Cake Ball Petit Four Combobulations

Can you believe Valentine's Day is exactly one month away? It seems like just when we have recovered from one holiday another one is knocking at the door. Where does the time go and will it ever slow down?

In celebration of the upcoming day of love, I thought I would share a recipe with you all. After all, you will probably have to send treats to school with your kids, so why not make it homemade this year?

Cake balls are the all new rave. If you haven't heard of them you can see some other examples here and here.

In honor of Valentine's Day, I decided to put a little spin on them and make them more like petit fours (small cakes) in the shape of hearts.

Ingredients:

• Box of cake mix - I used red velvet
• 1/2 a container to a whole container of icing - I used Cream Cheese icing; and yes, I used the whole tub (I LOVE icing! - it is really quite amazing I don't weigh 400 lbs)
• A package of Vanilla or Chocolate Almond Bark - I used both but you can also buy colored confectioner's candy (do not add food coloring to your almond bark!) at your local craft store (small town living has its disadvantages in that the closest Hobby Lobby is a good 45 minutes away - so we make due with what we have)
• Sprinkles
• Parchment paper

To make these yummy, albeit very rich, little goodies, here's what you do:

1. Make cake according to box directions.
2. Before it has a chance to cool, dump cake into a large bowl
   
   
   
   and crumble using a fork.
   
   
   
3. Then add your desired amount of icing and mix well.
   
   
   
4. Now here is where you can be smarter than I was. I shaped each heart by hand (which needless to say was a very messy, time consuming project that ultimately stained my hands red).
   
   
   
   By starting with a ball and then using my pinkie to make the crevice, gently placing them on parchment paper, and pressing into my desired shape, I eventually got this.
   
   
   
   You could, however, use a heart shaped cookie cutter (if you can find it) to shape your cakes (oh how I wish I knew where mine was).
5. Once you have your heart shaped cakes, place them in the freezer for a couple of hours (or until the kids go to bed and you can do the next step in peace).
6. Using a double boiler, melt your candy coating/almond bark. (If you don't have a double boiler, you can create your own - directions to follow).
   
   
   
7. Gently dip each cake in the candy coating and place it back on the parchment paper to cool.
8. Next is the fun part - DECORATE! I melted some chocolate almond bark and drizzled it over the top. Before it had a chance to dry, I sprinkled with pink sprinkles.
   
   
   
   I think they turned out kind of cute!
   
   

How to make your own double boiler:

1. Take a pot and a heat-safe bowl that fits snugly into the pot without it touching the bottom.
   
   
   
   
2. Fill the pot with an inch or two of water. When your heat-safe bowl is placed in the pot, you do not want it to touch the water.
   
   
   
3. Now, boil your water and THEN place the heat-safe bowl into the pot and melt your chocolate.
4. Make sure you watch the level of your water in the pot because it will evaporate which will burn your pot and possibly the chocolate.

What special things do you do or make for Valentine's?