Oregon Transplant: Candy Cane Oreo Truffles

Merry Christmas!

I'm home alone this Christmas day. The hubby is working, and the family is getting together tomorrow. I'm ok with having a quiet holiday. I slept in this morning, and I've been simply lazy. Just taking a quality me-day. I don't have much on deck for the day, save for some easy Christmas Day yoga and making some Chinese food for dinner. I fully plan on popping in a "Friends" DVD, giving myself a pedicure, and Skype-ing with my West Coast family later on tonight. And, oh yes, I plan on snacking on some leftover Candy Cane Oreo Truffles.

These kind of reminded me of my Mint Truffles from last year but better. This year's upgrade is not made with Mint Oreo's, but with regular Oreo's and crushed-up candy canes. Oh boy. I greatly prefer this version. Not to mention they look a lot more fancy than last years.

These are the last Christmas cookies I have to share. In addition to Salty Peanut Butter Cup Bark, Rolo Turtles, Christmas Cake Batter Cookies, and these truffles, I included the traditional Snickerdoodles and Christmas Crunch Popcorn in my cookie spreads I sent to family. The cookie platters were a huge success this year. Lots of happy cookie eaters.

Gosh, this Christmas season went so fast. Before I know it, the hubby will be fighting me to take the Christmas tree down. In case you were wondering, my tree doesn't come down until January. It's tradition for me to have a Christmas tree on my birthday which is the 30th. I usually allow the hubby to take it down the first weekend after New Years. With all those Christmas/Birthday presents, I think I deserve a tree! :)

I do have a few tips for making Oreo Truffles. I've been making them for a year now, and I've made several batches throughout the year. They are a highly requested item in my family. To make the process go a lot easier, I suggest starting with softened cream cheese. It just seems to blend with the cookie crumbs better, and helps bind the crumbs more cohesively than cold cream cheese. I find my truffles crumble a lot more when I use cold cream cheese, making the dipping process a lot harder. Another tip I have is not to worry about excess melting chocolate. I usually place a truffle in the dipping chocolate, use a spoon to cover the truffle in chocolate, and then use a toothpick to pick the ball up out of the chocolate. I let the excess drip off a bit, then I place the ball on parchment paper. Once the balls are set, I use a pairing knife to trim off the excess chocolate. Works like a charm. My last tip? Dip about 4-5 balls at a time, and then decorate. You don't want the chocolate to set before you get a chance to sprinkle the topping on.

This is a seriously easy treat to make, I highly recommend them.

I hope everyone is having a lovely holiday today, filled with warm fires, delicious treats, and loved ones gathered round :)

Merry Christmas!

Ingredients (makes ~20 truffles):

1 package of Oreo cookies (~36 cookies), crushed

4 candy canes, crushed

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 (16 oz) package of melting chocolate

toppings: white icing, peppermint bits

Directions:

1. Place cookie crumbs, candy canes, and cream cheese in a food processor. Pulse until well combined and cookie crumbs form a large ball of dough.

2. Using a 1-tbsp cookie scoop, scoop out balls onto a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.

3. Melt chocolate according to package directions. Dip balls into chocolate, letting excess drain off. Place dipped truffle on cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Before chocolate sets, drizzle truffles with icing and sprinkle with peppermint bits.

4. Allow truffles to set for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Trim excess chocolate off with pairing knife. Store truffles in an airtight container.

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