

Then I closed the boxes and wrapped them with raffia.....ready for our picnic in the boat.

These are so pretty and make such an impression. They are so easy to make and so delicious too!

I had a few extra so I made a special "Bigger" box for another friend who was having a birthday that week too.

Happy Birthday Carol.....you are a blessing! The picture below are my two angel friends on the lakehouse deck with quilts I made for their special days!!