Circus Animal Cookie Truffles Recipe

Momma Told Me: If you play with them long enough they might eat you!

There are few grocery products/brands that go back far enough to span the memories of 4 or 5 generations. Unless you're talking Heinz and beans or ketchup, or Oreos, you'll be hard pressed to find shared memories over a product launched in the early 1900s. And while I may as well not even know Mother's Cookies produces 14 different varieties of cookies, I do know it's near impossible to resist the playful charm of their classic Circus Animals. Cookies so pretty and fun that I rarely actually ate them when my grandmother gave me a handful.

It was the only sweet I could be given and found in possession of hours later- and not for lack of deliciousness either, I was simply transfixed by the imagined interactions of these pink and white cookie animals come to life. The camel, in Pink, was always my favorite, followed closely by the lion, in Pink. These two often had several disagreements, ultimately ending with the lion's beheading because, after all, in a young child's mind, the biggest most powerful character should not always win by default. Yes, I was tackling some heavy issues with my Mother's Circus Animal cookies and you might even say they made me the strong communicator I am today. All from a cookie.

But my memories not only go back to time spent with my grandmother, who often recounted her first Mother's Cookies experience upon the family's immigration from Germany, but to tales of a father and daughter.  A manly man, to this day my father refuses to handle the color pink; that is unless his baby girl has asked him. I remember reaching into the giant bag of Mother's Cookies and pulling out a pink animals, full of giggles, "This one's just for you, daddy!" A wise man, he'd quickly distract me with the age old question, "Do the pink animals taste the same as the white ones?," or does the rhino taste the same as the bear?" and shortly a sampling of ALL the cookies wold ensue (for due diligence, of course.)

To this day I get a little bit of special delight from seeing Mother's Circus Animal cookies on a shelf or at a store. Our local frozen yogurt shops always stock them at the toppings bar and I never miss an opportunity to add 2, one pink and one white, to the very top of m yogurt creation. Then I reveal a secret smile as I recount the memories of childhood and past so vividly linked to them.

So it will come as no surprise, when contemplating the month of love and potential Valentine's Day content I was found reflecting back on Mother's Cookies. It had been far too long since I actually bought a bag of these delicious snacks, and the playful pink color was perfect for the theme of romance. But, to me, Mother's Cookies were also appropriate for mother's day, baby showers, Spring, and more. So many memories and so many smiles attached to this simple treat.

I decided I would not make a Valentine's Day recipe, but an any day of the year, all around pick me up, instant smile inducing, super simple recipe of deliciousness. And it was literally as simple as dumping a bag of Mother's Cookies Circus Animals into my food processor (your hand will fight you, but it's for the best,) and hand mixing the crumbs with a softened brick of cream cheese. This can get a little tedious so just keep rolling the blob of crumbles onto more crumbles, and folding them in until all dry ingredients are gone.

If you're as slightly twisted as me you can take your Circus Animal truffle 'dough' and shape it into a circus animal of you choice. then rip small sections off of your truffle dough and roll them into 1-1 1/2" balls. Place these balls on a piece of parchment paper on a plate or cutting board and refrigerate them (do not freeze, as freezing will cause issues with the 'coating' process.) Next, take some white and pink Wilton's chocolate melts and melt them (separately) for dipping. Add a little shortening to your melting chocolate to thin it out a little for smoother dipping and dip each ball into the chocolate, gently rolling it to coat it entirely.

Place your dipped balls on a clean sheet of parchment paper and toss some festive rainbow sprinkles atop before they set. Store these delicious balls of heaven in the fridge until ready to serve as they're best enjoyed cold (in my opinion.) These Circus Animal Cookie Truffles would be great at a girl's baby shower, first birthday, Easter gathering, on Mother's Day, or just because. They're so simple to make, why not make them more than once? After all, you don't need an excuse to feel like a kid again!

What Daughter Says: These truffles are adorable, but at least I don't parade them across the couch!

Circus Animal Cookie Truffles

***Click here for printable Circus Animal Cookie Truffles recipe.

National #CarrotCakeDay- Carrot Cake Truffles Recipe

Momma Told Me: Let them eat cake!

When polled, people worldwide agree that Carrot Cake is a favorite flavor- It ranks 3rd, behind 'Chocolate' and 'Vanilla,' a full 4 spots above Red Velvet and 6 above German Chocolate. But what, really, is the fascination with a cake chocked full of a vegetable? Zucchini Cake exists, but it's widely regarded much more as a bread or loaf, than a dessert. One might argue carrot cake is a favorite because people feel they are enjoying a 'healthier' treat- which is true in a sense. It's believed carrot cake was first make in medieval times during sugar shortages as carrots were found a suitable sweetener. But modern carrot cakes, at least the sort ordered at mass grocery retailers and main stream bakeries, are actually loaded with extra sugars- particularly the frosting.

Maybe it's the texture? You can hide a whole lot in a good carrot cake and have your guests be none-the wiser. In fact, ingredients such as raisins, coconuts, and shredded carrots help this cake keep it's wonderful moisture throughout many recipe variations. And, while I consider Carrot more of a Spice Cake and make mine on the low sugar end, I am constantly surprised by the number of people who clamor for a slice when I bring one of these cakes by. I have NEVER left a social event with a slice, or even some generous sized crumbs, of carrot cake on my serving dish- and I honestly can't say that about ANY other cake recipe, no matter how fancy.

Why? It's an easy cake to eat- it satisfies a sweet tooth craving without going over the top. As delicious as mud pie cakes and black raspberry truffle cakes are they are quite rich and only a small portion can be consumed before guilt and feelings of over indulgence kick in. I also prefer to serve my homemade frosting on the side- a great carrot cake doesn't need frosting at all, it is moist and perfectly sweet on it's own. Most importantly, your average carrot cake fan is NOT a huge sweet eater, and likely prefers to determine the amount of frosting they inhale themselves. This reminds me to try my hand at carrot cake cinnamon buns sometime, my frosting recipe would make a delicious icing!

But all of this is to say that today, February 3rd, is National Carrot Cake Day! I'm not sure why so many of these 'National Days' seem to be so off balance with the natural season of the topic. It would seem more fitting that this would fall in March, or more towards Spring at least- but the Groundhog has emerged from his hole, and I suspect the National Holiday Calendar is quite full- so I'll take the excuse to enjoy my favorite recipe in a while new twist.

So, today, I'm sharing Carrot Cake Truffles. They're more like carrot cake balls- but the word 'truffle' demands a bit of respect, so we'll go with that. The recipe is simple- you can take your favorite boxed carrot cake mix (for that I recommend Duncan Hines Supreme) and substitute it for my Carrot Cake Base- or prepare the recipe as it is. Essentially you're going to add a few extra texture and moistening ingredients to your usual carrot cake, bake it up, smash it into some fresh cream cheese frosting, roll it into balls, freeze, and dip in tempered chocolate. Hopefully your chocolate tempering goes better than mine- as this particular afternoon my chocolate didn't want to cooperate.

I like to double my cake portion of this recipe because the 'truffles' are very rich in condensed form and not everyone who enjoys carrot cake wants such a sweet bite- besides, I made these yesterday with a full SHEET of cake, and I don't have a slice left to show for it. That's how big a deal carrot cake is in my circles! So, since we're on the topic of cake, why don't you dish what your favorite cake is!

What Daughter Says: Carrot Cake may not be 'better for you' but it's definitely a good enough excuse to enjoy a slice now and then!

Carrot Cake Truffles

***Click here for printable Carrot Cake Truffles recipe

Hot Chocolate OREO Cookie Balls Recipe- Melt Them In Milk, Or Eat Them Whole (I Won't Judge)

This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

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