Chocolate lovers will be excited to hear that Cracker Barrel carries American Heritage Chocolates for a limited time, and we've got a fun tutorial for using them to make cake ball topiaries!
“This post was sponsored by American Heritage Chocolate as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received complimentary product to facilitate my review.”
Sometimes I get a little overwhelmed with how fast technology and life in general is moving and I have to take a step back and revert to old fashioned comforts and familiar nostalgic foods and places to get back to my zen. Like after a stressful day, I just want to do some hand-sewing, watch something old and classic, and eat chocolates, but the authentic chocolates that are filled with rich spices, made from unique recipes and aren't so mainstream.
In fact, I could add "Eat at Cracker Barrel" to that list of comforting favorite ways to decompress. Their welcoming fireplace and burning fires always put me at ease. And oh, those muffins and biscuits! But back to the chocolate. Lucky for all of us Cracker Barrel fans out there, American Heritage Chocolate is now available at Cracker Barrel's 630 stores in 42 states!
I was lucky enough to get my hands on the AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate Bites, which are available only for a limited time at local Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores. Let me just try to describe these little delicacies for a moment. These sticks are firm and dense and coated in what looks like cocoa powder. Once you bite into it, you can instantly detect the spices as it all melts in your mouth. The American Heritage Chocolate products are certified Kosher and contain spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, orange, and red pepper. Everything is made from natural ingredients without preservatives and made from 18th century recipes, so you're really getting a taste of something authentic and historical!
If you're a chocoholic, get in the car and make your way to Cracker Barrel. You'll find these chocolate sticks in a charming keepsake muslin bag, which makes them easy to share or give as a gift! I saw these sticks and thought they would make cute mini trunks for some cake ball topiary treats I made this weekend!
The first step is to bake some cake (and any box of mix will do) and once it is cooled, crumble it up into a bowl and add a standard size jar of frosting. Combine in your mixer or with a spoon by hand until thoroughly mixed and dense.
Form the batter into cute little balls, varying the sizes so that in your final topiary, the bushes will get smaller as you go up the branch. You also need to cook something to go inside the potted base for the topiaries. I used a standard box of brownie mix in these oven-safe silicone pots, but you could also do more cake in actual terracotta pots.
In the meantime, you can get your coatings ready. To make the moss, I used about two cups of graham cracker crumbs and an entire tube of green food coloring. If the color isn't mixing well with the crumbs, you can mix a small amount of vodka to the dye. I used 3 teaspoons of vodka, and it mixed up splendidly. *Note that these crumbs do not get cooked, so don't serve these to children!!
The green chocolate coating is simply green candy wafers melted down at 30 second increments until creamy. Spear the cake balls with your American Heritage Chocolate sticks, then dip them in the melted wafers before coating them in the graham crackers.
The bottom (largest) bushes can be poked with a regular cake ball stick since they are going right into the brownie. Now move fast while you poke the 2nd and 3rd bushes on top, before the wafer chocolate gets too hard and you are unable to poke the chocolate sticks in without cracking the shell.
To add a little more color, I made a few fondant roses using a silicone mold. You can apply them to the bushes with more melting chocolate, holding the roses in place until the chocolate hardens.
And there you have some fancy topiary bushes! Totally edible and quite charming, especially if you have a garden-themed shower or brunch to take them to. These would also be fun to put around park-themed birthday cakes or use as decorations for other romantic occasions!
All made possible by Cracker Barrel's American Heritage Chocolate Bites!
Connect: You can connect with American Heritage Chocolate on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. You can also follow Cracker Barrel on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Buy it: You can find the American Heritage Chocolate at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations.
Win it: One person will win an American Heritage Chocolate Prize Pack! ARV $109.95! FIVE winners!
Open to the US only, ages 18 and up. Ends on April 29th at 11:59 PM EST.
Enter using the Giveaway Tools form below. Good Luck!
Julie says
Nice Cake Design. It is also nice gift.Thanks for this great recipe
Annamarie V says
Where did you find the pots? We are having a garden party baby shower for my Niece and these would be so cute.
Camille says
I found them on Amazon for $9.99! Search for WIlton terra cotta baking cups if this link doesn't work: http://www.amazon.com/415-4120-Wilton-Shaped-Silicone-12-Count/dp/B010N5R6DU?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01
Jan Lee says
We do have one in our town, yay! 🙂
Kristine Brislin says
Very creative love this
Anabel Carcana says
The Cake Topieries are just perfect for a Garden Party.
ellen beck says
11701 University Avenue
I-35/80 & University Avenue
Clive, IA 50325-8215 is our closest one
Dana Rodriguez says
Those are so cute and creative.I love them!
Mindi Eden says
What an ingenious idea! Super cool!
Tracey barfield says
so cute I am going to give them a try thanks
Regina Elliott says
What a great idea ,where could I find these pots??
Camille says
On Amazon for $9.99! Search for Wilton terra cotta baking cups or follow this link: http://www.amazon.com/415-4120-Wilton-Shaped-Silicone-12-Count/dp/B010N5R6DU?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01
Barbara Brooks says
What a great shower idea, my niece is planning a woodland forest theme shower for the new nephew this could be a great table favor,
Deborah D says
I wish I was this crafty.
Angela Warren says
So cute, very creative
Christina G. says
This is a great idea and I've never seen it before. Thanks for sharing!
Sarah L says
Those are beautiful desserts. Way too much work for me. I'll just eat the chocolates....
sharon bugar says
I think what you made is so beautiful and I checked for a cracker barrel in my area.
Patricia Mingozzi says
These cakes are so cute. Would love to make them for a party.
Marnie G (Derrick Todd) says
These look really fun. Almost too good to eat.
April Monty says
This is awesome! I'd love to try it,I've been trying out different kinds of cake,I'm loving this
abbi says
How fun!
Bonnie esken says
Thus is such a must try idea
Nancy says
What a cute and delicious project. It would be a smash at any special occasion!
Linda Manns says
These are so cute. I just love this idea. Thank you for sharing the recipe and the know how. I also want to try this chocolate. I am a chocoholic.
jennifer peters says
I love this idea. I love to bake but I'm not too artsy. I make a great cake but the finished product looks.. LOL this should be fun
Linda Manns says
I would love to try this recipe with this chocolate. Thank you so much for sharing
Sarah L says
These are something I'd never take the time to make. Look good, but too much work.
Jerry Marquardt says
These look very delicious and unique. I will be following your instructions to make them really soon
.
Stephanie Ludwig says
Cute idea!
Penni says
These are adorable and so unique! Love 'em!
tina mccallum says
These are so cute! Perfect for spring! I'll have to try to replicate these!