Spumoni Truffle Squares & Peppermint Oreo Truffles

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Okay, so here is my story. I work in a city about 30 miles from where I live. Yesterday I made these wonderful goodies for a weekend catering and planned to *shoot* their photos this afternoon - hoping to have some nice DAYLIGHT to work with, lol. Problem with that is we got much more snow than was predicted thru the work day today and I am stuck - well, I am going to daughter's home for the night (glad I have a bag packed in my car) and won't make it home until tomorrow (at least I hope I get home tomorrow, lol). So I am going to go ahead and share these wonderful goodies BUT I am going to use Pinetrest photos (with credits) and I'll swap them out for my own when I can get home. Whew!!

It isn't CHRISTmas if you haven't made CANDY -- well, I am not sure that this is exactly candymaking but as close as I am going to come this year. BTW, I sampled only tiny pieces of each of these I highly recommend BOTH of these yummy recipes -- BUT I gotta get them out of my freezer because they are CALLING MY NAME, lol!

Photo Credit: Associated Press

Spumoni Truffle Squares
(Printable Version)

Two 12-ounce bags white chocolate bits
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup lightly chopped pistachios
1 cup lightly chopped dried cherries
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Coat a 9-by-9-inch pan with cooking spray. Line with waxed or parchment paper, allowing excess to overhang the edges of the pan.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium-low, combine the white chocolate bits and sweetened condensed milk. Heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla, pistachios and cherries. Transfer to the prepared pan. Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips over the top. Refrigerate until completely chilled, about 2 hours.
3. Using the overhanging edges of the waxed or parchment paper to help, lift the truffle square out of the pan. Trim any uneven edges, then cut into 1-inch squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Makes 64 squares.

Photo Credit : KRAFT Foods

Peppermint Oreo Truffles
(Printable Version)

6 candy canes, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup), divided
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 pkg (16.6 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed
2 pkg (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted (I did 1 semi-sweet and 1 white chocolate)

Reserve 1 Tbsp chopped candy. Mix remaining candy with cream cheese and cookie crumbs until well blended. Shape into 48 (1-inch) balls. Freeze 10 min. Dip balls in melted chocolate; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan. Sprinkle with reserved candy. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Makes 48 Truffles.