Happy New Year, my friends!
I hope that everyone’s end of the year was as spectacular and restful as mine. A two-week break from work, spending some much needed time with my family in Maine, snuggling my two dogs, and ringing in the New Year with my fiancé, I couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful vacation! Another plus? It snowed a lot while I was home! Well, one day and one blizzard, but enough for us to be stuck in the house for most of it! The dogs absolutely loved it (see Instagram) and it gave us all an excuse to lounge around for the day.
So, while Christmastime is by far one of my favorite times of the year, cue Michael Bublé and Elf and Gingerbread houses, I am pretty excited for 2016! I mean, I’m getting MARRIED this year!
What?!!?
Yes. Eight and a half months away!! You could say that I’m kinda sorta super duper excited about it!—even had my first dress fitting and met with our wedding cake maker over the holidays…which included over an hour of stuffing my face with multiple kinds of cake/buttercream/filling combos…
So 2016 is going to be amazing with just the wedding alone! What else is new about this year? Oh, well I started a KBB Dessert of the Month Club! (Inquire if interested!) Each month I’ll be sending out a lovely package full of homemade baked goodies, my own recipes, and many not posted to the website (just yet), but some will be—including the recipe below!
How did I decide to start the DOTM Club? While I believe that anyone can truly bake anything, posted on my site and others, sometimes you really just 1. Don’t have time, 2. Just aren’t too into baking, but love to eat desserts, or 3. Love to get yummy, homemade goodies sent to you! And so was born this fabulous little club. (For January, I am sending out some to die for coconut macaroons as well as these simply delectable Oatmeal Raisin Truffles! )
To me, January is all about two things: getting back into your healthy habits (aka less gingerbread, more kale) and staying cozy while the temperature drops to -10˚F. The Oatmeal Raisin Truffles are more on the guilt free end of the spectrum of many of my desserts. They are bite size (so try and restrain yourself from eating the entire 4 dozen batch) and they are relatively low in the fat and sugar department, because, to bind properly, I’ve loaded them with a LOT of oats and a TON of raisins! And to finish, coating them in a dark chocolate is optional!
Yes, it’s cookie dough, yes it’s a dessert, but you really only need to eat 1, maybe 2, to feel satisfied! While this recipe may not be a beet-kale protein smoothie, it is a spice-packed, fiber-filled oatmeal raisin cookie truffle that’ll satisfy the start to your amazing 2016!
ingredients
Butter, room temperature—4 oz, or ½ C
Brown Sugar—5.25 oz, or ¾ C
Vanilla Extract—0.2 oz, or 1 tsp
Milk—2 oz, or ¼ C
Flour—4.25 oz, or 2/3 C
Salt—0.1 oz, or ½ tsp
Cinnamon—0.1 oz, or 1 tsp
Nutmeg—¼ tsp
Oats—6 oz, or 2 C
Raisins—4 oz, or ¾ C
Chocolate—8 oz
Butter—1 TBL
Sprinkles—optional
process
Cream together the butter and brown sugar.
Add the milk and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, oats and raisins.
Slowly add into your creamed mixture.
Once you have combined all of the ingredients, and a dough has formed, scoop out into whatever size truffle that you’d like.
You may either use a small scoop or a scale, like I prefer to do. I weigh each ball into 0.5 ounces, just the right size to pop into your mouth!
Place all of your scooped dough onto a sheet tray lined with parchment or a Silpat and put into the refrigerator to firm up, for about an hour.
When you’re ready to dip your truffles, make a double boiler using a medium sized pot filled with about an inch of water, and then a heat safe bowl on top. Make sure that the water is not directly touching the bottom of the bowl; you do not want to scorch your chocolate!
Turn the burner onto medium-low heat.
In the bowl, place your chocolate and butter, making sure to stir every few minutes so that the chocolate melts evenly.
Once melted, begin to dip your chilled cookie dough truffles.
You may either dip the entire ball, or just half, whatever you’d like!
I then put a little bit of sprinkles on top of each truffle before the chocolate sets, because, well, why not!
Allow the chocolate to firm up, and enjoy!
Bon Appétit!