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Momma Told Me: Drink it- don't play with it!
Hot chocolate was my absolute favorite seasonal drink, growing up. It loved it so much, living in Southern California where warm drinks never were quite necessary to begin with, I'd order a mug of hot cocoa for dessert more often than not when my family went out to eat. The best part, to me, was always the fun of playing with the melting whipped cream; blowing bubbles with my straw, putting daubs of it my father's nose, and stirring those chocolatey clumps of powder with anticipation. There was something magical about taking boring milk and transforming it into something deliciously chocolatey with a few simple swishes. And that, my friends, is where the inspiration for Hot Chocolate OREO Cookie Balls came from.
No, you won't find OREO Cookie Balls on a shelf near you, for they exist in your heart, as magical as Frosty The Snowman, brought to life with love and imagination in your very own kitchen. And, much like Santa's reindeer, the flavors of OREOs you have to choose from, for this simple and delicious recipe, are diverse and uniquely spectacular. I dare you yo walk into your local Walmart and NOT walk out with 2 or 3 different flavors of these beloved sandwich cookies! But what is an OREO Cookie Ball, you ask? It's a creature that exists year-round, but is made all the more magical by this season of holidays (like our friend, the Yeti.) With just 3 simple ingredients, #OREOCookieBalls are delicious bites of creamy OREO goodness perfect for gifting, entertaining, and Netflix binging.
The original, and core, OREO Cookie Ball recipe features one 14oz package of your favorite OREO cookies, 8oz of Softened Cream Cheese, and 16oz of Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate. Not only is this recipe so easy a beginner's Elf apprentice (or small human child) could assist, but it is entirely no-bake. In fact, the hardest part is waiting for these balls of sweet OREO goodness to chill in the refrigerator. And, because of the variety of OREO flavors, and decorating options, your OREO Cookie Balls are guaranteed to be as unique as granny's ugly sweater stitching patterns.
For today's twist on the classic OREO Cookie Ball, I've added a little extra of one ingredient, a 4th ingredient, and a simple secondary step to the mixing process. By adding a little extra melting chocolate and some Heavy Cream we can effectively turn ordinary OREO Cookie Balls into extraordinary melting balls of OREO Hot Chocolate goodness! Start by intimately acquainting your OREO cookies in the comfort of a blender. Next, over a double broiler, melt 1/4 of your Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate and combine with Cream Cheese and Heavy Cream. There will be some Cream Cheese specks (or lumps,) but the mixture, overall, should be smooth.
Remove your Hot Chocolate OREO Cookie Ball base from the heat and allow to cool 15-20 minutes (refrigerate or place bowl in cold water bath to speed up the process.) The mixture, when cooled will be thicker like a mousse. Stir in your acquainted (crushed) OREO cookies until a delicious dough is formed. Resist eating the dough by the spoonful, OREOs can be quite persistent in Siren like calls- hold out for the OREO Cookie Balls, I promise, it will be worth it! Roll approximately 1" balls of OREO Cookie Ball dough and place it on a sheet of parchment paper. Refrigerate balls 15-20 minutes, or place in the freezer 5-10 to get them nice and cool for dipping.
While your OREO Cookie Balls quite literally chill, melt the remaining Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate in a double broiler or melting pot (I use Wilton's Deluxe Melting Pot) until uniform in texture. Adding 1 TSP of Shortening for every Cup of Melting/Baking Chocolate will help thin the mixture for even dipping. Once your balls are dipped, place them on a clean parchment sheet and decorate as desired. We made 3 different flavors of OREO Cookie Balls- Chocolate OREOs with Cinnamon Drizzle, Classic OREOs with Mini Marshmallows, and Mint OREOs with Peppermint Candy Flakes. If you are doing multiple flavors of OREO Cookie Balls be sure to decorate each flavor different for identification!
Once your OREO Cookie Balls are decorated and set (properly cooled,) it's time to admire your handy work; though I daresay elf's work harder tying a bow than you did on this recipe (simple, wasn't it?) That's okay, you can pat yourself on the back, regardless, as you package up those delicious balls of OREO Cookie goodness for family and friends. They'll assume you spent hours slaving over them, anyway! OREO Cookie Balls can be enjoyed as a confectionery treat, or this particular version, the Hot Chocolate OREO Cookie Ball, can be packaged with some straws and a mug with simple instructions to "Drop one into a cup of hot milk (or milk substitute), stir, and enjoy!" The 'Hot Chocolate' effect will work best when OREO Cookie Balls have been set out to reach room temperature- now, wouldn't this be a great idea for an after meal treat or holiday gathering?
I don't know about you, but my favorite cold beverage, growing up, was an OREO cookie milkshake; paired with my favorite hot beverage, Hot Cocoa, this concept is all WIN in my book.You can easily find adorable mugs (like the chalkboard mugs above) at your local dollar store and pair them with a few Hot Chocolate OREO Cookie Balls for an affordable and fun handmade gift, or guest favor, this holiday season. And if a few of those delicious OREO Cookie Balls never make it to a mug, we won't tell- just be sure to clean up the evidence! Follow OREO on Facebook for more great seasonal recipes and OREO Cookie Balls ideas! Check out this great coupon for $.50 off a package of OREO Cookies!
Do you have a favorite OREO Cookie flavor/variety you'd love to turn into an OREO Cookie Ball?
What Daughter Says: Go ahead, have a little fun with your hot chocolate, when there are OREO cookies inside it!
OREO Cookie Ball + Hot Chocolate OREO Cookie Ball Recipes
**Click here for Printable OREO Cookie Ball Recipes
Ingredients:
8oz Cream Cheese, Softened
36 OREO Cookies, Any Flavor (Firmly Crushed)
16oz Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, Melted
Directions:
1. Combine cream cheese and cookies until well blended.
2. Shape into (approximately 48) 1" balls, freeze 10 MINS.
3. Dip OREO Cookie Balls into melted chocolate and place in single rows on parchment paper lined pan.
4. Customize with your own decorations/toppings/flavors.
5. Refrigerate 1 Hour, until firm.
Hot Chocolate OREO Cookie Ball Recipe
Ingredients:
8oz Cream Cheese, Softened
36 OREO Cookies, Any Flavor
20oz Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (or melting chocolate flavor/color of your choice)
3/4 C Heavy Cream
Directions:
1. In a blender, pulse OREO cookies until even and fine.
2. In a double broiler (or similar technique,) combine heavy cream, cream cheese, and 4oz Melting Chocolate until even. There may be some cream cheese speckles when mixture is fully combined, this is okay.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool 15-20 minutes (refrigerate or soak bowl in cold water bath, while stirring, for quicker cooling.) Mixture will be a heavy mousse texture.
4. Add OREO cookies and combine well until a dough is formed.
5. Roll OREO Cookie Ball mixture into approximately 1" balls and place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Chill 15-20 MINS, or Freeze 5-10.
6. While OREO Cookie Balls chill, melt remaining chocolate (add 1 TSP Shortening for every Cup of chocolate for a thinner dipping texture, if desired).
7. Remove OREO Cookie Balls from fridge/freezer and dip in chocolate. Decorate/Top as desired and return to fridge 1 hour, or until firm. Package Hot Chocolate OREO Cookie Balls with a note saying: "Place 1 Room Temperate OREO Cookie Ball into 1 Cup of Hot Milk, Stire, and Enjoy!"
