The Ultimate Gender Reveal Cookies!

My favorite gender reveal dessert would absolutely be SugarDerby's Gender Reveal Chocolate Chip Cookies. How do you keep the inside color a secret without covering the pastry entirely in frosting? Cover the colored cake with cookie dough instead!

Gender Reveal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: SugarDerby

INGREDIENTS:

• Cake Ball Dough
• 1 box of white cake mix (prepared as directed; may need eggs, oil, etc.)
• 1 container of cake icing (I used vanilla as a plain base, but K suggests trying butter cream or an almond-y flavor)
• Red or blue food coloring
• 1 package of chocolate Almond Bark or candy melt mold
• 1-2 tsp shortening
• Cookie Dough
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter-flavored shortening
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Mix white cake ingredients as directed. Add 10-20 food coloring drops and mix until consistent and dark enough in color.

2) Bake as directed in a 13"x9" pan. Cut off edges (since they tend to be "crispy" and the cake balls should be nice and fluffy). I also shaved off the top and bottom surfaces since they came out brown and I didn't want the cake balls to be brownish-blue.
3) Crumble the cake in a large bowl with a fork.

4) Use 1/2 to 3/4 of a container of frosting and blend together into the cake crumbs with the fork (or your hands) until smooth and consistent.
5) Roll into small cake balls and place on wax paper. You can use a small melon scooper to make them all the same size, but since the cake mix is kind of sticky, I found it easier to just use my hands and approximate the size.

6) Break off half of the chocolate candy melt package and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and then microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time until smooth. Microwave about 1 tsp of shortening for 1 minute and stir into coating to help keep it smoother longer. You will have to heat the second half of the package about midway through the dipping process.

7) Use a fork to dip and coat the cake balls in the candy melt. Flip the ball onto the wax paper and then smooth the fork edges with a little more coating. (Optional: you can freeze the cake balls for 20 minutes first so they're firmer during the dipping process.) You'll have a lot of extra cake balls, so you can cover some with sprinkles to serve individually.
8) Freeze the chocolate-covered cake balls for ~1 hour while you begin prepping the cookie dough.

9) For the cookie dough, combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, shortening, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla with a mixer.
10) Add in one egg at a time, beating after each addition. Slowly add in flour mixture, using a spatula to scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
11) After using the mixer, manually stir in the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon or hands.

12) Once the cookie dough is done, take a scoop of cookie dough (maybe 2 Tbsp worth), place a cake ball in the middle, and place another scoop of cookie dough on top of it. Roll the 3 layers into a sphere that completely covers the cake ball.

13) Bake at 350 degF for 11-14 minutes until top is lightly browned (bake longer for a crispier texture). Place on cooling rack until firm. Check the bottom of the cookies to see if any of the cake balls are showing; consume those first. ;)

Count to 3 and have everyone take a bite at the same time! Get ready for a series of squeals, both on taste and the big reveal. ^_^