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February is such a big month for us…..Valentine’s Day, Birthday and our Wedding Anniversary! February also “cries” for sweets! This month we’re bringing you Red Cake Balls, made with the popular Red Velvet Cake. We’re making it easy for you by starting with a “foolproof” Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Red Velvet Cake Mix…These little cake balls are not only beautiful but give you a satisfying piece of cake! Second, who could resist a delicious little Mini Cheesecake! They’re so pretty on a Valentine’s party tray or just a delicious sweet snack. And last, but not least, our recipe for 7-Up Biscuits. You won’t believe how light and fluffy these are. You’ll want to make them your secret recipe!!! Get out the spatulas and pans and celebrate February with us!!!
Red Velvet Cake Balls
1 (18.25-oz) box Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Red Velvet Cake mix
1 (16-oz.)
can Duncan Hines Cream Cheese frosting
2 (16-oz.) pkgs. Vanilla or chocolate Candiquik© Candy Coating
Prepare the cake as directed on the box and bake it in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cool completely and then crumble it into a large bowl. Stir in some of the cream cheese frosting. Start with ¼ cup and adding enough to make a soft dough. Adding too much will make the mixture too sticky. Refrigerate this dough for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. (this makes it easier to roll and will remove some of the stickiness) Remove from fridge and with hands or small ice cream scoop, scoop up about 1-inch of dough and mold into a small ball. Do this with all of the dough and place on a waxed paper lined tray. Place in the freezer for about 2 hrs to firm up. When almost ready to remove from fridge, prepare the candy coating according to the directions on the package. With a toothpicks, pick up each ball and dip into the candy coating, shaking off excess and placing on waxed paper until set. You can cover the toothpick hole with a little more icing. If desired, decorate with “drizzles” of melted chocolate. Do this by dipping just the ends of a fork and lightly go very lightly back & forth over each cake ball.
Tip: You can decorate the top of the balls with colored sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, finely chopped nuts, etc. Just be sure and decorate while icing is still wet. They look cute in mini cupcake papers.
Mini Cheesecakes
A sweet little dessert…So cute on a Valentine dessert tray! Easy!
2 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese,
softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
About 24 vanilla
wafers
21-oz. can cherry pie filling or strawberry preserves
Put mini cupcake liners in 2, miniature muffin tins. Place a vanilla
wafer, flat side down in each liner. Set aside. Beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs lemon juice and vanilla together with electric
mixer until light and fluffy. Fill cupcake liners about ¾ full with cream cheese mixture on top of vanilla wafer. Bake 350º for about 20 minutes. Cool completely and chill. When ready to serve, top each little cheesecake with a tablespoon of cherry pie filling,
making sure to include some cherries on top of each. Makes about 24
Like any other cheesecake, refrigerate between servings. (If there’s any left!)
7-Up Biscuits
2 cups Bisquick
½ cup sour cream
½ cup 7-Up
¼ cup butter (½ stick)
Pour Bisquick in a in a
bowl and cut in with a large spoon the sour cream. Add the 7-up, stirring to make a soft dough. Sprinkle some more Bisquick
on a cloth, parchment paper or waxed paper. Spoon dough out onto cloth and pat out to about 1-inch thickness. Melt the butter
in a 9-inch square baking pan or 9-inch iron skillet. Cut biscuits out with a 2½-inch biscuit cutter and place in melted butter, leaving
just a little space between. Bake in preheated oven 450º, for 12 minutes. Makes 9 biscuits. You can brush with melted
butter when they come out of the oven. Double recipe for 18 biscuits and bake in 9x13.
Note: Buy a 6-pack of 10-oz. bottles of 7-up and use a fresh one each time making biscuits. It is the “fizz” of the "fresh" 7-up that makes the biscuits rise. Also be sure the Bisquick is fresh. Sprite and Ginger Ale work for this recipe too.
To “line” a tube pan: place the pan on top of waxed paper; draw an outline around the pan and cut out the circle. Fold the circle
2 times, making a “cone” shape and cut out around the pointed end to make a hole for the center of the tube pan.
Note: Grease pan well. This “lining just makes the cake come out of the pan easier.