One Twisted Cookie

Do you know what this is?  

How many of you out there have tried this before?

While walking through Trader Joe's here in Northern Virginia one day, my husband and I stumbled upon this wonderful concoction.  One taste, and we were hooked!  It is described as tasting like a crushed biscuit (cookie), and is creamy like peanut butter.  One of our favorite ways to eat it is on toasted waffles.

Nothing. Short. Of. Amazing.

At work this week +joan diongzon made amazing peanut butter balls - also known as Buckeye Balls.  An entire container was scarfed down by our staff in one afternoon!  Later in the week, Joan and I were texting and I asked her what she thought about replacing the peanut butter in Buckeyes with Cookie Butter.

It was a daunting task, really, because while the texture is akin to peanut butter, it's a little thicker.  However, I was determined to see how Heavenly this would turn out.  

I am SOOO glad I did.

These little things are awesome!  The choice of using white chocolate instead of milk chocolate in place of the dipping pushed these from ordinary to spectacular.

So without further adieu, here is the recipe.

Speculoos Cookie Butter "Buckeye" Balls

1 1/2 cups Cookie Butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pound (16 oz.) powdered sugar

1 stick butter or margarine, softened

Dump everything in a big bowl and get ready to get your hands dirty!  Squish the ingredients together or if you have kids, this would be something they could do to help as well.  Roll out into 1 inch balls and place on waxed paper.  Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.  

Melt white chocolate over double boiler and stir until smooth.  Remove the balls from the fridge and dip them halfway in melted chocolate.  Place back on waxed paper, and let chocolate harden.  Store in airtight container.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Amaretto Truffles

I love Christmas!
It is my very favorite time of year!

Ever since I was little, I remember my parents spending a ton of time in the kitchen during the holidays doing their baking.  They used to host an Open House every year for their friends, and in addition to the tons of goodies they made, mom and dad would make a very special item as a showstopper of sorts.  One year it was elaborate gingerbread bears sitting atop a gingerbread sleigh complete with candy cane rails.  A friend of mine took hers home with her, refusing to eat it.  She put shellac on it to preserve it, and it sat on her dresser for years.

So it comes as no surprise that I have carried on the tradition of making their recipes in my own home many years later.  So many of them are tried and true...and so classic that they get made without  hesitation.  Others that are good but perhaps not my favorites, get stared at over many days and re-imagined in my mind's eye to how I can change them to make them something I would like to eat.

Case in point are my dad's rum balls.  I'm not huge on rum, unless it's coconut rum and in a yummy cocktail on occasion.  I understand my sister-in-law's mother makes a delicious rum cake that she generously shares with our family each year, but it just wasn't my thing.

So this year, I stared at my dad's recipe for hours.  I contemplated what kinds of liquor replacements I could tweak.  Something that would go well with the chocolate base I wanted to start with.

Then I laughed at myself because what, really, doesn't go well with chocolate?!
I mean seriously.  What a silly, silly girl.

Soon after, it hit me:  Amaretto!  Like a chocolate covered cherry cordial!

So here we are...Krista's Amaretto Truffles.

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
5 ounces evaporated milk
2 1/2 to 3 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup Disaronno amaretto (because I'm an amaretto snob, and it's the best)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Melt evaporated milk and chocolate chips in double boiler until smooth, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool a bit, about 30 minutes.  Add 2 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs, powdered sugar, Disaronno and vanilla extract to bowl.  Mix well.  After chocolate has cooled, add it to crumb mixture, combining well.  Roll into small balls and place on waxed paper. Place coconut in small bowl, and gently roll each ball in it.  Place in airtight container and enjoy!

Note:  Add extra 1/2 cup of cookie crumbs to mixture if not firm enough to make balls.  If mixture is too dry, add more Disaronno, of course!  ;-)