Anna Sultana’s Cookie Truffles (Chocolate / Cream Cheese Treats, Unbaked)

Happy Holidays!

Hope it’s being one of your best!

Truffles are great for using bits that are left over from holiday baking or shopping.

Last year about this time I posted the recipe for Anna Sultana’s Truffles.

They are easy to make and open to all sorts of variations, depending on what's left over.

Cookie Truffles, just like the other truffles, don’t require baking.

So the kiddies can safely make them.

Think you have more than enough snacks in the house?

I’ve never seen anyone ever refuse a piece of chocolate.

Especially during the holidays.

Hints:

Have some leftover Oreo cookies?

Use a food processor to break the cookies, then add the cream cheese.

Vanilla Oreo cookies go well with white chocolate.

Truffles can also be made with gingersnap, peanut butter or chocolate chip cookies.

If you want larger balls, use two packages of cream cheese instead of one.

You can place in the centre of the balls any of the following:

Maraschino cherries

Candied cherries 

hazelnuts or other nuts

Instead of the semi-sweet chocolate you can use:

bitter-sweet chocolate

milk chocolate

white chocolate

dark chocolate 

You can also use an equal weight amount of chips in any of the above flavours.

Butterscotch chips are also good.

You can change the flavour by using any of the following:

orange extract

rum extract 

vanilla flavouring

Bailey's Irish Cream Liquor

You can coat the truffles with

chocolate sprinkles

crushed candy canes

crushed peppermint candies

red and / or green sugar sprinkles

christmas coloured sprinkles

chopped or crushed nuts

confectioners’ sugar 

plain cacao

These combinations go well together:

Kahlua and crushed almonds

Godiva chocolate liqueur with skor toffee and crushed pecans

white chocolate and raspberry extract 

You can coat with white chocolate and drizzle with milk chocolate.

Or coat with milk chocolate and drizzle with white chocolate. 

Plan to serve these after a fancy meal?

You could serve truffles with a dollop of whipped cream.

Leave the toothpicks in the truffles, and serve them as a party finger food.

Truffles freeze well, but if you’re planning on freezing, don’t dip them in either confectioners’ sugar or plain cacao before freezing.

If they’ve been coated with either, they would be a bit messy after they thawed out.

Have leftover melted chocolate?

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.

Stir in some chopped nuts, then spread the chocolate over the baking sheet. 

Refrigerate until firm, then break into pieces. 

Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.

                        Cookie Truffles

Makes 42 truffles

Toppings

Prepare the chopped nuts, or any of the above suggestions.

Set aside.

Truffles

Place in a large bowl

350 grams cookies crumbs, finely crushed

1 250 gram package cream cheese, regular or light, cubed

Add flavouring, if you wish.

Mix until well blended.

Refrigerate the batter for one hour before shaping into balls.

Shape into 42 (1-inch) balls. 

Put them in the freezer for 30 minutes to set.

Cover a baking sheet with waxed paper. 

Scoop about 2 teaspoons worth of mixture and shape into a ball. 

Place the ball onto the wax paper. 

Repeat with remaining mixture and place the balls on the baking sheet.

Refrigerate 2 hours. 

Coating

Place in a medium pot that has been placed in a larger pot holding water

450 grams package semi-sweet chocolate (or one of the options)

1 tablespoon shortening

Melt over medium heat, stirring regularly.

Let cool slightly.

Use a toothpick to dip the truffles into the chocolate, then use another toothpick to push the ball into the toppings. 

Roll the truffles in the topping, then return the truffles to the baking sheet.

Cover any bare spots with the toppings while the chocolate is still soft.

Refrigerate 2 hours or until chocolate is firm.

The truffles can be stored in the freezer.

Take them out about 45 minutes before serving.