Donut Patrol: Cake Balls

"I'll have a macchiato and one of those doughnut holes," I told the guy behind the counter at Coffee Groundz at 2503 Bagby. I didn't really want a doughnut hole -- what I really wanted was a large bowl of the fabulous Trentino dulce de leche gelato with chocolate that I saw in the ice cream case. But this is January, the month of resolutions, so I denied myself the ice cream and went for the innocent-looking little doughnut hole.

"It's not a doughnut hole," the barista informed me. "It's a cake ball." Cake ball, doughnut hole, whatever, I thought, tapping my toe. I pointed out one that was peanut butter inside and chocolate outside. I would have just popped the whole thing in my mouth, but he handed me a plate and a fork. So I cut into the little lump and discovered it was really dense inside. It was also moist and outrageously rich.

The barista handed me a card that read K&M Cake Ball Company. The company is having a promotion for Valentine's Day, selling a box of cake balls with cute little hearts on them for $22. The Cake Shoppe in Conroe sells cake balls too. The cake ball phenomenon is evidently a hot trend. Cake ball franchises will no doubt spring up all over town any minute now.

I imagine cake balls are sort of fattening. But I didn't put any sugar in my coffee to make up for the indulgence.