The Chocolate Lovers Post

Just thought I'd post the recipe for these truffles that I showed in the last post, just because they are so easy ... I plan to post the recipe for the snicker bars (the ones around the outside edge) also, because I have had many requests for the recipe and haven't ever given it out, but they are much more complicated so that will have to wait.The Truffles

(that aren't really truffles I just call them that because thats what they look like)

1 pkg regular or reduced fat Oreos

1 pkg reg. or Fat free spreadable cream cheese

indefinite amount of chocolate. :)

In high powered mixer with a blade ( I have a hand mixer called a Braun with a knife blade that I use because I found that the oreos just get all gummed up in my blender and it didn't work very well) blend the oreos until they are just fine crumbs. Add the cream cheese and beat until well mixed. (it will just be a pasty dark brown mixture) roll into one inch balls and freeze overnight.

When you have a couple hours of free time ;) melt a few cups of chocolate chips in a saucepan over low heat. Once it is all melted and smooth you can begin dipping the frozen balls of filling.

I just poke them on the end of a fork and dip them in all but the bottom (the side the fork is poked into). Gently twist them in a twirling motion with the side against the wooden spoon or spatula to get off the extra choc. ending by tipping up and letting the cupie of chocolate come off the top to give it a swirled look. Then carefully pinch the fork below the truffle and slide smoothly off the fork. (it will be balancing on your thumb and index finder pinched together) Now slip it onto the fork (just so it is sitting flat on the prongs not poked onto them) and then set the fork down against the plate and tilt until the truffle slides off. It may need a cautious wiggle to ease it off without tipping the fork so high that it just rolls off. It sounds complicated but it is really quite simple...just hard to explain. I do the dipping one plateful at a time and leave the rest in the freezer to keep them good and frozen as that makes for easier dipping. The softer they get the harder it is as they start to squish around and stick to your fingers and the fork more. Once I have completed the tops I go back and dip the bottom. Just hold them from the top and dip in the choc. making sure that all the bottom is covered. I sort of do it in a twisting motion to make it look neater (without all the little pokey strings of chocolate sticking off) and then just set it on the plate to harden. If you wish to add the 'squiggle' for decoration, just add a little bit of white chocolate chips to your leftover melted chocolate to make it lighter and once they're melted and blended in put it into a ziploc baggy and snip a very tiny bit of corner off (it always puts out a bigger squiggle than you think so cut small and you can always cut bigger if you need to. I think the smaller looks daintier, the ones in the picture have a pretty thick squiggle. Use the bag like a frosting decorator and pipe on the little sqiggles. Then you can store in the freezer for as long as you need to. I don't know exactly how long they last because they are allways eaten in plenty of time...but they are fine for a couple of months. :)

Makes about 60 depending on how big you make the balls.

Tip: with the leftover melted choc. (and there always is some since I don't measure) just add approx. equal amounts of heavy whipping cream to choc. and stir until smooth and silky. Makes the most wonderful hot fudge you can imagine over ice cream. If you don't want it to harden to chewy over your ice cream just add even more cream until it is as syrupy as you want it. I store it in the fridge and just heat it for about 20-30 seconds in a bowl and then add the ice cream to the top ...like upside down hot fudge sundae.

If you just do the equal parts choc. and cream. the chocolate will harden to a fudge consistency in the fridge overnight. when you eat it straight out of the fridge it is just like silky melt in your mouth fudge. Sooo good!!! :)

Enjoy! and don't plan on starting a diet any time soon with this stuff around. ;)

P.S. If you don't want to do the whole truffle thing and just want the fudge you can just melt choc. chips and add cream. its just the same in case you hadn't allready figured that out. :D
Even better...I like to do it with dove dark chocolate. The key to getting it smooth is not to overheat it. Just let it melt slowly on low heat, stirring every now and then.