December 15, 2011

Cranberry Eggnog Cakeballs + Improv Cooking Challenge

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It's another Improv Cooking Challenge!  For the month of December, the ingredients were cranberries and eggnog.  A little more challenging than last month, I admit.  After an initial, kind of complicated idea (which I still may attempt at some point), I came up with this rather randomly while perusing Pinterest one day.



Did you ever make cakeballs?  If so, do you feel the need to eat the cake crumb/frosting mixture out of the bowl before, during, and after forming it into cakeballs?

Am I the only one?  I've never noticed anyone else talking about it.  I'm not one to normally eat raw batter or dough of any kind.  I don't even like cookie dough ice cream.  SO why did I eat close to 1 cup (or maybe more) of frosting/cake crumbs?  Oh and there were Craisins in there too.

White chocolate and dried cranberries just seem to go together.  Don't you think?



Another quick note:  I know that white candy melts seem to be the going trend when it comes to making cake truffle-type desserts.  I prefer vanilla flavored almond bark.  It melts a little bit thinner, so it's easier to cover the dough.  Also, it dries just a bit slower.  Therefore I had time to add the sprinkles before the coating hardened.  After dipping two to three cakeballs, top them with sprinkles.  If you do a lot at a time, the coating will harden and the sprinkles won't stick.

Don't ask me how I know this.

I was happy to eat the mistakes.


Cranberry Eggnog Cakeballs
makes approximately 40

1 box cake mix (I used white.)
1 cup eggnog
1/3 cup oil (I used half applesauce/half oil.)
3 eggs

1 can cream cheese (or vanilla) frosting
1 cup Craisins

1 package white chocolate candy melts OR white chocolate chips

Sprinkles

Bake the cake according to package directions.  The ingredients above are what I added.  I replaced the water with eggnog. 

Let the cake cool, then crumble it up.  Stir in the can of frosting and the Craisins until you have a thick dough.

Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet.  Cover and freeze overnight.

Melt the candy melts (or white chocolate chips or almond bark) over a double boiler on the stove.

Dip the frozen cake balls into the candy coating and then place on wax paper to set.  Decorate with sprinkles before the candy coating hardens.  I like to store these in the freezer because I think they taste best that way.

Also being shared at:
Sweet Treats Thursday
Stuff of Success
These Chicks Cooked
Sweet Tooth Friday
Friday Food
Seasonal Inspiration
Sweets for Saturday
Strut Your Stuff Saturday 
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Sweet Indulgences Sunday 

14 comments:

  1. Woo! We both made cakeballs, haha. Our approach was actually totally different though, cool to read your perspective. I also liked your hint on the bark because I didn't have time to decorate mine before the chocolate set

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  2. I've never made cake balls, despite the fact that i bought Bakerella's book like a year ago! But I'm a huge dough eater, so I think eating it straight sounds perfectly acceptable!

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  3. Hello fellow ICC blogger. Cakeballs are my new favorite thing and yours look wonderful. Come visit and check out our cookie. Also be sure to register to win the wonderful book we are giving away. Today is the last day. Look for the Southern Fried Women post.

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  4. I assumed everyone ate the cake crumb/frosting mix while making cake balls...I think it is mandatory.
    Good tip on the bark instead of candy...hadn't thought of that.
    Yours turned out beautiful!

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  5. What a fabulous idea for the Improv challenge...these cake balls look delicious!

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  6. These look delicious! I like white candy or almond bark - as long as someone's making it for me!

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  7. I agree, the vanilla flavored almond bark is so much better to use on cakeballs. These look delicious, and they are so pretty!

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  8. Using eggnog as the main liquid in cake mixes sounds so tasty. These turned out really cute...so festive!

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  9. 2 cake ball recipes for this challenge! I love that they are so different between the blogs. just goes to show that there are so many options with the 2 ingredients

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  10. I've always wondered how cake balls worked! I thought the cake was somehow baked as a ball lol, i didn't realize the assembly was after baking!

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  11. So cute! Sounds like the perfect combination of holiday flavors. Please drop by Sweet Indulgences Sunday and share your recipe.

    http://www.wellseasonedlife.com/2011/12/sweet-indulgences-sunday-35.html

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