Christmas will be here in sixteen days, however, I have seven maybe eight days before all of my holiday cookie boxes need to readied for mailing. At the moment my list of what I would like to make has twenty-two confections on it. Clearly I have lost my mind (somewhat plausible), am having a severe case of indecisiveness (very plausible), or believe I can thrive on five hours a sleep a night for an extended period of time (serious deliriousness). At some point in the next couple of days I have to stop procrastinating and make some decisions on what to make as well make a baking plan to keep the chaos in the kitchen to a minimum (completely delusional). With a little more holiday shopping to finish, all the wrapping to do, and all of that holiday baking to get done, I really have no business making a new recipe. Especially one that can't be included in the holiday cookie boxes due to required refrigeration. But if there was ever a recipe where simplicity meets beautiful deliciousness it would be these Peppermint Oreo Truffles. So for all you who aren't overextending yourself in the kitchen this holiday season (wondering what that feels like) and are looking for a new, easy to make, certain to get oohs and aahs holiday confection to serve to your family and friends, you should definitely make these Peppermint Oreo Truffles. Really you should. These are insanely good!
If you Google Peppermint Oreo Truffles recipes, you will find a plethora of them. As much as I believe you should do your research before you try any new recipe, I am not at all suggesting you embark on that down the rabbit hole endeavor this time. But if you feel compelled to do so, I am pretty confident or maybe just very hopeful you will come back here to this recipe. And here's why.
Not all Peppermint Oreo Truffle recipes are the same. Some are made with the original Oreos and some are made with Peppermint Oreos. Because Peppermint Oreos aren't available year round, you need a Peppermint Oreo Truffle recipe you can make whenever your chocolate-peppermint truffle heart desires them. Some recipes call for melting chocolate chips and adding coconut oil and some call for using good quality chocolate designed for melting. This recipe calls for the later. I have never been a big fan of melting chocolate chips to coat candies or cookies. Some recipes call for crushing candy canes while others call for using peppermint extract. Not only are candy canes not available after the holidays, but who doesn't love a creamy versus crunchy truffle center? This recipe uses peppermint extract because you can control the amount of peppermint flavor, have a creamy center truffle, and still be able to make them year round. But oh, what about the peppermint sprinkles on top? How can that happen in June? Bags and/or jars of Crushed Peppermint Sprinkles have an incredibly long life expectancy. If you buy one now, I promise you will be able to make more than six batches of these truffles. Lastly, not all Peppermint Oreo Truffles call for the use of salt in the truffle mixture. A little bit of kosher salt always sends the flavor profile of these truffles over the edge.
Okay, are you ready to make some or rather should I say these drool worthy Peppermint Oreo Truffles? Fingers crossed you are!
Using a food processor to turn the Oreos into fine crumbs is much quicker than crushing them in a bag using the rolling pin method, but either option works. And for the creamiest truffle filling, allow your cream cheese to soften before mixing it with the crushed Oreos (several hours out of the refrigerator will generally get the cream cheese to the desired consistency).
Using a small ice cream scoop (one about 1 inch in diameter) helps to create uniform shaped and sized balls. If you want a smooth, candy store look rather than a slightly rustic finish to your truffles, you can roll them in your hand after you scoop them. To ensure they don't fall apart when being dipped in the melted chocolate, refrigerate them (covered) for at least 90 minutes.
Dark or semi-sweet chocolate and peppermint pair incredibly well together. Lately I have been melting my chocolate in the microwave, but the double boiler method works well too. Use whatever method you have the most success with.
Using a fork to drizzle the melted chocolate over the dipped truffles gives them a nice finish. After the drizzling, work quickly to lightly sprinkle with the crushed peppermint sprinkles.
The peppermint sprinkles not only add just the right amount of crunch to these sprinkles but slightly enhance the peppermint flavor too!
As much as I love Peppermint Bark and Peppermint Creams at the holidays, sometimes I want the flavor of peppermint to come in a cookie/cake like form. Put these Peppermint Oreo Truffles out on a beautiful platter and watch them disappear fast! More than likely you and everyone else will find it easy to pop more than a couple in your mouth. This is the kind of recipe one wants to make when the goal is to keep entertaining to feel as stress-free as possible. While store bought might be the epitome of stress free, nothing says love more than something homemade. So here's to keeping your sanity and sharing as much holiday love as possible!
Peppermint Oreo Truffles
Makes 40-42 one-inch truffles
Ingredients
46-48 Oreos (See Notes)
8 ounces (226 g) cream cheese, slightly softened
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract (I used 1/2 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
18-20 ounces good quality dark or semi-sweet chocolate (See Notes)
2-3 Tablespoons crushed candy canes or peppermint crunch sprinkles
Directions
1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the Oreos until they have a fine crumb consistency.
2. In a medium sized bowl, beat the cream cheese, peppermint extract, and salt until light and creamy.
3. Add the Oreo crumbs to the cream cheese mixture. Using a spatula, mix thoroughly to blend.
4. Using a small ice cream scoop (1" sized) make the truffle balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Note: You can roll the scooped balls in your hand until smooth if you want a 'candy store' look.
5. Place the pan of truffle balls in the refrigerator for at least 90 minutes.
6. Melt the chocolate using the microwave or double boiler method.
7. Dip the chilled truffle balls into the melted chocolate. Drizzle with additional chocolate using a pastry bag or top with crushed candy canes or peppermint crunch sprinkles.
8. Allow the chocolate to set completely before returning the truffles to the refrigerator.
9. Remove the truffles from the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before serving.
10. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Notes: (1) The Family size package of regular sized Oreos (1 lb. 3 oz or 541 g) is what I used to make these truffles. You may or may not end up with 2 to 4 extra Oreos. (2) I either buy my chocolate from a local candy store or use the Ghiradelli dark chocolate melting disks. There are many good quality chocolate options available at some specialty stores, Whole Foods, and on Amazon.
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