Valentine’s Day (or other holiday) treats don’t get much easier than this truffle recipe. If you can smash cookies and cream cheese together, you are most of the way there. Add a little chocolate and some sprinkles, and people will really be impressed.
Meatballs on Monday and truffles today? I guess I am really having a ball this week in the kitchen…
Wow. I can’t believe I just wrote that.
I am beginning to wonder about myself and my mental state.
Last night as I was baking I had the strangest song stuck in my head. A song I have not heard in I don’t know how long. I cannot fathom what drew this song from the depths of my memory last night. Sometimes a snippet of conversation will spark a song lyric or I will hear something on the radio that sticks, but this? I don’t have the foggiest idea. Are you ready for it? I don’t imagine a lot of people who are younger than I will even know this song.
W-h-y?
And of course, it’s never the whole song that gets stuck; it is just one part that repeats over and over. I had the line about “…wearing your dresses way too tight” and “…the day my mama socked it to the Harper Valley PTA,” and that was it. Over and over. I grew up in a Dolly Parton loving family, and I think I remember watching her TV show as a kid, but why on earth she visited me in the middle of making key lime cheesecake last night, I will probably never know. Does anyone else even know this song?
Anyway–just a little snapshot of my mind and its occasional strange detours and musings–and now back to truffles.
Oreos are beloved by so many, and they are so versatile. Of course they can be eaten after dunking in a glass of milk or twisted apart with the cream eaten first, but I have also used them in a lot of dessert variations–Oreo pops, Oreo truffles, Oreo Cheesecake, pie crust, ice cream topping, Thanksgiving turkeys etc.
These truffles are great for Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day just seems like a truffle sort of occasion, doesn’t it? With a change of sprinkles, they can be made for any other holiday too. And even more, now that Oreos come in so many different flavors and seasonal varieties, you can change the insides to your liking too. Today, I just used regular Oreos, but I have also made these truffles with mint Oreos. Yum. A friend of mine who is a red velvet fanatic was just telling me yesterday that there are red velvet Oreos out right now. Those would probably be great smashed up for truffles too. Go crazy and see what kind of delicious truffle variety you can concoct with just a few ingredients.
Easy Cookie Truffles {3 ingredients, no bake}
Ingredients:
- sandwich cookies (16 ounces)–whatever flavor you prefer but not double-stuffed
- 4-8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
- 8 ounces of melted chocolate of your choice for dipping (I often do a 50/50 blend of semi-sweet and milk chocolate with a 1/2 T. or so of Crisco for glossiness)
- optional: sprinkles or extra cookie crumbs for garnish
*I have seen gluten-free sandwich cookies in stores. I think those with gluten allergies could enjoy this treat too.
Instructions:
- Line a baking sheet or similar pan with wax paper or parchment. Set aside.
- Finely crush all of the cookies with a food processor. (If you don’t have a food processor, you might try putting the cookies in a heavy zip top bag and crushing them with a rolling pin or hammer. You want fine crumbs.)
- In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the cookie crumbs and the 4 to 8 ounces of softened cream cheese. The easiest and fastest way to do this is with your hands. Of course, I wear gloves because I am prissy about having Oreo crumbs under my finger nails but you do what works for you. If you used a food processor to crush your cookies, you could just add the cream cheese right in the processor. (The source of this recipe listed 4 ounces as her preferred texture for the truffles, but most versions of this recipe use 8 ounces. Today I happened to have a partially used brick of cream cheese to use up, and it was 6 ounces–they were still great!)
- Use a cookie scoop, melon baller, or your hands to form the dough into small balls and then place them on the prepared pan. (I used my cookie scoop that holds 1 and 1/2 tablespoons and yielded 32 truffles.) Many people comment that the truffles are quite rich, so you want to keep them small.
- Place the pan of cookie balls in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Do not skip this step; it is crucial for keeping the truffles together during the dipping process. (I have kept these in the freezer for more than a day before dipping, just because of my schedule or unexpected things coming up.)
- Melt your chocolate low and slow with a double boiler or in the microwave. When ready to dip, remove the cookie balls from the freezer. Drop one ball at a time into the melted chocolate and then use a spoon to cover it with chocolate. Next use a fork or a pair of tongs to lift the ball out of the chocolate; tap excess chocolate off by tapping the utensil on the side of your bowl. Do not pierce the truffle with the fork or a toothpick or anything; it may fall apart. Use the very end of the fork tines to lift the truffle and then carefully place it back on the baking sheet. If you want to garnish the truffle, immediately sprinkle extra cookie crumbs or sprinkles on top. Move quickly to finish dipping before the truffles become soft. If needed, return the pan to the freezer for a few minutes before continuing.
I added half a tablespoon or so of Crisco to the chocolate for a shinier gloss. 
- When finished dipping, place the truffles in the refrigerator to set. Optional: You can melt some additional chocolate in another flavor to drizzle over the truffles once they have set.
I added a white chocolate drizzle to some of the truffles. - Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer.
Source: Chef-in-Training
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