Crackballs!

Steph here. And no, I'm not a) on drugs, b) advocating violence against spherical sporting equipment or c) channeling Dr. Horrible. This is a recipe that Am & I were discussing last night and I thought "hey, I should totally post this". So I'm totally posting it.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have no idea who actually created these little marvels of culinary sinfulness. I wish I did; I'd find them and kiss them on the lips. So maybe it's better for all concerned that I don't know... Anyway. What was I saying? Oh yeah. "Crackballs" isn't the official name for these tasty treats. I think they're actually called Oreo Truffles, but I rarely call anything by its proper name, and the first time I ever made them, my husband took one bite and proclaimed them to be little balls of crack, and the name stuck. Mostly because I love the look I get when telling complete strangers about them. What can I say; I have a bit of an evil streak. Let's just say I come by it honestly. :)

What's that? Oh, right. "Get on with it." Can do. Here's the recipe:

Crackballs
1 pkg Oreos, crushed into oblivion (ideally with a food processor but if you've got some rage you need to work out...)
1 (8oz) block cream cheese, softened
1 bag Wilton CandyMelts (or whatever brand you prefer; this is just what I have easy access to)

The first thing to note is that you can mix the filling by hand, but I find that a hand mixer results in a smoother, more velvety texture. And you don't have to deal with digging filling out from under your fingernails. That being said, here are the directions. Make sure you print this or write these down or something; it gets uber complicated. (By the way, I also have a bit of a sarcastic streak. Hard to tell, I'm sure.)

1) Beat the cream cheese into submission.
2) Add crushed Oreos and mix until well-blended. If you're using an electric mixer, it might seem like your beaters are gonna get gunked up, but they won't. It'll be ok, honest.
3) Roll spoonfulls of the filling into balls. Make them as big or small as you want, just know that they're rather rich. I try to keep them small enough that you can eat them in one bite, two bites max. But that's just me; I tend to stuff them in my face and if I make them any bigger than two bites, things could get ugly.
4) Place the balls o' filling onto a plate/cookie sheet/whatever you have that's flat and will fit in your fridge. Chill in the refrigerator for anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight.
5) Melt the Candy Melts per package directions. Dip the crackballs into the chocolate and place onto a plate/cookie sheet/counter/whatever lined with parchment paper (the parchment paper is important; I learned that one the hard way...). Let them set for a while. Now, the warmer your house, the longer this process will take. Resist the urge to throw them back into the fridge. It doesn't affect the flavor, but it can make the chocolate look a little weird. Once they're set, drizzle with a contrasting color if you so desire, then take a picture because they'll be gone so fast that you won't be sure if you actually made them.

One of the gorgeous things about this recipe besides it being "stupid easy, y'all", to quote Kitchen Queen Paula Deen, is that you can get creative with them. They're beyond wonderful just as-is, but you can add a little of your favorite extract or liquor to the cream cheese for something different. Just don't add too much or it'll screw up the consistency of the filling and trying to make them retain anything even vaguely reminiscent of a ball-like shape will be a total pain in the ass, as will dipping them. Again, something I learned the hard way. If you do end up with swampy filling, just add more Oreos. I've found that stronger extracts like orange and peppermint do very well in this recipe because you don't need very much to get a nice flavor going.

Oh, one last tip (learned the hard way, of course): If you share your domicile with one or more human males, I strongly recommend that you squirrel a few of these away for yourself. Or use a flavoring that only you like. It might be the only way you get to eat any.

Enjoy!! :)