Merry Christmas, everyone!!
I’m squeezing one more holiday treat in here before everyone’s New Years Resolutions kick in and suddenly Pinterest is full of kale and weird cleanse recipes. It’s a sad time, people. Let’s hang on here, in this safe place where you can eat all the truffles you want.
I don’t really do the health-based New Years Resolution thing. Even today, when I literally have truffles up to my elbows, I’m looking ahead to January 1st and thinking, yeah, that’s probably still going to be happening. More kale and more yoga are totally welcome, but truffles will be here too. Not sorry about it.
However, if you are one of those New Years Resolution-makers, these truffles are totally worthy of your last hurrah. And to go out with a bang, I made two kinds of cookie-inspired truffles: Oreo truffles and chocolate chip cookie dough truffles. They are both fabulously chocolate-y, rich, and totally satisfying in a way that only a giant ball of chocolate can be. I made these as Christmas gifts for my friends this year, but we’ve been demolishing them at an astonishing pace here in the Green household as well. I just can’t decide which one I like better, because I want to jump in a giant vat of both and live there forever.
The Oreo version is incredibly simple and so much more than the sum of its parts. You combine crushed Oreo cookies, cream cheese, and vanilla, cream it all together, and roll it up and dip it in chocolate. You can get fancy and do a little drizzle action if you want, but totally not necessary. The cookie dough version is a little more complicated, but still totally an easy breezy ordeal. You whip up an eggless cookie dough and then – you guessed it! – roll it up and dip it in chocolate. I used milk chocolate with white chocolate and dark chocolate drizzle for the fun and childhood-reminiscent Oreo truffles, and dark chocolate for the super rich cookie dough truffles, but feel free to use whichever kind of chocolate you prefer and mix it up however you want! These recipes are delicious, decadent, and totally forgiving if you (like me) are not super coordinated or artsy. They just scream the holidays to me, and I hope you enjoy them just as much as we did.
- 1 lb Oreo cookies (from 3 rows or sleeves)
- 8 oz cream cheese, brought to room temperature
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 lb milk chocolate
- ½ lb white chocolate, for drizzling
- Grind the Oreos to a powder using a food processor. Combine cookie crumbs, softened cream cheese, and vanilla using a hand mixer until they are thoroughly mixed and there are no white streaks from the cream cheese. Roll into small balls (about 1” diameter) and place on a baking sheet that has been lined with wax paper. Chill for 45 minutes in the refrigerator.
- When the balls are chilled, line a second baking sheet with wax paper (you’ll need about double the space once the balls are dipped). Melt the milk chocolate in a double-boiler, stirring to keep smooth. Using two forks, dip the balls one at a time in the melted chocolate and coat them thoroughly, then lift out and place on the wax paper-lined baking sheet.
- In a separate, smaller double boiler, melt the white chocolate until smooth. Using a fork, drizzle the white chocolate over the milk chocolate truffles. Return to the refrigerator to harden, at least 1 hour.
- When the chocolate has hardened, you can store truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator, separating layers of truffles with sheets of wax paper.
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 ½ lbs dark chocolate
- In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together using an electric mixer until the mixture is creamy. Add in the vanilla, combine. Beat in the flour a little bit at a time, then add the milk and combine. Finally, add the mini chocolate chips and chopped pecans, stirring to mix in thoroughly. Roll your fingers in flour to avoid sticking, and shape into balls (1” diameter). Place on wax paper-lined baking sheet, and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Line a second baking sheet with wax paper. Melt the dark chocolate in a double-boiler, stirring to keep smooth. Using the 2 forks method, dip each cookie ball one at a time into the dark chocolate, making sure to coat completely. Return the coated truffles to the wax paper-lined baking sheet and return to the refrigerator to chill, at least 1 hour.
- When the chocolate has hardened, you can store truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator, separating layers of truffles with sheets of wax paper.
