Chocolate Cake Balls

• Makes about 60-65 balls
• Chocolate Cake
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• 200 g cream cheese
• 100 g butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• Flavor
• 2 tsp rum essence
• Glaze
• 360 g chocolate (white, milk and dark) 
•  
• Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Butter the sides and bottom of a 8x8 inch baking pan.
  2. In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients. Add water, vinegar, vanilla extract and oil and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool completely.
  3. Prepare the cream cheese frosting: Combine the cream cheese with butter and sugar. Mix well until creamy.
  4. Crumble the chocolate cake into a large bowl. Add the cream cheese frosting and rum essence and mix well to combine.
  5. Take teaspoons of mixture and roll into balls. Lay the balls into a baking sheet and refrigerate for several hours to chill or put them in the freezer for no more than 1 hour like I did. 
  6. Melt few pieces of chocolate  over bain-marie and roll balls in chocolate. Lay on wax paper until firm. I used a fork to dip and roll the balls into chocolate. I used 3 types of chocolate (90 g white chocolate, 90 g milk chocolate and 180 g dark chocolate) and melt 90 g at a time. I also rolled the white ones into coconut flakes but that is optional.  
  7. Refrigerate until ready to serve. They are absolutely divine.

  Nutrition facts 1 Chocolate Ball - Calories:86, Fat:4.9 g, Saturated Fat:2.8 g, Unsaturated Fat:0.0 g, Carbohydrates:9.8 g, Sugar:6.9 g, Protein:1.0 g, Cholesterol:8 mg, Calories from Fat 44, Sodium 27 mg, Vitamin A 2%, Calcium 2%, Vitamin C 0%, Iron 2%, Nutrition Grade D-, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
   

Warm and Spicy Baked Pumpkin Donuts

For Donuts:
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ¼ teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/3 cup applesauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
For Coating:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven 350 F.  Grease a donut pan and set aside.
2. In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt and spices together and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together applesauce, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and milk until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixture and stir until just combined, taking care to avoid overmixing.
4. Carefully spoon the batter evenly around the circles of the donut rings. Fill each nearly to the top. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until donuts spring back when gently pressed.  Turn donuts out onto a wire rack and allow to cool for a few minutes.
5. While the donuts are cooling, melt butter in one bowl and combine the sugar and cinnamon in another.  When donuts are still hot, use a pastry brush to spread a thin layer of butter onto each donut before dipping each into the cinnamon sugar, turning and swirling to coat. Use your fingers to sprinkle the sugar more evenly if necessary. Serve immediately.

Makes 12 donuts
Nutrition for 1 plain donut without topping: Calories: 119, Fat: 1g, Carb: 29g, Fiber: 1g, Sugars 14g, Protein: 3g
Nutrition for 1 donut with cinnamon sugar topping: Calories: 169, Fat: 5g, Carb: 33g, Fiber: 1g, Sugars: 18g, Protein: 3g