This past Sunday was my first event as a Boulder Brands Ambassador, working at a gluten free expo for The Healthy Villi in Norwood, MA. It was a fun experience, getting to talk to so many people who share the same food sensitivities. As someone who is passionate about making sure that the people around me and across the country have food, it floored me to see people from all walks of life- newly diagnosed, small children, you name it- walk into a room and not be afraid to eat. I’ve had that fear, and it was a great environment where that fear melted away for a few hours.
After I left, however, I was left with some leftover product that I wanted to experiment with. With a few gatherings with friends on deck for the week, I wanted to make a fun treat and decided that Cookies and Cream Cake Balls were the way to go. They have passed the test of the gluten-free and the glutened alike, the goal for any gluten free recipe I prepare 🙂 Want to make your own? Here’s the key!
Cookies and Cream Cake Balls
(makes approximately 30 cake balls)
Ingredients:
1/2 package Glutino Chocolate Creme Cookies (approximately 10 cookies)
1 1/2 packages Udi’s Double Vanilla Muffins (6 muffins)
1 can gluten free white, vanilla, or cream cheese frosting (Duncan Hines frosting is gluten free!)
1 bag gluten free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life chips are certified gluten free!)
Instructions:
(1) In a large mixing bowl, combine the cookies and muffins, crushing until you have a bog ol’ bowl of crumbs. I used a wooden spoon to achieve this task, you can also get in there with clean fingers and break everything up.
(2) Add enough frosting (I added approximately 1/2 the can) to moisten the crumbs enough that the resulting “dough” held shape in a firm ball. The amount of frosting needed will vary based on humidity and altitude- start small, and add as needed!
(3) Form crumb/frosting into walnut-sized balls on a baking sheet lined with foil or waxed paper. When balls are formed, allow to chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
(4) Just before the chill period is up, temper the chocolate. Placing a glass bowl over a pot of simmering (NOT boiling) water, melt 2/3 of the chocolate chips until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat, and stir the chocolate to cool it to the touch. Once cool, add the remainder of the chocolate chips and stir until a smooth mixture is formed. The resulting mixture, once tempered, should remain hard even if not refrigerated. Magic!
(5) Remove chilled “crumb” balls from the refrigerator. Using toothpicks, a pair of forks, or clean fingers, cloak the balls in chocolate. Place the chocolate covered cake balls back on the foil or waxed paper. When all balls are covered, place them back in the fridge to set.
Voila! The finished product:
Looking forward to making other things from my Boulder Brands surplus- stay tuned!
Let me know if you make these and like them! What are your favorite recipes you’ve created from found ingredients?
Amma Marfo 