St. Patrick's Day Mint Chocolate Cake Truffles

You wouldn't know it by looking at me, but I am part Irish. The 50% Hungarian part tends to cover up the 12.5% Irish part in the looks department. Though I grew up with far more Hungarian food and culture, I still love celebrating St. Patrick's Day. I think it's so popular in the U.S. because so many Americans have Irish roots. The treats I made this year to celebrate definitely don't have Irish roots but they're delicious and festively decorated, you could say they're Americanized :)

You may know them as "cake balls" but I just like the way "cake truffles" sounds much better. These have sort of been a craze for a few years now. They are by no means difficult to make, just a little time consuming because you dip each treat in candy coating. I started making them about 3 years ago so I've had time to figure out what works, and what doesn't, by trial and error. My tips have been included with recipe instructions below :)

Another one of my other favorite St.Patrick's Day treats to make is Chocolate Guinness Cake, I'll have to share that recipe too, it's one I've made several times and not just for St. Patrick's Day! Being a vegetarian, I'm not a huge fan of corned beef and cabbage. I'm actually trying to recall what in the world I ate when I visited Ireland in 2006...beer I guess!

What foods do you make in honor of St. Patrick's Day? Do you have any family traditions to celebrate the holiday?

St. Patrick's Day Mint Chocolate Cake Truffles, makes 50.

1 box chocolate cake mix (water, oil, eggs in whatever quantity the mix calls for)

3/4 tub store bought chocolate frosting

1 teaspoon mint extract

1-2 packages white almond bark, or candy coating

Green food coloring

Crisco

Mini Cupcake Papers

Bake cake in 9x13 pan according to box directions. Once completely cooled, dump cake into a large mixing bowl. Add frosting and mint extract. Mix until well combined. 

Form dough into small balls and arrange on a cookie tray, they can be placed very close together to save room. (Don't make these too large if you want to fit them into mini cupcake papers, you still have to coat them in almond bark so they'll get even bigger yet.) Clear a shelf in your freezer and put the tray in until balls are firmly chilled.

Once cake balls are firm enough, start to melt your almond bark according to package directions, I prefer microwave or stovetop. While melting, leave cake balls in the freezer to keep firm. If they are too soft they'll fall apart and make a mess in your melted almond bark.

Dip each ball into the melted almond bark. I like to use two toothpicks to do this. I spear the ball with one, dip it into the bark (using a spoon to scoop the almond bark over the ball), let it drip and solidify for a bit before placing it on a wax paper covered surface to dry. I use a second toothpick or my finger to pull the speared toothpick out. This leaves a hole in the top of the cake ball, which I try to immediately fill with extra almond bark, I use my finger to dot it on top. If you don't, sometimes the cake mixture will ooze up through the hole. Plus it looks prettier completely covered. Continue this process until all cake balls are covered with white almond bark. (If you have issues dipping make sure your cake balls are still cold/firm enough and your almond bark is still warm/melted enough.)

Add a bit of green food coloring to the remaining almond bark. You'll see it will seize up because it doesn't like liquids added to it. Add a little Crisco at a time, until it's back to the desired consistency. Spoon the green almond bark into a plastic ziplock sandwich bag and snip a very small corner. Use this as a piping bag to decorate the truffles with green stripes by making a constant back and forth motion over the cake balls. Once dry, place into festive cupcake papers. Enjoy!