From now until the end of the semester, most of us will be overwhelmed with to-do lists before we head home for Winter break. With the thought of finals ahead it’s easy to get stressed. Take a moment or two throughout the next three weeks to whip up a few simple dorm-friendly winter recipes that will give you a little pick-me-up.
Snowman Cake Balls
What you’ll need:
- Cake mix
- Frosting
- White vanilla melting chocolate
- Pretzel sticks
- Food coloring decorator pens
- Fruit by the Foot
- Multi-colored Lemon Head candies- pick out the orange ones
- Tooth picks
First, you’ll want to get started on the actual cake ball. To save time, buy cake mix and frosting at the grocery store. Follow the directions on the box to bake your cake. After you have baked your cake and let it cool, crumble it in a large bowl. Empty the container of frosting into the bowl with the crumbled cake and use your hands to mix.
On a disposable baking sheet roll the cake and frosting mixture into balls varying in size (small, medium, and large). Place in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes.
Once the cake balls have frozen, you’re ready to dip them in melting chocolate. You can pick up melting chocolate at the party store and use the microwave to melt the chocolate; follow the directions on the package. Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl making sure to stir every minute or so to smooth the chocolate. After the chocolate is completely melted, take your cake balls out of the freezer.
Working quickly, dip each ball into the melted chocolate and place back onto the baking sheet. Continue until each cake ball is fully covered in white vanilla chocolate. Place back in the freezer for about 30 minutes or so.
After the melted chocolate has hardened, take the cake balls out of the freezer. Using three different sizes, stack the cake balls (starting with the largest on the bottom) from bottom to top and stick a toothpick through the center to make sure your snowman’s body doesn’t fall over.
Now it’s time to decorate! Cut pieces of Fruit by the Foot into long, thin rectangles that resemble scarves. Wrap them around each snowman’s neck. Push a pretzel stick into each side of the middle cake ball to resemble twig arms. Draw on two eyes and buttons using the food coloring decorator pens (you can also just use gel icing). Lastly, cut orange Lemon Heads into triangles to resemble carrots and stick one in each head as a nose.
That’s it! These are such a cute and delicious way to get into the holiday spirit! They’re also so much fun to make. Grab a few friends and take a break from studying to make snowman cake balls.
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White Chocolate Peppermint Bark
What you’ll need:
- White vanilla melting chocolate
- Peppermint extract
- Candy canes
Start by unwrapping and placing about 12 candy canes into a plastic bag. Smash and crush the candy canes until they’re broken into little pieces.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the white vanilla chocolate as in the Snowman Cake Ball recipe. Remember, stir every minute or so to make sure the chocolate is smooth. Once the chocolate is completely melted, mix in ½ teaspoon of peppermint or plain mint extract.
Spread the melted chocolate onto a disposable baking sheet, but be sure not to spread it too thin. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top as soon as possible. Push any stray pieces into the chocolate. Place in the freezer.
After the bark has been freezing for a while, break into little pieces and enjoy!
Keep reading each week of the month for more winter recipes you can make in your dorm! Warm, homemade hot chocolate is coming your way soon!