Do the Oreo Truffle Shuffle

I made these truffles for the first time last year when the recipe was circulating the internet cooking world and I've never looked back. They are so simple to make and taste like they took hours! This year when I asked what I should bring to my husband's grandmother's house for Thanksgiving I was told potato chips for the evening leftover turkey sandwich meal. Chips? Thats it? I was very disappointed because it would have given me a reason to bake since I've been trying to cut back on my random baking sessions that has left my waist in expanding proportions.

So I decided to be a rebel and make some truffles and cake balls (post to follow). They could munch on these before and after the meal, plus they are a favorite of my husbands!

Oreo Truffles

Source: KraftFoods.com

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Ingredients:

1 package (3 sleeves) Oreos
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
16 oz semi-sheet chocolate

For decorating: (optional)
sprinkles
white chocolate
cookie crumbs

Directions:

1. Crush Oreos either using a food processor or a freezer bag and a meat tenderizer (my preferred method). Mix cookie crumbs and cream cheese until when blended using a mixer or wooden spoon.

2. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Shape cookie mixture into one inch balls and place on sheet. Put baking sheet in freezer for 10-15 minutes so truffles can firm up.

3. Melt chocolate in saucepan on low, continuously stirring so chocolate doesn't burn. Once completely melted, dip balls into melted chocolate and place back on wax papered covered cookie sheet. I found that the easiest way is to use a fork in a spoonlike form. Not stabbing but ladling and allowing excess chocolate to drip back into pan through the prongs.

4. Sprinkle with cookie crumbs, sprinkles, or drip white chocolate onto the truffles to decorate. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Store in a tightly covered container or can be frozen.

Turkey Chimichangas

You know when your trying on your favorite jeans and you discover that they now resemble painted on denim? Yea, its about that time. I went a little crazy on the baked goods on here lately and my pants are cursing me for it. So I'm working some healthy recipes back into the rotation and cutting back on baked goods. I'll miss you, friend.

This recipe is originally from Weight Watchers but it used refried beans. um...no. Just the sound of it brings me back to to the old days of Chi-chi's restaurants and the rumors that they would scrape the leftover beans onto the next guest's plate. Gives me nightmares, so the beans were out.

The best part of this recipe is that they are incredibly filling and very good! So good I made them twice in one week! AND my anti-healthy food husband also enjoyed them!

Turkey Chimichangas
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Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 small red onion
1 green pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 can diced chilies, drained
8 oz of salsa plus additional for dipping
1 cup lowfat cheddar or taco cheese
1 serving cooking spray (5 1-second sprays)
low or non-fat sour cream for dipping
6 burrito sized tortillas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Coat a 13x9 pan with cooking spray. Wrap tortillas in foil and heat for 10 minutes.

2. Add turkey, onion, and green pepper to skillet until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain any excess liquid and add salsa, chilies, and chili powder. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir in cheese until starts to melt.

3. Assemble chimichangas by evenly distributing mixture among tortillas. Fold in sides and roll up. Place in prepared baking dish and cook for 20 minutes, until tortilla are crisp. Optional: Place under broil for a minute to brown. Serve with 2 tablespoons salsa and 1 tablespoon sour cream

The Best Oatmeal Cookies

This month I participated in an online recipe exchange and the theme was Fall Favorites. I was lucky enough to not get some crazy chicken pumpkin ice cream or something.

This recipe came with the name Best Oatmeal Cookie and while I can say that they don't beat my mother's neighbor's oatmeal cookies (I swear he slips a bit of crack in those babies) these came pretty damn close!

They are more cakey than cookie...y? cookiey, is that a word? Whatever, you catch my drift! I'll definitely make these again until I can break into that cookie crack dealer's house and steal his secret recipe.

I subsituted dried cranberries for the pecans because, less face it, I'm too cheap to pay 5.99 for a bag of nuts that I could live without. It's a recession, people! I also ditched the vanilla because I forgot to grab some at the store. Oh, and I have no clue what rolled oats are so I just grabbed some regular Quaker Oats. Readers, help?

Best Oatmeal Cookies

Source: Allrecipes.com

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Ingredients:

3 eggs, beaten
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup chopped pecans (I subsituted 1 cup dried cranberries)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, raisins, and vanilla. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture and stir until all of the dry ingredients are absorbed. Next, stir in the egg and raisin mixture, then stir in the rolled oats and pecans. Dough will be stiff. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an unprepared cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are golden. Allow cookies to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Apple Spice Cookie Bars

I had this recipe saved for a while from Good Things Catered. Luckily I had almost all the ingredients. Except for cloves, but they remind me of those nasty clove cigarettes that the hippies always smoke at the bar. NO THANKS.

These bars were great! Very easy to throw together on a whim.

Apple Spice Cookie Bars
Source:Good Things Catered
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Ingredients:
2 c. plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
small pinch ground cloves (omitted)
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 apples, cored and diced (a little less than 2 c.)
cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 9x13 pan with foil and baking spray.

2. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Whisk to combine well and set aside.

3. In bowl of stand mixer, combine sugars and butter and beat on medium high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to combine. Add vanilla extract and beat to combine. Turn mixer on slow and fold in flour mixture a little at a time until just combined. Fold in apples.

4. Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan and sprinkle top generously with cinnamon sugar. Place in oven and bake until cooked through, when top slightly bounces back to the touch, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from pan, cutting and serving. (bars will be very soft)