Flavor of the Month: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

The Flavor of the Month for February was chocolate!  In a month containing a holiday celebrated with large, heart-shaped boxes filled with chocolate goodies, this seemed quite appropriate :-) 

Unfortunately, I have to admit that I'm not a member of the chocolate worshipers. While the sheer idea of chocolate causes some to start salivating, I could really take it or leave it. I don't really have any specific reasons for this as I like certain things - chocolate chip cookies, milk chocolate in most forms, but chocolate just doesn't hold that desirability in my book.

Enter these chocolate chip cookie dough truffles.  Between the chocolate chips in the dough and the outer chocolate coating, they have enough chocolate to technically qualify as chocolate. And they definitely fit the bill of delicious! They also made the perfect post-exam treat. Especially when it's one of those exams that you'd rather forget...

My younger brother actually came up with this recipe around Christmas and my family devoured them. I do have to warn you that they make a ton! When my brother made them, he got somewhere between 3-4 dozen. I apparently made mine smaller because I had closer to 5-6 dozen (it's tough to get an exact count when you have to make sure they "taste okay"). The cookie dough has no eggs, so there's no worry about eating raw eggs. Nevertheless, it's probably better to keep these refrigerated. It also adds another step into sneaking one out of the container. I have to sneak into the fridge as well as the kitchen :-)

You've got to try these out even if you don't technically have anywhere to take them. We all need a little treat every once and awhile, and who doesn't love cookie dough - with just a little bit of chocolate :-)

(Printable Recipe) 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
From Trent S. (my brother)

Ingredients:
2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. skim milk (or soy milk)
1 c. semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
chocolate and vanilla almond bark

Beat butter and sugars and in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed (or by hand) until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.

Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.

When dough is firm enough to handle (it may help to lightly flour your hands), form dough into 1″ balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. 

Melt chocolate candy coating in a double boiler or in microwave according to package directions. Using forks or a dipping tool, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Tap fork on side of pan to remove any excess coating, and return to waxed paper-lined baking sheets. When firm, can decorate with more melted chocolate. Chill until set. Store, chilled, in an airtight container for up to 1 week (though good luck making them last that long). 

Craving more chocolate? Head over to the Flavor of the Month post at Bake at 350 to check out what others made!

Flavor of the Month: Pumpkin Blondies with Cinnamon and White Chocolate Chips

I recently stumbled across a baking club here on bakeat350.blogspot.com called Flavor of the Month. Basically, there is a theme for each month, and you get to pick a recipe to make that fits the theme. It seems to be realitively informal - you bake along if you want to, but there's no formal requirement to participate each month.

The "pumpkin craze" hadn't really hit me until I made these. Truthfully, I had bookmarked a couple pumpkin-flavored treats, but no pumpkin flavors had graced our apartment until I made these bars last night because I have been on an apple kick. I've still got a couple apple recipes in the works, but in the past 24 hours, I have made big plans for my remaining cans of pumpkin! I found the recipe here on Maria's blog: Two Peas and Their Pod. Maria's recipes are always awesome! I highly recommend that you check out her blog!

These bars are amazing! They are more of a "cake bar" than a cookie bar - the pumpkin lends that texture to them. They also contain the coveted cinnamon chips that I am currently LOVE. I have never, ever been so happy to find a product in a grocery store ;-) My bars were finished cooking right at the 35 minute check time. As I've said before, I am suspicious that my apartment complex oven cooks a litte on the warm side, but you may want to check on these bars as they bake.

Enjoy and check out all the other fun pumpkin treats at bakeat350.blogspot.com at the end of the month!

(Printable Recipe)

Pumpkin Blondies with Cinnamon and White Chocolate Chips

Adapted from: Two Peas and Their Pod

2 c. all-purpose flour

1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

2 sticks butter, room temperature

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 c. white chocolate chips

1 c. cinnamon chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. With an electric mixer, cream butter and both sugars until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well blended. Add the pumpkin puree. Mix in the flour mixture by hand until just combined. Do not overmix. Stir in the white chocolate chips and cinnamon chips.

Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. The sides will pull away from the pan and brown a little. Do the toothpick test to see if it comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan. Cut into squares and serve.

See all the other yummy recipes at bakeat350.blogspot.com on Oct. 31st!