Monday Munchies ~ Oreo Truffles

I have a friend who is one of the most amazingly talented young ladies I have ever met. She’s a Dean’s List student who has already been accepted to Graduate School for Elementary Education for Special Needs Children. Along with her dedication to her studies and future plans, she also makes some kick ass goodies. Last year she introduced us to Oreo Balls. Since then I've changed up the recipe just a tiny bit and renamed them to Oreo Truffles. Once you bite into these chocolaty yummies you will want more than one… I PROMISE!!

Oreo Truffles

 Ingredients:

1 (16 oz.) package Oreo cookies

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese

1 (24 oz.) package white almond bark, or good-quality white chocolate chips

Optional: shortening (to thin out the chocolate)

Optional: 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips for drizzling

Method:

In a food processor, mix together the Oreos and cream cheese until they are well-blended. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can crush the Oreos in a large Ziploc bag, and then stir/mix in the cream cheese by hand.) 

Remove, and then shape the dough into little balls about 1″ in diameter. Chill the balls in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. (Or pop them in the freezer for 15 minutes.)

Meanwhile, melt the almond bark (or white chocolate chips) in a double boiler or carefully in the microwave. If it is too thick, feel free to stir/melt in a tablespoon or two of shortening to thin it out. Then begin dipping each of the balls by dropping them one-at-a-time into the chocolate, and then carefully removing them with a fork (let the excess chocolate drip through the prongs), and then set them to dry on wax paper or aluminum foil.

 Optional chocolate drizzle: Melt 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave or double-boiler. Then spoon mixture into a pastry bag with a small tip, and use it to pipe your favorite lines or pattern on the truffles. OR, spoon the mixture into a small Ziploc bag, seal it, and then cut a tiny hole in one of the bottom corners and use it to pipe your design. OR, simply dip a fork in the chocolate mixture, and swish it back and forth over the truffles for a fine drizzle.

Other variations on this recipe include:

Ingredients:

Switch the chocolates, so that you dip the truffles in dark/milk/semi-sweet chocolate, and then drizzle with white chocolate

Use mint Oreos for “mint truffles”

Add in 1/2 tsp. of your favorite extract to the Oreo mixture (almond, hazelnut, etc.)

Add in 1 tsp. ground instant coffee for “mocha truffles”

Toppings:

Finely crushed Oreos

Finely crushed peppermints (for “mint truffles”)

A coffee bean (for “mocha truffles”)