Brownie Bites

I love chocolate, and in my opinion, fudgy brownies are the best kind of chocolate you can get.  I also love the idea of cake balls, but baking a cake, breaking it up into crumbs, then mixing that with frosting, and FINALLY shaping it into balls, only to have them be fragile seems like way too much trouble to me.  Thus was born the brownie bite.  It's technically a brownie ball, but I like the sound of brownie bites better :D  Here's how you do it:

Step 1: Gather your materials (brownie mix and ingredients, pan, cooking spray, small scoop, parchment paper, chocolate candy coating.)

I like Kroger brand because it has a microwaveable tray :)  Easy Peasy!

Step 2: Mix up your brownie mix and bake as directed.

Step 3: Let cool until the brownies are still warm, but not so hot that they burn your hands.  Get your small scoop and start making balls by rolling in your hands.  Place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Step 4: Freeze the balls at this point, for as little or as long as you'd like.  I froze them uncovered for 2 days and they were fine.

Step 5: Melt the chocolate according to the directions on the package.

Step 6: Drop the balls, one at a time, into the chocolate and roll 'em around.  Cover those bad boys up!

Step 7: Place ball on the fork and shake off the excess chocolate by bouncing the fork on the edge of the tray.

Step 8: Place on the tray.  If needed, dab a little chocolate on the ball to cover up where the fork held it.

Step 9: Put sprinkles on while the chocolate is still wet, and then let them dry.

And you're done!!

If you'd like to put them on a stick, dip the tip of the stick in chocolate first, then press into the ball.  Let it dry this way before dipping the whole thing in chocolate.

If you'd like, place them in treat bags, and give them as gifts (that's what we did for my daughter's class Valentine's Day party.)  I put the pops in a cute little vase for the teacher :D (Picture at the beginning of post)

I had some leftover chocolate for dipping, and strawberries, sooooooo, yeah, I couldn't resist :)  I probably did it wrong, but here's how I did it:

Grab the strawberry by the stem and make sure to keep the leaves out of the way.

Roll the bottom of the strawberry in the chocolate.

Wipe the excess off the bottom of the strawberry and place on a plate (or a parchment lined cookie sheet).

Mmmmmm, Chocolate....  ;P

***I fully recognize that any amount of intelligence or creativity I have is a gift from God.  What I have been freely given, I freely give.  But if you choose to use these tutorials to sell items from, I would ask that you consider joining the Let Justice Flow Initiative, where you commit to donating either 10% of the total purchase price of each item, or designate a specific item for sale where the entire purchase price is donated to an organization that helps fight injustices around the world.  There are specific groups listed to give you an idea on the LJF page.  And feel free to snag the LJF button and put it on your page or etsy site.  Thanks!!***