chocolate — A Southern Fairytale

Making Oreo Truffles at Home

12:36 PM ByRachelFiled UnderUncategorized

Hey y’all! Don’t forget to go check out the amazing Kelly, for some seriously inspirational non-sewing crafty gift ideas and the unbelievably talented Cindy, for gift ideas that’ll have you dying to whip out your sewing machine and get to creating!

Today’s featured baker is, um Me

Oreo Truffles

oreo truffles

These are kind of the most ridiculously addictive and amazing chocolate-y treat that I’ve ever made. These were my gift to the teachers, my mom’s friends, my neighbors, the staff at both schools and everyone else I could give them to so that I wouldn’t eat EVERY SINGLE ONE this past Christmas

Just the word truffle is enough to turn many people away, but I promise you, this Oreo Truffle recipe is so simple and delicious that you’re going to find yourself creating reasons to make these Oreo Truffles.

Really, how can you go wrong with Oreos, cream cheese and chocolate?

The ingredients are simple and few, the directions, simple and few.

The results: mouthwatering, amazing, chocolate-y, rich, delicious and unforgettable. I took these up to the elementary school twice in two weeks last year and I had people stop me in the halls wanting the recipe, or asking me to make more.

oreo truffle ingredients

double batch pictured… double batch recipe given

2 packages oreo cookies
2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, softened
4 packages semi-sweet chocolate (8 blocks in each package)
any toppings: crushed candy, toasted coconut, white chocolate, andes mint chips, more crushed oreos

For the exact how to.. go to the original post: here

oreo truffles 2

Taggedchocolate, Holiday Gifts, oreo truffles, oreos 10 Comments

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread

12:24 AM ByRachelFiled UnderDesserts, holiday craft along

Hey y’all!! I hope y’all are as inspired to make this year’s Holidays handmade as I am! Between the amazing non sewing gift ideas on Kelly’s blog and the truly fantastic Sewn gift ideas over on Cindy’s blog and THEN all the delicious treats that the amazing bloggers featured here have been sharing; I’m ready to get started!

Today’s featured Baker is Shaina from Food For My Family:

One of my favorite cookies to bake as a gift is shortbread. While I tend to do a lot of holiday baking, so much of it is intricate and time consuming. Shortbread is the one thing that can get tossed together in a hurry or done in mass quantities with very little extra effort. Plus, a bit of chocolate on the edges, a sprinkle or two of sanding sugar or nonpareils and they look like you’ve spent all the time.

This year I added Orange Gingered Shortbread to my cookie tins and boxes and the response was nothing but positive. In fact, I had more than one person tell me the shortbread was their favorite. For something that takes me a third of the time of the other varieties, I’ll definitely be adding this versatile cookie to my holiday baking list.

Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup extra fine sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces dark chocolate

Method

Preheat oven to 325° F. Line the bottom of an 8″ cake pan with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer beat together butter, sugar and cornstarch. Mix in flour and salt. Press dough into the prepared pan. Dock and score the cookie dough using a knife and pointy object (I used the end of a chopstick).

Bake at 325° F for 35 to 40 minutes, just until edges start to turn a light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. You can place in the refrigerator to accelerate this process once the pan has cooled. Cut into triangles.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Dip the tips of the triangles into the chocolate. Allow to dry on waxed paper until set. Package and gift.

Makes 12 cookies.

Variations

add 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts to the dough. Shape dough into a rectangular log and refrigerate until firm. Slice into cookies. Bake for 25 minutes and dip as above.
Add 1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries and orange zest from 1 orange to the dough. Roll out dough and cut into shapes. Bake for 25 minutes.
Orange-Gingered Shortbread on Food for My Family
Make up your own! Add your favorites nuts and candies, dip or don’t, sprinkle or shake. Add a personal touch to your cookies.

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Meet Shaina:

Shaina Olmanson is the home cook and photographer behind Food for My Family, where she shares recipes, tips, opinions and her philosophy on food as she strives to teach her four children how to eat well: seasonally, locally, organically, deliciously and balanced.

Taggedbaking, chocolate, Desserts, holidays, shortbread 7 Comments

Chocolate Mint Cookies

3:29 AM ByRachelFiled UnderDesserts

Hey y’all! I hope y’all are getting as many amazing Handmade Holiday gift ideas as I am!!! I’ve bookmarked some fantastic ideas and discovered some truly amazing bloggers! After you say hi to today’s seriously amazing blogger, drop on by Cindy’s blog to see which spectacular sewer she’s highlighting and then pop over to Kelly’s to see which crafter she’s showing off today! You can see all of the Handmade Holidays Posts here

Today’s amazing recipe is from Shelley of How Does She?
Grab your thigh master,…you are going to need it after making these…but oh so worth it!
{My friends go crazy when I make these}

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
36 Andes Mints (like the flat ones you get at Olive Garden)

Directions

In a large pan over low heat, cook butter, sugar and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool off slightly.
At high speed, beat in eggs, one at a time into chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, beating until blended. Chill dough about 1 hour. {I usually skip the chilling and they turn out just fine}
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Roll dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes. While cookies are baking unwrap mints and divide each in half. When cookies are brought out of the oven, put 1/2 mint on top of each cookie. Let the mint sit for up to 5 minutes until melted, then spread the mint on top of the cookie. {Sprinkle if desired} *If you are stacking the cookies, place them in the fridge for 10-15 min for frosting to harden* Eat and enjoy! (Makes 3 dozen)

* Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com. I LOVE All Recipes. Lots.

Don’t forget to include any small helpers you may just laying around the house. My little guy has coveted job title of ‘Official Cookie Sprinkler’. These cookies go perfect with our Cookies in a Can Neighbor Christmas Gift Idea. Such a festive, yet thrifty way to package these sinful cookies up.