No Bake Red Velvet Oreo Trufles

The big move keeps creeping closer! Now that we found a place and rented a moving truck -- it's all about wrapping up the little things. But it is always the little things that add up and make you a little bonkers. On top of that I am co-hosting both a bachlorette party and a baby shower in the same week. ::breathe in and breathe out:: Thankfully, I have a few celebrations squeezed in. Last Thursday we had an end of the semester/we are going off to internship celebration at Napa Flats. I was excited because I heard really good things about this place. I got the blackened red fish, tried a bit of the poblano mac n' cheese and had the Ghiradelli brownie.

The dinner was super fun. But I cannot say the same about the food. It was a total let down. The food was completely bland and eh -- I am pretty sure I could have bought a frozen fish, chopped up some vegetables and still got something yummier. Which is absolutely pathetic for a restaurant of the caliber they claim to be.

I tasted the poblano mac n' cheese -- which was decent. The concept sounds amazing and I will probably try to make it for the hubby -- but it was a white mac n' cheese with maybe a hint of poblano. It was delicious only in that it was mac n' cheese. I finished with the brownie topped with cookies n' cream gelato. It was good but not amazing -- but who am I to turn down a free brownie?!?

So its dessert time :) I was a big fan of the seasonal Red Velvet Oreos that were released for Valentine's Day. And took down a pack in less time than a normal person should ever do. I thought I would never see them again, but a little while ago the local Target had a close out sale on them! Well, I could not just let them go to waste. I knew I had to use them to make truffles and spread the joy that is Red Velvet Oreos to others. Sure enough everyone who tried them, loved them. I think the words used were yummy, delicious, and super moist. Dear Nabisco - I really hope you bring these delicious cookies back! Until then you can still buy these on Amazon.

RED VELVET OREOS TRUFFLES

From Home is where the Boat is  

INGREDIENTS 

1 (10.7 oz) package of Red Velvet Oreos
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
10-12 oz. of vanilla almond bark
1-2 tbsp. of olive oil
Red sprinkles

DIRECTIONS

Making the Oreo Truffles:
First crush Oreos. Here is what you can do:

• The  Oreo pack comes in three columns. I placed each of the these "batches," one at a time, in the food processor to get a nice, even consistency of crushed Oreo. If you put too many Oreo in the food processor at once, you are likely to get lumps of cookie that are not crushed. 
• If you do not have a food processor- you can crush the Oreos by placing each batch in (1) in a blender or (2) in a freezer size Ziplock back and crushing them by hand or with a rolling pin.

After each batch was crushed, I dumped the crushed Oreos into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment. Once all the Oreo have been crushed and placed in the bowl- add in the cream cheese. Mix until well combined and a dough like consistency has formed. Place in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. Roll into 1 inch sized truffles. Place in freezer for 15 minutes or in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Dipping the Oreo Truffles:
In the meantime, melt either chocolate bark or candy melts according to package directions. This is my secret, once the chocolate is melted I stir in the vegetable oil. This makes the chocolate have a smoother and shinier coating :)

Now, I am going to tell you how I get perfectly dipped cake truffles but if you have your own method that works-- you are more than welcome to do it that way--this is just whats worked best for me. Once chocolate has melted, take an Oreo truffle and while holding the top half, dip the bottom half into the chocolate, then dip a cake pop stick into the chocolate (about 1/2 inch) and push into the center of the truffle until about, no more, than half way through. Let cool. This will make it much easier to dip the rest of the truffle- otherwise I have found that the truffle either gets stuck in the chocolate or falls off the stick.

Once cooled, dip the top of the truffle and a little part of the bottom, that was already coated into the chocolate. Immediately cover with sprinkles and allow to cool by sticking into flower foam. Once dried- holding the truffle with one hand, gently twist (while pulling slightly down) the cake pop stick with your other hand, and pull the stick out.

If you love these check out my No Bake Oreo Truffles and No Bake Golden Oreo Truffles.

Enjoy,

Snickers Brownie Bombs

Yesterday we made the almost 6 hour trek to Louisiana to have a belated celebration with the in-laws. Although the journey was LONG it was a super nice and sweet get together. I am always a fan of spending time with family. Not only was it a fun way to extend the holiday celebration and enjoy deliciously amazing food (I mean YUM), we got to celebrate two engagements and a wedding (that we unfortunately had to miss this past September). I got to meet the new hubby and the two new fiances :) One of which I had been chatting with on Facebook and so it was great meeting her in person (and it's always great meeting someone you personality meshes well with). I wanted to be creative with our congratulations, so I made them this:

I really love doing cartoon like drawings. I used to do it all the time when I worked at the daycare. I would decorate these posters that told the parents what their kids did that day. Then when I came to work at Texas Children's hospital, I got to continue with my creative side. I would make cards, magnets, and posters for kids I work with. It was really fun. And since starting graduate school, I got to expand on my creative side by baking, cooking and blogging but I haven't really gotten to do much drawing, so it was nice to get back into it. I really hoped they liked it!

Since it was technically after Christmas I wanted to make my last two dessert, not so much Christmas only type desserts but more holiday inspired dessert but those that you can eat at any time :) I have been seeing these brownie bombs/brownie bites on Pinterest lately and wanted to make them because I love bite sized dessert ideas like truffles and cake balls. Have you ever heard of brownie bombs? They are basically a sweet treat, covered in a brownie layer, dipped in chocolate and garnished with sprinkles or mini-chocolate chips. I chose to use Snickers, but what is great, is you can switch it out with any other treat you like (Hershey kisses, Milky Ways, etc.).

SNICKERS BROWNIE BOMBS 

Adapted from Skinny not Skinny

INGREDIENTS

Preheat Oven o 350F Degrees

1 family size boxed mix of fudge brownies
18 oz. chocolate bark or candy melts
1 tsp. vegetable oil 
26 Snickers bites or 13 fun sized Snickers (cut in half) or other candy of choice
Sprinkles or mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Bake brownies according to package directions for "fudgey" brownies. Allow to completely cool. Once cool, cut the edges of the brownie off (i.e., the dry parts). Cut the remaining brownie into 1 1/2 inch squares.

Roll each brownie square into a ball. Continue kneading, pressing and rolling the brownie in your hand until the the dough is smooth. Flatten the dough and place a piece of Snickers in the middle. Gently wrap the brownie around the piece of Snickers. Then roll between the palms of your hands until the entire piece of Snickers is covered and the ball (or bomb) is smooth. Repeat with remaining brownie squares.


Dipping the brownie bomb:
Melt either chocolate bark or candy melt according to package directions. This is my secret, once the chocolate is melted I stir in the vegetable oil. This makes the chocolate have a smoother and shinier coating :)

Now, I am going to tell you how I get perfectly dipped brownie bombs but if you have your own method that works-- you are more than welcome to do it that way -- this is just whats worked best for me: 

• Once chocolate has melted, take the brownie bomb and while holding the top half, dip the bottom half into the chocolate, then dip a cake pop stick into the chocolate (about 1/2 inch) and push into the center of the cake ball until about, no more, than half way through (this may be hard because the stick may hit the Snickers -- just try your best). Let cool. This will make it much easier to dip the rest of the cake ball. Otherwise I have found that the cake balls get stuck in the  chocolate or falls off the stick.

Once cooled, dip the top of the brownie bomb and a little part of the bottom, that was already coated into the chocolate. Shake off excess chocolate. Garnish with sprinkles (while chocolate is still wet). Allow to cool by sticking into flower foam. Once dried, holding the brownie bomb with one hand, gently twist the cake pop stick with your other hand and pull out. 

Enjoy,
Chika

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites

How was your Christmas morning. I was excited to share with the hubby the presents I got him (i.e, the video games). BUT for the first time, I did not get the hubby what he wanted. And I could tell. He usually loves it and starts smiling, this time, he kinda half smiled. And was more excited about the things I put in his stocking-- seasonal food items that I thought he would enjoy. He really liked the Pepperidge Farms Caramel Apple Cookies I got him. He ate those up. And I loved the deep fryer I got (to make doughnuts and tempura) and the new clothes! Can't wait to wear them! Finally got some Chevron pattern outfits! It was a nice Christmas.

He really thought I got him paper ;)

I have never been a huge fan of peanut butter. Wait let me correct that. I love peanut butter in desserts but I just have not been one to eat peanut butter independently. Like how I eat Nutella ;) I know a ton of people who can just eat peanut butter by itself...I am not one of those people. But that has all changed. I have discovered dark chocolate peanut butter! mmmm...that I can eat by itself, but what I love more? Is to scoop animal crackers into it and EAT! Who knew that dark chocolate peanut butter existed?!? I did not. Weird thing is, the hubby did and said he tried it a long time ago? WHAT?!? Well, I am glad I found it and then stumbled on this recipe for dark chocolate peanut butter bites! They were so easy to make and so yummy to eat! Trust me, if you haven't had dark chocolate peanut butter...do so...quickly!

DARK CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BITES

Adapted from Uni Homemaker

INGREDIENTS 

Preheat Oven to 325F Degrees 

2 c. of dark chocolate peanut butter (I used Skippy but you can also use Peanut Butter & Co. brand)

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour

1 c. holiday chips

DIRECTIONS

Line a mini-cupcake pan with liners (24 mini-wells in each tray). Set aside. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together dark chocolate peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Once smooth, scrape down sides of bowl and stir in flour. Remove from stand mixer and fold in holiday chips. 

Using a tablespoon cookie scoop, spoon batter into each mini baking cup. Sprinkle extra holiday chips on top. Bake for 10-12 minutes (on bottom rack of oven) or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake these bites -- they will taste very dry if you do. Allow to cool before eating.

Enjoy,

Chika

Mint Truffle Crinkle Blossoms

Major....fail. I am probably the worse blogger in history. I do not seem to get the concept of blogging regularly, right? Let's join together and blame it on school. 1...2...3...OH SCHOOL, WHY MUST YOU INTERFERE WITH BLOGGING. Didn't it feel better to just admit it and get it out. I know for sure what my New Year's resolution will be. I have to say, I super duper try. I was planning on (1) doing a Thanksgiving Special (which could also be used for Christmas dinner) -- and that was a no-go and (2) 12-days of Christmas desserts, like I did for Halloween which also did not really work out too well. With the end of the semester & school...and well, life...these two months just flew by! The holiday season always sneaks up on me and then zooms by. 

BUT, it was not because I was not being a complete and utter klutz genius in the kitchen, because I sure have been baking and cooking. In fact I did make some Thanksgiving dishes AND a lot of Christmas dessert recipes that I have been wanting to share with you but after baking and cooking, I seemed to have failed at the most important part....blogging about it. So what have I been up to. Well, warning, it is pretty boring. My family came for Thanksgiving -- I had a blast showing them around, then I was caught up in wrapping up teaching my course, and then I went to Houston for a week to help my cousin who had a baby (cutie pie). And let me tell you (which if any of you are moms, I do not need to...) but babies are no joke! They are tiring BUT how stinkin' cute are they?!? Totally-worth-it. After watching a baby all day it came down to sleeping or blogging....and sleeping won.

Now onto the first holiday recipe! I wanted to do something different for my Christmas countdown and incorporate other desserts and not just cookies. I also wanted to include all the fun seasonal items I found at the grocery store. SoooOo...my countdown is more of a Christmas candy bar, dessert countdown (without the countdown so to say, because, well, I already failed). Okay...two words...MINT....TRUFFLE. I know right?!!? Which I learned in text speak is IKR! Yes, amazing. One of the desserts I grabbed up were mint truffle Hershey kisses...mmmm...mmm...good. And what better way to incorporate them, then in a traditional thumbprint (blossom) cookie...And there you have it...a perfect holiday dessert....mint...chocolate...crinkle....

MINT TRUFFLE CRINKLE COOKIE

Adapted from Bake at 350

INGREDIENTS

Preheat to 350F Degrees

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. Hershey's special dark cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 stick of butter, softened & cut into chunks
1 1/4 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. powdered sugar
Mint truffle Hershey kisses

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of an stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together (on medium speed) butter and sugar until fluffy (about 5 minutes). Then add eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla extract. Scrape down sides. Then reduce to low speed and add dry ingredients. Combine until just incorporated (the dough will be very sticky).

Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour (I know, I know...I hate when I have to do that too).  Place powdered sugar in a small, shallow bowl. Scoop out 1 1/2 inch-2 inch cookie dough balls into powdered sugar and gently roll the cookie dough ball through the powdered sugar to completely coat.

Line baking sheet with baking mat, aluminum foil or wax paper. Place coated cookie dough ball onto sheet, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Immediately remove from oven and press a Hershey's mint truffle into the top center of each cookie. Let rest for 1 minute and then gently jiggle the cookie to make the Hershey kiss drop into a thumbprint.

Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Enjoy,
Chika 

No Bake Oreo Truffle Eyeballs

Day 2 of my Spooktacular countdown to Halloween!!! Whoo! :) I will make this short and sweet (haha...sweet...get it?) Because this is part 2 of a two part post. Click here to see my No-Bake Oreo Truffle (i.e., Oreo Truffles minus the Eye ball ;) -- when you want to make Oreo truffles any other time of year).

The hubby has a work Halloween party each year where they host a competition for the most ghoulish dessert. I noticed that when searching for "ghoulish" or creepy Halloween desserts, there is not much out there. Plus, when looking for something that looks creepy but is easy to make, it is especially hard to find :/ Trust me, I have spent hours searching for treats and foods to make for my Spooktacular countdown. Sure, I could just make anything but that would not be fun!

::queue superhero music:: For the Love of Dessert to the rescue ;) hahaha..just kidding. In doing a Google search I found this picture of a cakeball or truffle eyeball (did not know which, because the link did not take me to the recipe -- don't you hate that?!?) and since I was already going to make Oreo Truffles -- I decided to tweak what I saw, so that it would be something anyone could make. And sure enough, I got a delicious recipe that was yummy that looked just a bit creepy! This would be a fantastic Halloween party treat that catches people eyes and their tummy! And if you want you can do what I did, make half as regular truffles and half as eye balls. For those squeamish people who might not want to digest eyeballs ;)

OREO TRUFFLE EYEBALLS

A For the Love of Dessert Original Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 regular or family size package of Oreos, finely crushed 

8 oz. cream cheese (slightly softened)

12 oz of white candy melts or baking chocolate 

1-2 tsp. vegetable oil

7 oz. pack of Life Savers Gummies 

Chocolate chips

Red pen with edible ink

*Ghiradelli's chocolate melts are delicious but regular store brands work too.

DIRECTIONS

Making the Oreo Truffles:
First crush Oreos. Here is what you can do:

• The  Oreo pack comes in three columns. I divided each column in half. I placed each of the these "batches," one at a time, in the food processor to get a nice, even consistency of crushed Oreo. If you put too many Oreo in the food processor at once, you are likely to get lumps of cookie that are not crushed. 
• If you do not have a food processor- you can crush the Oreos by placing each batch in (1) in a blender or (2) in a freezer size Ziplock back and crushing them by hand or with a rolling pin.

After each batch was crushed, I dumped them into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment. Once all the Oreo have been crushed and placed in the bowl- add in the cream cheese. Mix until well combined and a dough like consistency has formed. When you have reached a dough like consistency- roll into 1 inch sized truffles. Place in freezer for 15 minutes or in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Dipping the Oreo Truffles:
In the meantime, melt either chocolate bark or candy melts according to package directions. This is my secret, once the chocolate is melted I stir in the vegetable oil. This makes the chocolate have a smoother and shinier coating :)

Now, I am going to tell you how I get perfectly dipped cake truffles but if you have your own method that works-- you are more than welcome to do it that way--this is just whats worked best for me. Once chocolate has melted, take an Oreo truffle and while holding the top half, dip the bottom half into the chocolate, then dip a cake pop stick into the chocolate (about 1/2 inch) and push into the center of the truffle until about, no more, than half way through. Let cool. This will make it much easier to dip the rest of the truffle- otherwise I have found that the truffle either gets stuck in the chocolate or falls off the stick.

Once cooled, dip the top of the truffle and a little part of the bottom, that was already coated into the chocolate. Immediately center a Life Saver on the top of the Oreo truffle (Life saver writing side diwn). Then place a chocolate chip, upside down (point down), into the center of the Life Saver. Push down and hold Life Saver and chocolate chip for 2 seconds to set in. Allow to cool by sticking into flower foam. Once dried- holding the truffle with one hand, gently twist (while pulling slightly down) the cake pop stick with your other hand, and pull the stick out. Using your red pen with edible ink, draw veins.

Enjoy,

Chika

No Bake Oreo Truffles

When I was dating the hubby for just a few months, he had come over to my apartment with a friend. I was making him brownies (yes from a box) because I wanted to do something special. His friend asked the hubby if I was a good cook. My ears perked up because I wanted to know the answer (of course -- every girl, or at least me, wants a guy they are interested in, to think they are a good cook. Especially if we were just newly dating, I thought it would be a good indicator of what he thought about our relationship and me long term). Well, the hubby responded along the lines of -- I was a good cook as long as it came out of a box! ::insert shock, disgusted face:: I was not a happy camper. But I did not want to throw a fit, so I just kept my head down. I was angry and sad. From that moment on, I just knew I wanted to rub those words in his cute face ;) And each year I worked on my culinary skills until now -- having a blog, with every post, I do in fact bring up this very story and rub it in! ;) He has to eat his own words so to say!

I am an Oreo addict. If there was a 12-step Oreo program, I would definitely be the perfect candidate for it. I sneak Oreos when no one is looking and crave it non-stop...it's bad... I have made several Oreo recipes before. And I never seem to get tired of Oreos or cookies n' cream recipes. There is just something so overwhelming delicious about Oreos. I mean seriously!?! Though I have to say, that most people love the Oreo filling but for me, I am all about the cookie. which is perfect because the hubby loves the filling and I love the cookie :) See, we were just meant to be. But really, I have never met anyone who hates Oreos. It's like not being a fan of puppies! ;)

I never tried Oreo Truffles until I moved to Texas. I went to a Christmas party my in-laws were hosting and someone had made these. The hubby was immediately hooked. But at the time I did not know what they were, because it was a big party and I didn't know who to ask about making them. Then, we had a party through our program and another student had made these. I thought to myself, that I was clearly missing out and needed to figure out how to make these ASAP. The first time I made these (way before I started blogging) they came out miserably. My Oreos broke apart in the chocolate and the chocolate went all over the place. But with time, and learning my own way to dip cake balls and truffles, I have mastered the Oreo Truffle. I've made a No Bake Golden Oreo Truffle recipe before as well, so check it out! These babies are delicious and addicting. Trust me when I say that you cannot just have one Oreo Truffle. They are super easy to make, but dipping can be tricky. Definitely will be a hit at any party!

OREO TRUFFLES 

A For the Love of Dessert Original Recipe 

INGREDIENTS 

1 regular or family size package of Oreos, finely crushed 

8 oz. cream cheese (slightly softened)

12 oz of white candy melts or baking chocolate 

1-2 tsp. vegetable oil

Sprinkles 

*Ghiradelli's chocolate melts are delicious but regular store brands work too.

DIRECTIONS

Making the Oreo Truffles:
First crush Oreos. Here is what you can do:

• The  Oreo pack comes in three columns. I divided each column in half. I placed each of the these "batches," one at a time, in the food processor to get a nice, even consistency of crushed Oreo. If you put too many Oreo in the food processor at once, you are likely to get lumps of cookie that are not crushed. 
• If you do not have a food processor- you can crush the Oreos by placing each batch in (1) in a blender or (2) in a freezer size Ziplock back and crushing them by hand or with a rolling pin.

After each batch was crushed, I dumped them into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment. Once all the Oreo have been crushed and placed in the bowl- add in the cream cheese. Mix until well combined and a dough like consistency has formed. When you have reached a dough like consistency- roll into 1 inch sized truffles. Place in freezer for 15 minutes or in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Dipping the Oreo Truffles:
In the meantime, melt either chocolate bark or candy melts according to package directions. This is my secret, once the chocolate is melted I stir in the vegetable oil. This makes the chocolate have a smoother and shinier coating :)

Now, I am going to tell you how I get perfectly dipped cake truffles but if you have your own method that works-- you are more than welcome to do it that way--this is just whats worked best for me. Once chocolate has melted, take an Oreo truffle and while holding the top half, dip the bottom half into the chocolate, then dip a cake pop stick into the chocolate (about 1/2 inch) and push into the center of the truffle until about, no more, than half way through. Let cool. This will make it much easier to dip the rest of the truffle- otherwise I have found that the truffle either gets stuck in the chocolate or falls off the stick.

Once cooled, dip the top of the truffle and a little part of the bottom, that was already coated into the chocolate. Immediately cover with sprinkles and allow to cool by sticking into flower foam. Once dried- holding the truffle with one hand, gently twist (while pulling slightly down) the cake pop stick with your other hand, and pull the stick out.

If you love these check out my No Bake Golden Oreo Truffles and No Bake Red Velvet Oreo Truffles.

Enjoy,

Chika