Crispy Chocolate Surprise Balls #FoodieExtravaganza

Aaaah I'm back and for one of my favourites 'Chocolate'! Thank you Kathleen for my favourite Chocolate theme in time for me to pick up the pace on my food blog as well.

Kathleen Coe Clegg is the wonderful hostess of our October's theme 'Chocolate' over at Foodie Extravaganza. She is the owner of 'Fearlessly Creative Mammas', a wonderful blog sharing recipes from her home.

This time I wanted to do something similar to cake pops except it is presented a lot differently.

I enjoyed making this treat as I knew my little girl would love it.

She absolutely loved it and thinks I should sell it. She added that she thinks there is only one problem, no one who eats it will want to leave our home. She even tried to convince her grand dad (my dad) to have one. She said "It's homemade!" :D. She is a Chocolate fanatic just like her mom as you can see from her expression in this photo of the two of us sharing a bowl of layered ice cream at The Chocolate Room in Hyderabad, India two years ago (New Year's Day dessert).

With runs to the hospital to daily chores increased in the last weeks, I was totally unsure if this post would get uploaded at all. I am glad I was able to do it. I may get the opportunity to get the opinion of one or more kids today. I will let you know what they say about it. Trust me, if kids like a dessert or dish, it is good. They never lie. They are the best food critics in the world. Yaaay! I just got feedback from my darling little 5 year old Rayu. His response was a thumbs up and a fist bump! His parents ate most of the chocolate ball though. Thanks Zaira and Shaan. Love seeing my favourite neighbours and friends enjoy my homemade treats :)

The surprise here was meant to be the caramel but I am not sure it is! In my daughter's case the surprise is the Chocolate outer and inner as well. The Crispy element can be made crunchier in case you cook the puffed rice with a layer of powdered biscuits (Marie biscuits) and set to cool. For want of time, I could not. I will try it next time and let you know how it goes.

You need:

Basic chocolate cake:

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 11/4 cup all purpose flour, plain flour or maida
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 medium sized eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
• 1/4 cup of warm water
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp butter (for the cake balls mould)

Caramel sauce: See Mango soufflè with caramelised ginger and caramel sauce (no need for ginger here)

• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup hot water

Chocolate sauce and crisps:

• 1/2 cup of cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup of puffed rice or churmura (plain not salted)
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 tbsp butter

The Make:
Preparation: 20 minutes | Baking time: 30 - 40 minutes | Makes 8 medium sized chocolate balls

For the Basic chocolate cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C.  Butter a cake tin of any dimension. The size doesn't really matter as the cake will be deconstructed.

2. Mix the cocoa powder in the warm water until smooth. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt in a bowl and set aside.

3. Whisk the eggs until light and fluffy and add the butter to it and whisk well. Mix the egg mixture into the flour mixture until smooth.

4. Transfer to the prepared cake tin and allow to rest for 20 minutes before baking for 30-40 minutes until risen. Set aside to cool.

5. Deconstruct the cake into powder and add 1 tbsp milk and 1 tbsp butter and mix well till a dough can be formed. Set aside.

For the Caramel sauce:

1. Heat a pan and add the sugar to it on medium-high. 
2. Once the sugar melts and begins to turn into a golden brown, add the hot water and cover evenly. 
3. Once the caramel turns an amber colour, turn off the flame. The caramel colour will deepen once rested.

For the chocolate sauce with puffed rice:

1. Add the cocoa powder and warm water and heat lightly on sim whilst stirring. Once it starts to boil turn off the heat and mix the butter in well.
2. Add the puffed rice, mix well  and allow it to cool to room temperature.

For the Crispy Chocolate Balls:
1. Divide the cake dough into 8 parts. Roll each one into a ball and flatten it in your palm. Add a tsp of caramel sauce in the center and roll back into a ball. Do this until you finish all 8 balls.
2. Place the cake balls on a rack and pour the cooled chocolate sauce with puffed rice using a ladle over each ball. Allow it to cool at room temperature.
3. Transfer to the fridge.

Serve cold. Your kids will love this treat.

Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly food fest, where a group of bloggers all create and share a recipe around one of the monthly food 'holidays' as detailed in The Nibble. This month Kathleen from Fearlessly Creative Mammas is hosting and since chocolate day is October 28th, Chocolate is our theme. There are actually two other days that incorporate chocolate in October, the 14th is Chocolate Covered Insect Day and the 18th is Chocolate Cupcake day. We didn't want to get to specific though, so we will just say chocolate. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE. Now, check out these great chocolate submissions!

• Holy Mole Pork Stew from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Triple Chocolate and Cream Trifle from Fearlessly Creative Mammas
• 2 Kiss Cupcakes from Sneha's Recipe
• Chocolate Lovers Dream Cake from Cookin and Craftin
• Kahlua Chocolate Cake from Making Miracles
• Queen Anne Squares from Tara's Multicultural Table
• Hot Fudge Cheesecake Brownies from Cookaholic Wife
• Nutty Chocolate Fudge from Basic N Delicious
• Chocolate Blintzes from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Slow Cooker Chicken Mole from Caroline's Cooking
• Simple Chocolate Cake from Passion Kneaded
• Chocolate Rugelach from Hardly a Goddess
• Crispy Chocolate Surprise Balls from G'Gina's Kitchenette
• Marshmallow Turtle Bars from Food Lust People Love
• Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins from Not Too Shabby Gabby