Oreo Cookie Ball Santa Hats

These adorable Santa Hat Oreo Cookie Balls are sure to get you in the Christmas spirit!

This past Saturday was our 3rd annual Christmas Cookie Exchange at my mom's friend's house.  As in the years past, everyone brought gorgeous cookies!  We enjoyed a delicious lunch, good company, and fun cookies.  Though I have to say, the newest addition to our group absolutely stole the show! 

I don't think anyone minded though!

If you've been anywhere on social media (especially Pinterest!) since October, I'm sure you've seen all kinds of Christmas cookie ideas.  I spent a good amount of time looking for the perfect cookie to bring to the cookie exchange.  When I saw these Santa Hats, I knew I had scored! I'd previously made S'mores Thumbprint Cookies and Christmas colored Swirl Cookies, so I wanted to keep my tradition of creative cookies.

I do have to admit that these cookies were much more time consuming than I had expected.  However the cuteness factor made it worthwhile, and they are pretty tasty too!  Though time consuming, the method of making these cookies is quite simple.  Mix together crushed cookies and cream cheese, shape into hats, dip in melted chocolate, and then decorate.  I had fun making them and I think you will too!

Oreo Cookie Ball Santa Hats

Makes 18-20 cookies

Ingredients:
1 package Oreo cookies
1 package cream cheese
2-3 cups Red Candy Melts
1 cup White Candy Melts
18-20 mini marshmallows
white sprinkles (optional)

1.  Crush the Oreo cookies in your food processor. (Depending on the size of yours, you may need to do this in batches.)

2.  Combine the crushed cookies and cream cheese in a medium bowl.  You can use a mixer or your hands (like I did!)

3.  Scoop out cookie "dough" and roll into 1" balls.  Then pinch the top of the balls into a cone shape.

4.  Place formed hats on a parchment lined cookie sheet and place in your freezer for about an hour.

5.  In a microwave safe measuring cup, melt the red candy melts.  I usually do mine for a minute and then additional 15 second increments until the candy has melted and can be stirred smooth. (Actual time may depend on your microwave.)

6.  Dip each cookie hat into the melted red candy, allow the excess coating to drip off, and then place the cookie back on the cookie sheet until the candy hardens.

7.  While the red candy is hardening, melt the white candy melts.

8.  Dip the bottoms of the hats in white candy.  Return to the cookie sheet to harden.

9.  If desired, moisten the marshmallows with water and then roll in white sprinkles.  (I just got my fingertips wet and then touched the marshmallows to moisten them.)

10.  Dip one side of the marshmallow in the white candy and then attach it to the top of the red hat.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Source: Shugary Sweets

Christmas in July Link Party

I hope you've enjoyed the Christmas in July blog party this week!  In case you've missed a day...

We've had some delicious food posts:  

Wouldn't these Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls be a delicious Christmas morning breakfast?

There's a great Christmas recipe round-up at Mary's blog

Some beautiful handmade Christmas crafts:

This poinsettia stocking as absolutely gorgeous!  I think I might make one this year!

 

And some beautiful handmade Christmas cards:

Nicole shared some of her beautiful cards that she's been working on



Sharon shared some great ideas for displaying Christmas cards.  I love this one!

You know that Christmas is my very favorite time of the year.  The excitement is all around and it's so contagious.  Christmas in July can be just as fun.  I'd like to invite you to link up some of your favorite Christmas recipes, crafts, and ideas.  Here are some of my favorite Christmas recipes:

These caramel puffs are delicious--I don't know why I only make them around Christmas!

These Rolo Pretzel Bites are so quick and easy to make.  Plus you can dress them up with Christmas colored M&M's!

This Spritz Cookies were my first experience with Royal Icing!  They're fun to decorate for winter :)

Peanut Butter Balls are a Christmas tradition in Mike's family.  A tradition I'm all over!

Pecan Snowballs are my favorite Christmas cookie.  They just melt in your mouth!

Hot Chocolate Mix makes a great homemade gift!

These Strawberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies are simple to make and so delicious!

These Melting Snowman Cookie Balls are almost too cute to eat...almost...

Hot Chocolate Snowballs are a fun variation of my favorite cookies!

This Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake is a great Christmas morning breakfast!

How about a nice hot drink to warm up?  This Cider Wassail fits the bill!

Don't forget about these cute Snowman Cookies!

Now it's your turn!  Link up and be sure to visit some of the other links for great inspiration!

Snowman Cookies

Merry Christmas!!!!

Uh wait...it's only July...it must be Christmas in July!

I've always wanted to celebrate Christmas in July, but until now, I haven't before.  Unless you count listening to Christmas music in July.   I love Christmas music so much that I listen to it year-round.  If a Christmas song comes on my iPod, I rarely skip to the next song (unless someone is with me...most people think I'm weird for listening to Christmas music when it's not Christmas!)

Anyway, I'm thrilled to be hosting one of three food stops on this Christmas in July blog party.  You can view the other two food parties at ADD Housewife and Go Ahead...Take A Bite!

On to the recipe...

As a kid, I loved to make snowmen with my family.  We'd always eagerly wait for the snow to be deemed perfect packing snow and out we'd go.  We'd grab my dad's hat and scarf, a couple old brooms, a carrot, and a bunch of rocks.  Creating snowmen is one of my favorite winter memories!

What is cuter than a snowman? How about a snowman you can eat?  As I was thinking about what recipe to share, I wanted to come up with something fun that anyone can enjoy.  I think kids of all ages (even big kids like me *smile*) would enjoy making these fun and tasty snowmen cookies.  They're a fun treat for a snow day (anybody wishing for snow in the middle of this HOT July?) or a Christmas party. 

I hesitate to share detailed directions for this recipe, but I will anyway. Just keep in mind that the measurements won't be exact because it depends on how thickly you coat your cookies with the chocolate. If you don't want to coat an entire package of cookies, that's fine too!  If you want to make the smaller (1 piece) snowmen, use Nutter Butter cookies, for a 3 piece snowman, use Oreos.  Just have fun with it!

Snowman Cookies

You will need:
1 (16 ounce) package Candy-Quick white chocolate
1 package Nutter Butter cookies or Oreo cookies
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
food coloring

1.  Melt the white chocolate according to the package directions.

2.  Scoop 1 Tablespoon of melted chocolate into 3 separate small bowls.  Add food color to achieve desired colors.  I used red for the mouth, blue for the eyes, orange for the nose, and semi-sweet chocolate for the buttons.

3.  Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a small bowl and set aside.

4.  Dip cookies into the melted chocolate using a fork to remove it.  Gently wiggle the fork with the cookie on it to allow excess chocolate to drip off.

5.  Place dipped cookies on waxed paper to harden.

6.  Scoop the colored chocolates and semi-sweet chocolate into small sandwich bags with a hole snipped in the corner (or pastry bags) and decorate the dipped cookies as desired. 


Be sure to check back each day this week for the other party posts!

Tuesday:  Hand Crafted Items at Stone Gable and Living on Cyprus Hill
Wednesday:  Cookie Exchange at Laughter and Grace
Thursday:  Christmas Card Ideas at Scraptastic Memories and Mrs. Hines Class
Friday:  Your turn!  Share your favorite Christmas recipes, crafts, and decor ideas--you can link up on my blog!

Have you ever celebrated Christmas in July?

Melting Snowmen Cookie Balls

Have you ever made something that's way to cute to eat?  I think these little melting snowmen certainly fit that description!  This was my mother-in-law's pick for our 2nd annual Christmas baking day last weekend.  These little snowman are really quite simple to put together, they just require a little time and patience, and the outcome is both cute and delicious!  I think this would be the perfect activity for kids to do over Christmas break.  I'm still a kid at heart, and I had so much fun making these!

Melting Snowmen Cookie Balls

Makes 48

You will need:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
24 Nutter Butter cookies (just less than 1 package), crushed
4 blocks almond bark, melted
1/4 cup peanut butter*
48 mini Oreo cookies
food coloring

1.  In a medium mixing bowl, mix cream cheese and crushed Nutter Butter cookies until well combined. (We used our hands.)

2.  Roll into 48 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet.  Freeze for 10 minutes or until they are firm.

3.  Dip cookie balls into melted chocolate (with or without peanut butter, see note below). 

4.  Place dipped balls on a wax paper lined tray.  Allow the excess chocolate to pool below the snowmen. 

5.  Place a mini Oreo on top of the cookie ball while the chocolate is still wet.

6.  When all the balls have been dipped and topped with an Oreo, let them sit until the chocolate has hardened. 

7.  Divide remaining melted chocolate into 3 small bowls and color each bowl either blue, orange, or red with the food coloring. (I used 4 drops of blue, 4 drops of red, and 1 drop of red with 3 drops of yellow for the orange.)

8.  Scoop each color of chocolate into small ziploc bags and snip a tiny piece off the corner to make a piping bag.  Decorate each snowman with eyes, a nose, and a mouth.  (If you have decorating icing, you could use that to create the faces instead of coloring the chocolate.)

*The original recipe from Kraft Food & Family magazine called for 1/4 cup of peanut butter to be added to the melted chocolate.  We did that and ended up with tan snowmen instead of white.  Kraft has since edited the recipe to take out the peanut butter.  You can leave it in or omit it.

Slightly adapted from: Kraft

Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut Butter Balls (12/18/10)

This are a Christmas tradition in Mike's family, so we couldn't have our baking day without making these!

You will need:

2 cups butter

2 cups peanut butter (Smooth or chunky)

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 pounds powdered sugar

12 ounces chocolate chips

1/2 bar cooking wax

1. Whip butter.

2. Add cream cheese and peanut butter.

3. Slowly add powdered sugar. The mixture will become stiff to mix, so knead with your hands if necessary.

4. Chill until workable.

5. Form into 1/2 inch balls.

6. Chill again. (Only needs about 30 minutes this time)

7. Melt chocolate chips and wax in a saucepan over medium heat.

8. Dip peanut butter balls into chocolate and place on cookie sheet until set.

Pretzel Bites

Pretzel Bites (12/17/10)
These are so simple to make and they really look great in a glass bowl! They are good gifts for Christmas, or easy snacks to make for last minute company!

You will need:

Circle pretzels
Rolos
M&Ms

1. Place pretzels on a cookie sheet.
2. Unwrap Rolos and place 1 Rolo in the middle of each pretzel.
3. Bake at 300 for 3-4 minutes. Chocolate should just be melted and have a shine to it when you remove it from the oven.
4. Press 1 M&M into the center of each chocolate.
5. Cool until set.