I had to rush out of town on family emergency...I was totally a wreck and left my just baked choc cuppies on the table, covered only with a dishtowel. Actually I left them open and my FIL kindly covered them up with the first thing he found...a clean ktchen towel. In hindsight I should have taken the time to pop in freezer but the thought didn't even cross my mind at the time. I now have 12 regular and 18 mini's that are stale.

My question...can I at least salvage these as cake balls...adding frosting and some Torani flavored syrups and and making cupcake balls/pops? I really hate to toss...this recipe has 1.5 cups of cocoa, lots of butter...
Will they taste stale ya think?

I guess I should post this in a thread of "lessons learned" messages.

Well, you can't beat yourself up too much... an emergency is an emergency and that takes first priority. How old are the cuppies? If they are a 5 to 7 days, they might taste stale as well as actually being stale. You will have to sacrifice one to find out. If it seems fine, then I think cake balls are a good alternative and go for it!

Hope all is ironed out in your world now, and you can get back to breathing regularly.

Blessings.

Yeah.. if they don't taste stale then theyw ill be fine as cake balls. Crack one open and find out.

The rule in my kitchen: "When in doubt, throw it out".

If it's enough to have you concerned, then, to me, it's enough to just pitch 'em.

Thanks everyone...you are right, they are only cupcakes! Grandpa is doing fine and that is what matters!!!

I did crack one open and the insides were still nice and moist/tender, the tops were kinda hard.I really love this recipe that I use, it is the Barefoot contessa's chocolate cake from food tv. I beheaded the little guys and put the rest in a bowl to make cake balls. I will sample a small amount with the icing to taste test before I use the whole recipe of icing tho! Lesson learned, it's only cake!

Since you say they are nice inside if you haven't already tossed them I say they will make great cake balls. Will those be for family? Cut off the tops & go for it

I know everybody will think I'm crazy, but I love my cake scraps when they get chewy. I'll let them sit on the counter for a day or so and just let them dry out. I like my cake nice and moist, but I love my cake scraps chewy. Weird, huh?

Maybe just use them to practice a new decorating technique/take pictures? That way you would not feel so bad throwing them out afterwards.

Laura you crack me up!

Glad your grandpa is ok - that really is the most important thing.

ME TOO!!!! I enjoy some fresh scraps immediately after trimming, but then I just wrap the rest loosely in a paper towel (never a plastic bag!!) and put them in a kitchen drawer for a day or two. They get so nice and chewy (especially any edge bits that were crispy before). They are the BEST that way! Mmmmmm!!!

Makes me sad to think Rocketmom might have thrown away those chewy tops. LOL