Showing posts with label cookies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cookies. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Oreo Truffles

Every once in awhile, the hubs actually comes home with a request for a specific food item. Since it is so rare to get this kind of input, I always do my best to make it happen. In this case, he was working a job in Granite City and he got to know one of the plant personnel pretty well. She is very interested in cooking and all things “food” and told him about a request she had from a family member to make Oreo Truffles for an upcoming wedding.

Now keep in mind that my husband really doesn’t have a sweet tooth. Generally, if he asks me to make something sweet for him, it is so he can take it to work to share, but he rarely eats any of it himself. In these cases, I try to put him off because I don’t enjoy putting time into making something that I know he’s not going to eat. So, when he kept bringing up the topic of the Oreo Truffles, I finally had to break down and make them.

It was a very simple recipe, with three ingredients. Yep, that’s right. THREE.

Here you go....

In a food processor, combine one (standard size) package of Oreos and one (8 ounce) brick of cream cheese, and pulse until the cookies have been reduced to crumbs and are well blended with the cream cheese.

Scoop the mixture into balls (I used my smallest cookie scoop) and roll between your hands for a more uniform shape. If they are too soft to handle, place the balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet and pop them in the freezer until they can be handled without making you look like the perpetrator of an Oreo massacre.Once the balls are all shaped, melt about 16 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate and dip the balls in the chocolate to coat. Top with something pretty (I used white sugar crystals but you could use cookie crumbs, sprinkles, sanding sugar or nothing at all, if you’re a purist), and then put the sheet back in the fridge or freezer until the chocolate sets.Then, place the tray in front of your husband and anyone else in the vicinity, stand back and watch the carnage.

I pulled these out last night while the hubs’ buddy MG was visiting and we were all hanging out on the deck. (MG was the best man at our wedding and one of our son’s favorite “uncles”) MG has a firm rule about eating. Once he has a beer in his hand, no more food is going to pass his lips until he is done drinking. Well, he broke that rule last night.

Have you ever had one of those moments where someone tastes food that you have made, and you are watching them. You see an expression come over their face that makes you wonder if something has gone horribly wrong....did you accidentally use salt instead of sugar......how old were the eggs that you used.....do beer and chocolate turn to acid when combined in a man’s mouth.....

And then, he points at you, nodding gently and licking his fingers, and through a chocolate mustache says, “You’re an evil woman.....”

Yes, that’s when you know you have achieved nirvana. Its easy enough to please someone with chocolate. But take a carnivore who is not a huge fan of sweets, and definitely doesn’t like to eat when he is drinking....and bring him to his knees with one bite. Yeah, I call that success. And yes, he took a container home with him.

Now, my co-workers are blessed with what I could salvage from the fray last night, and we’ll see what they think. But come on...its chocolate...and Oreos....really, its kind of a no-brainer.....

Friday, January 15, 2010

Peppermint Meltaways

When Ginny arrived for her visit, one of the very first things we did was make these cookies. She made the dough ahead of time and brought it with her, and let me just tell you what....these little babies are just damn tasty. When they say "meltaways", they really mean it. Pop one in your mouth and it disappears into a pool of tasty, minty goodness. We scheduled the visit to make candy for our annual candy trays that we give to friends and businesses we work with throughout the year....but nobody got these cookies. We were greedy fools and kept them all for ourselves. You should, too. Seriously.
Peppermint Meltaways

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch

Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 to 3 drops red food coloring, optional
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies (we used peppermint sugar instead of candy canes)

Directions:
In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Combine flour and cornstarch; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Shape into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.In a small bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, milk, extract and food coloring if desired; beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cookies; sprinkle with crushed candies. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 3-1/2 dozen.