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Ohh Ohhhh Oreo Balls

Bakerella.  You know her?

If not, let me introduce you!!  She's the master.  I look to her for all creative ventures in baking.  Seriously.  And you should, too.

I've made treats that I've seen on her website before.  Cake pops!  I wrote about it here.  

Recently, I saw Oreo Truffles on her site and they sounded SOOO easy to make.  I tried them out that night and what do you know?.... they ARE sooo easy to make.  Oh AND, so so so delicious!!!!!  People have been known to do crazy things during and after eating these things.

First, you crush up the Oreos.  The whole lot of them.  But just do a bit at a time so it's easier.  You could use a food processor - but I opt for the big weird wooden hand-me-down food hammer thing - because it is what I have!

Keep a few out - just to eat.  That is important.

Keep crushing.

And combine all of the powdery Oreo debris into a mixing bowl.

Take an 8 oz block of cream cheese and just flop the whole thing into the bowl.

Mix it super well until it's thick like play-doh.  Then roll it into bite-sized balls.

Stick the balls in the freezer for 20 minutes to harden a bit.  This helps a LOT when coating them in the chocolate.

I decided to use white chocolate.  You can find these at Jo-Anns!

Look how cute!!!!

 

I'm bringing these into work for a co-workers birthday.

I think they're going to be a hit!

Sometimes You've Got to Improvise

Today I woke up and decided that I really wanted to have a picnic.  It looked like a really nice day and I wanted to take advantage of it!

Evan and I went to the grocery store and we came back and were going to set a blanket out in the grass outside of our little porch area by our apartment and have a picnic, relax and enjoy the sun.

When I went to set the blanket outside... I saw a terrible massacre.  There was a birds nest that we had been watching grow for the past few weeks - that had fallen down from the post it was on (the fall was at least 11 or 12 feet!).  There was one egg - cracked open - on our porch.  The nest was down in the grass sideways and the other eggs were cracked and spilled on the edge of the porch and grass area.  Blood.  And need I say it - baby birdies.  They did not look like birds yet, though.  I won't describe anymore except to say it was absolutely gross.  

I was sooo sad and disturbed.  Who could have a picnic now - right next to the site of a tragedy?!?!

I ran back inside.  Upset and a little nauseous.

Evan ran and grabbed the blanket, the food, drink, plates - and started causing a scene in the hallway.  He improvised.  He made me feel better.

We had a romantic indoor picnic in the hallway.  We had some 1950's classics playing softly in the background.  We had Kung-Pao noodles and Sushi.  There was no sunshine but we enjoyed each other's company and that was the best part.  I am pretty sure I have the greatest husband ever.

WTF

Sometimes I totally love people.

Sometimes... I am honestly really confused and shocked by them.

Evan and I were at Del Mar, a mexican food place by our apartment.  It's nothing special or local, just a corporate food chain restaurant.  But it's food and it's within walking distance so we go.

They had little table tents with info about how they're "Going Green".

It was clearly a lie. 

Do they take me for a FOOL??

I can't tell you that I know all of the facts about polystyrene (styrofoam) but I can assume that there's a better choice for them to make when it comes to the cups they use.

When people give "duh" solutions to "going green" it sorta annoys me.  

Don't tell me things that are common sense - that is insulting!  

Walk instead of drive?  Oh really??

Don't turn up the heat - put on a sweater!  Aaahhhrrg.

Replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones?  Ok tell me something I haven't already done 5 years ago.

How about - don't use materials that are not biodegradable!!!

(grrr.. sorry to rant)

Cake Balls: Re-Do!

In my last post I showed my failed attempt at making Bakerella's cake balls.

Today I tried again with the proper ingredients, better cake, and sucker sticks.

They totally worked!

And they're really yummy.

Now I have a favorite new treat to make!!

Bakerstiltskin

I'm not a baker.

I'm not even much of a cook.

But I do try!!

There is this amazing baking blog called Bakerella 

(in reference to Barbarella, an awesome '60's movie you MUST see).  

Everything that Bakerella does is absolutely stunning.  Her baking, her photographs and her easy to follow tutorials.  

I decided I really wanted to try to make cake pops!  

They look like they might be complicated.. but when I read the directions they sounded so easy!!!  Easy and fun, even!  So after work I went and tried to get all of the necessary ingredients.

They didn't have sucker sticks at the store, so I decided to go with cake balls which look almost just as fun.

And they didn't have those candy chips that you melt for the coating... so I thought I'd just use chocolate chips.  Chocolate... melty... all the same, right?

So I made the cake...

Now here is where things get interesting.

Remembering what I read on Bakerella... I crumbled up the cake into a fine crumbly mess.  I then added almost the whole can of cream cheese icing.  Hand mixed it up - the fun/messy/gross part...

Rolled it into balls and stuck them in the freezer.

All is going well so far!!

 

Now remember how I said I had to substitute the chocolate candy bark with regular chocolate chips?

I melted the chips properly and they melted nicely.

 

But  it was a little thick to dip the cake balls into, so I thought... how about I add just a little bit of milk?

And that happened.  And it would not melt - AT ALL.  HUH??

So melted chocolate + bit of milk = hard ball of chocolate fudge??

WOW.

Kay... so... I could not cover the cake balls in anything.  

Now I just have naked cake balls and a giant ball of chocolate!  HAHAHA.

"A" for effort?