padicakes: Christmas Party and Oreo Ball Tutorial

Day 5 of the Idea Room Photo a Day December is themed for Sparkly! This was easy as we got ready for our 12th annual Angel Tree Christmas Party. Every year we choose the names of 2 children from our local Salvatrion Army's Angel Tree program. They find children in need of extra help this year and list their need on an Angel card and then you bring the gifts back and they distribute them to the families. The first year, my husband and I did it on our own, but then thought we could give so much more if we enlisted friends. So, since many like to give at the holidays but don't always know how, we planned a party around it. We send out the childrens needs with our invites every year and then everyone can brings gifts to the party and enjoy food friends and fun. Even those who may not want to bring a gift are enlisted to help wrap the gifts. Its an enjoyable night and gives everyone the chance to think of and serve another person at the beginning of the Christmas business!

These oreo balls are AMAZING!!! They were the first thing gone and the most requested refill item at our party. They are also super easy, and did I mention they taste AMAZING? Well, it's worth mentioning again and again! To make these balls all you need is a package of regular oreos, chocolate or vanilla are both delicious, an 8oz package of cream cheese and some melting chocolate. You can use candy melts as well, but these are my favorite because they melt so smooth and are so rich in texture and taste!

Oreo Balls Recipe:
1 package of Oreos

1 8oz. package of cream cheese at room temperature

16 oz of dipping chocolate

Place Oreos and cream cheese in a food processor or blender and mix until a fine crumb.
Scoop out enough to roll 1 inch balls, I use a cookie scoop to ensure they are all the same size, and roll them into smooth balls.
Place them on a wax paper covered cookie sheet and into the fridge about 30 minutes.
Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave for a minute and then 30 second incriments until it is a smooth ribbon when falling off a stirring spatula.
let the balls sit for a minute or two, then using either a fork or a toothpick, dip each ball into the chocolate, gently taping off the excess chocolate until the ball is smooth.

you can leave them at that or place them in the fridge for 5 minutes just to harden them up when finished. For these I sprayed them with gold Chefmaster edible spray. I think it gives a more true metallic color than the Wilton brands, but I have used the wilton brands as well and they are fine. After the spray dried, I went over them with a dusting edible gold shimmer dust of just to get that really shimmery look!
I think they are best served cold, so I keep them in the fridge, but my daughter loves them warm and gooey inside, so to each their own! Enjoy!!