For something so simple, these cake truffles bring disproportional rewards. Give them as gifts and your friends will be eternally grateful. Start with your favorite brownie recipe, or just use a brownie mix. Crumble up the baked brownies, mix the crumbs with coffee frosting, then shape the mixture into balls. Dip the balls in melted chocolate and sprinkle a few chopped nuts over them for decoration. Serve the truffles in little paper cups for an elegant touch.
You can also make these into trendy "cake pops" by placing them onto a stick - see more about how to make cake pops here. If you really want to get fancy, you can temper your chocolate for a professional-looking glossy chocolate coating with the proper "snap".

See Also

Cake Truffles with Dulce de Leche

Tropical Cake Truffles

Panettone Cake Truffles

Ingredients

• For the Brownies:
• 1 brownie mix
• 1-2 eggs
• Vegetable oil (according to package directions)
• Water (according to package directions)
• 1 tablespoon instant expresso coffee granules
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• _____
• For the Frosting:
• 1 tablespoons instant coffee
• 1 tablespoon hot water
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 tablespoons cream
• 2cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• _____
• 12 ounces good quality dark chocolate
• 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped pecans

• Prep Time: 120 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes

• Total Time: 150 minutes
• Yield: About 20 truffles.

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch square cake pan by lining it with foil or parchment paper, or by greasing it with butter and dusting it with flour.
   
   
2. Place brownie mix in a bowl and add eggs, vegetable oil, and water according to package directions, following the instructions for thicker, cake-like brownies if possible. Stir in the vanilla, expresso powder, mini chocolate chips, and cinnamon if using. Mix well.
   
   

1. Pour the brownie batter into the pan, and place in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until just done (center of brownies should lightly spring back to the touch). Remove from oven and let cool.
   
   
2. Prepare the frosting: Dissolve the instant coffee in the hot water.
   
   
3. Beat the butter until fluffy. Gradually beat in the cream, vanilla, coffee mixture and confectioners sugar. Beat until fluffy and smooth, adding more confectioners sugar if icing is too soft, or a little bit more cream if it's too stiff.
   
   
4. Crumble brownies into a large bowl. Stir frosting into the crumbled brownies and fold them together with a spatula. Place mixture in the refrigerator to chill for an hour.
   
   
5. Roll the chilled mixture into 1-inch balls with your hands, and place them on a cookie sheet. Place the balls in the freezer for 15 minutes to harden.
   
   
6. Chop the dark chocolate and place in a microwave-safe bowl with the vegetable shortening. Microwave the chocolate for 20-30 second intervals on medium power, stirring in between, until chocolate is completely melted.
   
   

1. Remove the truffles from the freezer. Use a fork to lower a brownie truffles into the chocolate. Fully coat the truffle with chocolate and lift it out, letting excess chocolate drip off. Carefully slide the truffle off of the fork onto a piece of wax paper. Immediately sprinkle the truffle with a few chopped pecans. Repeat with remaining truffles.
   
   
2. Place truffles in mini muffin liners to serve.