It’s that time of year again! Time to don puffy paint sweaters, put a tree in your living room, and fill your house with the classic sounds of the *NSYNC Christmas album. Don’t lie. I know you love it too.
In case you forgot how cool the late 90s were, here’s a picture to remind you.
There’s so much I love about this time of year. Last night we put two of those battery operated fake candles in the front windows and the soft, barely visible glow they gave off actually made me squeal a bit. It’s the little stuff really. Finding homemade treats in the break room at work, sneaking gifts into their hiding spots, torturing the dog by bellowing through an empty roll of wrapping paper. Not to mention, there are trays filled with cookies, candy, and truffles EVERYWHERE you go! Honestly, who couldn’t love this season?
Maybe you’re feeling a little more “Bah Humbug” than “Merry Christmas” these days. Might I make a suggestion? Make some truffles. They’re simple, festive, and of course, suuuuper delicious. I have a feeling they’ll get you right in to the holiday spirit. And if those don’t work, go to the thrift store and get a velvet turtleneck (bonus if it’s a candy cane print), put some blonde streaks in your hair, and find a copy of “Home for Christmas” on Craigslist. You just don’t get any more “holiday spirit” than that.
About the truffles. The filling is simply crushed Oreo held together with cream cheese. I used a mix of milk chocolate and white chocolate for the coating, not because I’m creative like that, but because I accidentally dumped a bag of milk chocolate into my already melted white chocolate. Thankfully, these are very forgiving, and I actually loved the combination. Don’t want milky brown coating? Dip them in white chocolate or ganache. Craving mint? Use Mint Oreos, add peppermint extract, or roll in crushed candy canes. These are a perfectly adaptable treat. Whatever combination you decide, these will be a welcome addition to any holiday cookie tray.
Oreo Truffles
Yield: About 4 dozen
Recipe adapted from Kraft recipes
Ingredients:
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 sleeves (about 3 cups) Oreo cookies
16 oz chocolate (white, dark, or milk all work fine, just don’t use chips)
Directions:
1. Using a food processor or a zip lock back and a rolling pin, finely crush the Oreos. Line a large baking sheet with wax paper.
2. Mix cream cheese and Oreos together in a large bowl. Using your hands, roll the mixture into 1 inch balls. Place balls on wax paper and place in refrigerator. Chill for about 1 hour.
3. When balls are almost chilled, melt chocolate in a large shallow bowl. You can either do this in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds for about 2 minutes, or over the stove top using a double broiler. When I first made these, I used melted white chocolate chips. Bad idea. Chocolate chips do not melt into a thin enough texture to dip the balls. Your truffles will look like they’re dipped in hair mousse. Exhibit A:
BUT, if you didn’t take my advice and you’re using chocolate chips there is a way to solve this problem. Simply add about 1/4 cup WARM milk to the chocolate and stir until smooth and thinned.
4. To dip, place an Oreo ball on a fork and dunk into melted chocolate. Turn to coat if necessary. Use a toothpick or chopstick to wipe excess chocolate from the bottom of each ball. Place on waxed paper. If needed, use a toothpick to score the outside of the truffle, separating the ball from any pooled chocolate. Allow to set (about 1 hour). Store at room temperature for a few days or in the fridge for up to a week.
If it has oreos, it has to be good!