Peppermint Oreo Truffles (With Chocolate Vodka. Duh.)

Hello again!  THANK GOODNESS it's finally winter break.  I am SO ready for the holidays this year.  I need a break from all of the real-life stuff, so I can focus on present wrapping and making things that taste good.  First up from my list is an easy-peasy dessert recipe that you could definitely make the night before you go to a holiday party or to your family's house.

I love a good truffle... or oreo/cake ball... whatever you want to call it; they taste super good.  And, these particular ones don't require any baking, which generally is a plus.  The steps are quick, with some down time in between so that you can go wrap some presents or do laundry or whatever.  Another plus, you can decorate them however you want and make them super cute!  This recipe is also extremely versatile, so with a little tweaking, you can make several variations to bring and impress everyone!

This recipe yields approximately 3 dozen truffles!

INGREDIENTS

• Oreos - I bought the peppermint ones!  You could go for a different flavor if you choose.  I used approximately 40 oreos, which is most of a family size package.
• 8 oz. package of cream cheese
• shot of 360 chocolate vodka (you could also use peppermint something if you wanted it to be really minty)
• 1/2 c powdered sugar
• 1/4 c dark cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. mint extract (if you want it to be minty and you don't have peppermint oreos, or you just want it to be mintier than the oreos can provide)
• melting chocolate

PROCEDURE

First, you'll need to crumble your oreos.  Put half of them in a food processor, and blend them until they're all in fine pieces.  Add the rest in as your processor can handle them.  When all the oreos are thoroughly crumbled, add the cream cheese and mix until completely incorporated.  Add the powdered sugar, cocoa, and vodka, and extract and mix again.  You want it to be a thick paste.

Roll the mixture into 1" balls and put in the freezer to chill.  Prepare a surface to put the finished truffles on.  We used tin foil, but wax paper is good too.

Melt the chocolate (I used Wilton's red wafers) and coat your frozen truffles.  Be sure the whole truffle is covered in the chocolate.  Before the chocolate has cooled and set, you can decorate with sprinkles or whatever strikes your fancy that you think would be good and/or tasty.  I used crushed candy canes and sprinkles.

YUM.

Now,  if you didn't want mint, you would just swap the mint extract for vanilla and use regular oreos.  Another variety I think would be good is Birthday Cake!  I'll definitely be trying that out for the hub's birthday (or my own...), so check back for that some other time.  If you make some variation of this, please share!  I'd love to hear about it.  Maybe I can start a list of other people's awesome ideas!  Yes!

P.S.

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Coors Chicken Noodle Soup

Hey, it's getting cold outside, and there is no better way to warm up than a nice bowl of homemade soup. We put a twist on an old classic that can be ready in minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• about 28 oz. of chicken broth
• about 8 oz. of vegetable broth
• 1 can of coors light (of course this can be substituted for any other beer)
• any vegetables you might want to add (i.e. chopped carrots, chopped onion, celery)
• 1/2 lb. of grilled chicken, precooked means less prep time
• some egg noodles
• salt and pepper
• basil and oregano

PROCEDURE

All you have to do is add both broths, and the beer into a pot on the stove, and set stove to high. When this comes to a boil, stir in the veggies, chicken and egg noodles. Just add egg noodles according to how you like in your soup. Let this simmer for around 10 or 15 minutes, until noodles are tender. Add in a pinch of basil and oregano, then add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Please feel free to make your own spin on this recipe and tell us about it! We would love to hear new and exciting ingredients, or new beers you might have added into your soup. Thanks again and don't forget to sign up for our newsletter for updates!