Oreo Balls

Oreo Balls!   I first time I tried these I was at my friend Cheryl's home.  She is the mother of my beautiful Godson, Quinn.   When you taste one of these for the first time, you remember where you were.  I had never tasted something so rich and perfectly Oreo before in my life.  The Oreo taste is unmistakable, but the texture is dreamy, soft, and rich.  I asked her for the recipe, and she happily passed it on because she said she got the recipe from a friend of hers.

Yesterday, my sister-in-law, Becky, called looking for this recipe to take to my brother, Tony's, work Christmas party. These are a perfect treat to take to a party.  They are easy to make and always a big hit.  It touches some heart strings from most people's childhood -- Oreo cookies.  Because it is made out of this childhood cookie.  It is a bit nostalgic and a bit sinfully decadent; let's face it, most of us don't eat Oreos anymore --- most of us -- I am not saying all.  My home has Oreos; thank you husband for your little craving.  Baking isn't Becky's passion, but I know she will successfully make these Oreo balls. And I am sure they will make her a big hit at my brother's Christmas party.

Here is the recipe sister----

Oreo Balls

1 regular size package of oreos
1 package of cream cheese 12 oz (brick, not tub) softened (leave out on counter for awhile)
1 package of almond bark or 2 packages of white chocolate (I always use the almond bark)
a pinch of salt

Crush the Oreos by hand with a rolling pin in a sealed plastic bag or in a food processor. Completly mix cream cheese, crushed Oreos, and a bit of salt.  Cover bowl and place in refrigerator until firm.  Take mixture out of refrigerator and form into small bit sized balls about 1 inch in size. Place balls on wax paper on a cookie sheet and put in the refrigerator for about an hour. Melt almond bark by placing some (not all) in a glass bowl and putting in the microwave on high for 2 minutes. Take bark out of microwave stir until melted and then add more bark and put back into the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until all bark has been added and is melted. Or you could use a double boiled; it is up to you.   Once bark is melted, use tooth picks to dip the Oreo balls in the white bark and then place them back on waxed paper and back into the refrigerator.  Once hardened, place balls in a sealed container.  Store in refrigerator.   Enjoy these rich little treats with the nostalgic taste !

Yummy French Toast

I have made French Toast for years.  And I am sure you have too, but I have finally landed on my perfect mixture of flavors that makes for the best french toast ever. My husband and my son love it; I hope you will too.  However my picky son doesn't like the leftovers warmed up the next day.  So it is a good thing that it is easy to make this fresh on demand.  I am posting pictures of my french toast and maple sausage links from this morning.  Here is the recipe I have come up with.

As always the measurements are flexible-- cooking is an art not a science.

Yummy French Toast
(These measurements are approximate for 6 pieces of thick bread)

Start with preparing the honey so it will cool off by the time you put it in your mixture

1 Tablespoon honey(microwave it for 20 -30 seconds in a glass bowl this will make the honey thinner and easier to mix with your other ingredients -- remember you don't want to put plastic in the micro -- let it cool off before adding it to the other ingredients)

 4 large eggs
a splash of milk
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cap full (about 1teaspoon) vanilla
a pinch of salt to balance the flavors

thick Italian bread
butter
powder sugar for decoration

Directions:

Mix ingredients adding honey when not so hot.  Place bread in a shallow dish and pour mixture over the bread.  Flip bread to get bread fully saturated with yummy mixture. Let sit for as long as need.  Warm up your pan on medium heat and melt some butter (real butter is key at this point -- if you use real butter in the pan, you will not have to put butter on the french toast once it is finished) to coat the pan for use. Place bread in pan and turn after about 2 - 3 minutes depending on thickness of bread.  Place cooked pieces in a 200 degree oven to keep warm.  Once finished with all your toast, sprinkle with powered sugar and serve. It will be yummy and soft.