Blog Appétit

Did someone say chocolate covered strawberries?

Can’t believe Valentine’s Day is already almost here and Steve and I’s 7 year anniversary (but really, where has the time gone?). Steve and I’s first Valentine’s Day together we thought we’d be fancy teenagers and go to melting pot for dinner and dessert. Now believe it or not, Steve was not a dessert fan when we first met. I know what you’re thinking..and I almost thought it was a deal breaker myself too until they brought out the chocolate pot and I watched Steve knock out an entire strawberry field dipped in chocolate.

No joke. The man eats for a family of four, but when it comes to chocolate covered strawberries he eats for a village. 

While most may have been turned off, I knew it was love at first sight. A man who knows my own heart…covered in chocolate.

So ever since then, it’s been a tradition of mine to make Steve homemade chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine’s Day every year but this year I decided to do something a little different.

I added cake.

Yes, CAKE!

After I saw the new Ghirardelli Strawberry & Chocolate Squares I was inspired to put my own personal baking spin on them and that’s when these cake balls were born. 

I say born because they only lived to be about 3 hours old once Steve tried one. Yup, I think I found his new favorite Valentine’s Day treat;)

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake Balls

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes                                      Yields: 24 Cake Balls

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Ingredients:

•      1 box of strawberry cake mix + ingredients on back of the box
•      3/4 jar of white frosting
•      Ghirardelli Classic White Premium Baking Chips
•      Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate Premium Baking Chips
•      Heart sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

1. Bake the strawberry cake as instructed on the back of the box. Set aside and let cool completely.
2. Once cooled, scoop cake into a bowl and crush into crumbles. Add frosting and mix until completely combined.
3. Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.
4. Using a cookie scoop, scoop tablespoon size balls of cake dough into your hands and roll into a ball. Place on baking sheet and stick in freezer for 30 minutes. (This will help your dough from coming loose when covering in chocolate)
5. While dough is freezing, place baking chips in a microwaveable safe bowl and melt according to packaging.
6. Working with one chocolate at a time, drop balls into the bowl and use a fork to cover them completely. Once covered scoop up with the fork and tap up and down on the side of the bowl to let extra chocolate drip off and smooth.
7. Place ball on baking sheet and use a knife to slide off the fork if needed.
8. Top with sprinkle and place in the refrigerator until chocolate hardens.
9. Enjoy!

 P.S. Apologies my recipe plug-in isn’t working so just plugging in the recipe into the post.

What’s your favorite Valentine’s Day sweet to make? Anyone else a chocolate covered strawberry lover?