Dylan & Erica’s Place…

Oreo balls that is.  Get your mind out of the gutter.  My husband LOVES making these things.  Ever since my nephews 1st birthday party (over a year ago) he decided this is his favorite thing to make.  There is no baking involved.

Dylan has an annual cookie exchange and he makes these for the wonderful women he works with.  They love him more and more every year whenever he brings them in.  I have to say, I’m proud of him.

I decided this year to make some for our first cookie exchange at the office.  I really enjoyed piping the chocolate on them and decorating them.  What I didnt like? I don’t like coating them.  But I do have some wonderful hints on doing it.

• To change it up, also try the “cool” mint-flavored Oreos.
• Either let the cream cheese warm up to room temperature or just cut it into pieces with a butter knife. If it’s soft or cut up, the mixing will go faster.
• If using white colored bark, you may not want to attempt to color it with food coloring… the color seems to screw-up the consistency, turning the bark into a paste akin to play dough… However, if you add a little canola oil to it and keep stirring, you may be able to correct it.
• If using two flavors/colors of bark, try alternating the colors of the balls and then “sprinkling” the other color over them. It looks neat.
• It seems using double stuffed Oreos helps.  I know some people don’t like using the double stuffed, however I do prefer them.

Oreo Balls

Ingredients:
•    One package of Oreos
•    One 8oz. package of cream cheese
•    Almond bark (for dipping)
•    Cookie sheet with parchment paper
•    Hand soap (it’s messy)

1.    Dump all of the Oreos into a large freezer bag and bash them to bits. A rolling pin helps a lot. Or hitting your husband with the bag =) Just kidding
2.    Once Oreos are nothing but a sack of crumbs, dump the contents of the freezer bag into a mixing bowl (some of the filling may adhere to the side of the bag; so you may need to scrape it off).
3.    Add cream cheese to the Oreo crumbs and start mixing it. The desired result will resemble a paste and be kinda sticky and messy (see??).
4.    Using your hands, form the mixture into balls and place them each on the parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Each package of Oreos and cream cheese should make about 20 balls.
5.    Put the cookie sheet into the fridge to chill for 1.5 to 2 hours.
6.    Melt the bark in a double boiler on your stove (the double boiler method, though a tad time-consuming, is the one method that is least likely to result in burned chocolate.)
7.    When melted, dip the balls in the chocolate. Spin them around a bit to get them coated nicely. When done, put them back on the parchment paper for cooling.
8.    Eat (once cooled and dry).