Unfortunately, this is not an original idea. I first saw this idea on surprise, surprise: Pinterest. The idea of a Red Velvet Cheeseball made my sweet tooth ache.(My recipe was adapted from this one and has only a couple of additions). I recently had a Clothing Swap party I was going to attend where every one was to bring an appetizer of some sort.
Well, it isn't so easy to run out to the store anymore without toting a almost 17 pound baby in a car seat and a heavy diaper bag. So, I began searching my fridge and pantry for items that I did have. I saw a box of the red velvet cake mix (that I had purchased at Christmas time for Red Velvet Cake Balls that I never had time to make-I wonder why) and just knew that I had to make this recipe.
Red Velvet Cheeseball
4 oz fat free cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup butter (softened)
3/4 c red velvet cake mix
1/4 c powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I hate the taste of box cake mix and vanilla extract helps take away that "from the box" taste)
1 tablespoon Splenda brown sugar
1/2 c mini chocolate chips
2 tablespoons of white chocolate chips (chopped)
Assorted cookies and wafers -graham crackers, Vanilla Wafers, ect
Beat the cream cheese and butter til smooth. Add in the red velvet cake mix, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and brown sugar and beat til smooth. Then, add 1/8 c of mini chocolate chips and the white chocolate chips into and mix until well blended in. Line a small bowl with plastic wrap. Pour the red velvet mixture out into the bowl and then wrap it up. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or even overnight (which is what I do).
Put chocolate chips on a shallow dish and unwrap the red velvet ball. Roll the red velvet ball in the chocolate chips. Place on your serving plate and surround with your assorted cookies and wafers.
Note: The original recipe was double this one. I didn't need a huge cheeseball and felt that this size was absolutely perfect. I even made a different cheeseball from the other 4 oz.
