Candy Cane Oreo Balls

Alright, I confess that I haven't exactly been able to stick to the baking something new every day. I have however, made multiple batches of things that I have made thus far so I feel a little better about my plan. This time of year just gets busy and time flies by and I don't even know how it happens. So easy recipes that produce large quantities are always helpful and Oreo balls do just that. What are Oreo balls?...crushed up Oreos mixed with cream cheese and dipped in chocolate. The are really fun to make and simple. They do take a little bit of time to make because of the freezing and melting processes, but it's definitely not technically challenging. Besides who doesn't love getting to crush things? I decided to be festive and use the Candy Cane Joe Joe's (from Trader Joe's of course) instead of plain Oreos. I didn't have a rolling pin, so I used a pan to crush all the cookies. Be careful when you are doing this so you don't pop the bag. I did find that that the pan didn't get them as crushed up as I would have liked (although it could have been user error), but it had to suffice.  

Once you get the cookies to the consistency of your like mix in a melted block of cream cheese. Then with a melon baller (cookie scoop or spoon), scoop out the balls onto parchment paper lined baking sheets. I think that the cookie scoop would have been easier to use, but mine was a little too big for this occasion. Pop them into the freezer for 30 minutes and right before you pull them out start melting the chocolate to dip them in. This is how I would suggest doing the next part. I didn't do it this way and had some issues. These tend to "melt" quickly, so I would take a few out at a time to dip. The recipe said to use a fork, but this didn't work for me. I decided to use the best tools I had - my hands. I dropped them in the chocolate made sure they were covered and put them back on the tray. The warm chocolate makes them start to loose their shape, so you have to do this quickly. In the end mine didn't really turn out to be perfect balls, but they tasted delicious so I guess that's what matters most. This is a great way to let your little ones help you in the kitchen and I can guarantee that these will be a definite crowd pleaser! They are chocolately cookie heaven and will have you eating more than just one.

Summer's Simple Pleasures

I love ice cream even though we all know it's not really that awesome for you. This was a special occasion, so I decided I to splurge. Being from up North, there are a few differences in food, where things like corned beef hash and shoo fly pie are normal. Though I can't bring myself to try corned beef hash, I try to be adventurous. This time it was a new kind of ice cream and there's no way I would ever turn that down! How can ice cream be different you ask? Well, first of all it is called a Cho Cho, which is malted ice milk that comes in a small paper cup with a popsicle stick. When I first looked at it, I was a bit confused about how I was supposed to eat it. Then my mom showed me the magic trick. All it took was a little warmth by rubbing it in between your hands and then all of a sudden there is a tiny pop and you can feel it come out of the cup. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect because it looked like it was coffee flavored due to its color. Let me tell you, it was not coffee. It was a delicious sweet caramel like flavor that was so good one lick just wasn't enough. It was absolutely delicious and perfect for a hot summer day. The only problem... I wish I could get them down here.


The other novelty was a swirled chocolate and vanilla Oreo ice cream sandwich. The thing I have noticed about ice cream sandwiches is that the cookie part becomes sticky and gets stuck to your hand, making the ice cream melt quickly and then the whole thing just seems to fall apart. With this one, the cookie was didn't get stuck to your fingers and the ice cream looked like it barely melted. It wasn't overly sweet and definitely took me back to my childhood days were Oreos always seemed to be a part of my lunch. These delicious treats helped beat the heat and remind me that it's the little things in life that make it so enjoyable. There's nothing better than taking a moment to enjoy the simple pleasure of eating ice cream in any of its many forms! If you are up North anytime, be sure to stop in at Schell's for a Cho Cho.