Cake Balls Gone Turkey!

So I saw these pictures from this blog featured on foodgawker.com, and I just had to try it for myself.

I wanted an excuse to make cake balls anyway because it just wasn't right for the people of Libya to not partake in the wonderful delights of cake ball-ness.

So I set of to make these little gems. But like everything I do here, things have to be just a little different. I just can't seem to make a recipe here just like I did in the states. But I guess it's good because it forces me to expand my culinary repertoire. They actually do have cake mixes here, Betty Crocker brand, too. But they don't have cans of icing. So I had to do some tweaking on that.

I always like a moist cake ball, so I thought a more liquidy icing would work nicely in these balls. I found the recipe listed below, and I thought it would be nice fit with my yellow cake. I think it turned out pretty well, but it wasn't exactly like cake balls made at home. They reminded me of Texas Sheet Cake, because the icing is very similar in taste.

I tried my hand at decorating these in the turkey fashion, and they came out alright. I think I could have done a little better if I had given it a little more thought. I also think it would have been better if I had some actual candy coloring. Icing coloring just doesn't color chocolate (or bark) as well. So my colors were off. But I wanted to use candy instead of royal icing because I'm not a huge fan of royal icing. I thought, the more candy coating, the better.

Here is a plain cartoony turkey. No eyes, just beak and tail feathers.

This one I managed to get eyes on.

I tried one or two with the little hangie thingie, but I ran out of pieces.

Perhaps I'll try these again and, perhaps, they will come out looking more like turkeys. I'll keep you posted.

Brownie Frosting
from allrecipes

• 6 tablespoons milk
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 dash vanilla extract
• 
  
• Combine the milk, butter, and sugar together in a saucepan and bring to a boil; allow to cook at a rolling boil for 30 seconds and immediately remove from heat. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla to the milk mixture and stir until the chips are completely melted. Pour immediately over warm brownies.