Pumpkin Cake Truffles

Chefs tend to be very conscious of food waste.  Of course, nobody likes wasting food, but in an industry where margins are already low, it's extra important to eliminate waste.

The last few years saw the rise of the "cake pop" or "cake ball."  These cute, bite-sized creations are just a baker's way of getting rid of leftover cake and frosting.  There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but you should know that as a home baker you are perfectly able to re-create these often pricey treats at a low cost.

All you've got to do is crumble together leftover cake scraps and frosting, roll it into little spheres and get some chocolate for dipping.  There is no exact ratio, just wing it.

Today, I used leftover pumpkin spice cake and cream cheese frosting.  Use any flavor combinations you like.  If you have these two ingredients left-over after a cake assembly, just freeze them until you're ready to use.

If you know how to temper chocolate: do it.  If not, no sweat, just keep all of your ingredients cool before dipping and store the finished product in the refrigerator or freezer so your chocolate shells don't get too soft.