Gingerbread Cookie Truffles

I LOVE Christmas. But ever since I moved up north, I haven't gone all out with the decorations. I've set up a wimpy little Walmart tree, if that even counts. This year I decided it was time: I'm engaged, and Frank has a house (with a stocking-ready fireplace!) just begging to be decked out. So we bought our first real tree, had stockings embroidered with our names, and set up the Christmas village from my childhood in the window.

I was dying to share my decorations, so I invited a couple friends over for hot chocolate, a fire, and...

Gingerbread cookie truffles! 

Excuse my sloppiness. I hate coating truffles!

I've never been a big fan of gingerbread cookies, unless they're in the shape of a house. (My best creation: a gingerbread version of Graceland.) But, of course, being a huge fan of novelty Oreos, I had to buy Gingerbread Oreos. I was pleasantly surprised: They actually taste authentic (no chemical aftertaste, as you might expect), and the creme filling lends an extra layer of texture normal gingerbread lacks.

For the truffles, I crushed up the Gingerbread Oreos, combined them with cream cheese, and coated them with melted cinnamon chips. The cream cheese didn't undermine the rich, gingerbread flavor, and the cinnamon chips only enhanced the warmth of the cookies. Delicious.

Gingerbread Cookie Truffles

What you need
36 Gingerbread Oreos, finely crushed
8 oz. cream cheese, softened 
16 oz. Hershey's Cinnamon Chips 

Put it all together

1. Thoroughly combine the Oreo crumbs and cream cheese. 
2. Roll into 1- inch balls, then dip in melted cinnamon chips. Lay on a wax paper-covered baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm, about an hour.  

You may also enjoy...
Churro Cake Ball Truffles
Birthday Cake Oreo Bark  

 

Cinco de Mayo Sweet, Part 2: Deep-Fried Churro Balls!

I'm lazy when it comes to truffle making. Applying the candy coating is tedious work, so for my friend's Cinco de Mayo party, I made just enough Churro Cake Ball Truffles to be considered socially acceptable. My laziness left me with rows of naked little cake balls in my fridge, waiting to be devoured. (No innuendo intended.) 

       I tried deep-fried Oreos at the fair last year, and found them to be absolutely delightful, in a low-brow, don't-tell-anyone-I-ate-this kind of way. (If you're into frou frou desserts, stick to the truffles.) So, alone in my kitchen, where there's no such thing as shame, I whipped up a batch of cinnamon batter, coated the leftover cake balls, and dunked them in a skillet full of sizzling oil. The little fried guys came out crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, and tasted like a melted cinnamon roll, wrapped in a doughnut hole. In other words, like heaven. 

First, follow the Churro Cake Ball recipe. (Skip the candy coating, obviously.)


Once you've prepared the cake balls, make this...


Cinnamon Batter
Adapted from Willow Bird Baking

What you need
1 egg
1 cup ice-cold water
1 cup flour
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Other ingredients
Cornstarch
Vegetable oil
Pre-made cream cheese icing 

Put it all together

1. Whisk together the egg and water. Mix in the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.
2. Heat vegetable oil, about 1 inch deep, in a skillet over medium heat. 
3. Roll each cake ball in cornstarch, then dunk into the cinnamon batter. Using tongs, and allowing excess batter to drip off, transfer two or three at a time to the skillet.
4. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, flipping the cake balls halfway through. They should be golden brown. Remove them from the oil onto a paper towel. 
5. Serve with cream cheese icing for dipping.

Gooey deliciousness.

Cinco de Mayo Sweet: Churro Cake Ball Truffles!

My first encounter with churros was at camp in 11th grade. (Yes, I was still going to camp.) It was one of those dorky but fun theme nights, probably a fiesta, because the camp staff delivered a bucket of churros—strips of fried dough, dusted with cinnamon and sugar—to each table. I sampled one of the Spanish doughnuts, immediately fell in love, then discreetly inhaled as many as possible.

       Fast forward a few months. It's a big family dinner—my sister, aunt, cousins, boyfriend, everyone. We'd all gathered so my mom could introduce her new man to the crew. I decided to impress them with my international flair and made churros for dessert. But my mom quickly stole the show. She took one bite of a churro, started choking on the sugar, and ripped a giant fart. Her chair was wooden, so you can imagine the reverb. I'm still a little shocked that her date, Paul, ended up marrying her.

      Anyways, lesson learned: I don't serve churros at parties. It's a shame, since churros have the potential to be life-changing.

       But, I've recently learned, there is is a way: I was thumbing through 101 Gourmet Cake Balls by Wendy Paul last weekend—and voila! A churro cake ball recipe! They're only lightly sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar (safe for even old farts, like my mom). So, eager to reclaim the dessert, I made them for a Cinco de Mayo party. Each little truffle is packed with intense cinnamon flavor, sort of like a Taco Bell Cinnamon Twist, but better. 

Churro Cake Balls

What you need

1 box yellow cake mix

3 eggs

¾ cup whole milk

¼ cup oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

Vanilla candy coating
Cinnamon 
Granulated sugar

Frosting

1 stick butter, room temp

3 ¾ cups powdered sugar

4 Tbsp cream

1 Tbsp cinnamon

Put it all together

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine cake mix, eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Pour into a greased 9 x 13" baking pan, and bake for 30-32 minutes.
3. While it's baking, make the frosting: Beat the butter in a large bowl until it's soft and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla, and beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in cinnamon.
4. Cool completely, then crumble into small pieces.
5. Stir the cake crumbles into the frosting until a thick dough forms. Roll tablespoon-size portions of dough into balls, place on a baking sheet, and chill in the freezer for 20 minutes. 
6. Dip each dough ball into melted vanilla candy coating*, then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Allow to harden completely. 

*Try piercing each ball with a fondue stick for easier dipping.