Foodie Non-Friday: Oreo Truffle Brownies

So…I know you have all been ruminating upon what delightful treat you should make to bring to your Fourth of July party.

And I have the answer…regardless of what it is you have been assigned to bring.

OK, that might not be entirely true. I have a great dessert option for you.

And I am giving this to you well-in advance (ok maybe "well" is pushing it a bit, but it is still in advance...you still have time to go to the store to buy the ingredients you may possibly not have on hand).

I’m certain you are shocked by that.

But the best part is that this recipe is truly quite simple, especially when you don’t really follow the instructions below as I have them listed.

I’m certain you are shocked by that as well.

You see, I don’t Pinterest. I’m fairly confident that I have shared this dirty little secret with you before.

And I am holding fast to my non-addiction. Because I know myself well-enough, plus I have heeded the warnings from Pinterest Addicts, and I know I would quickly become engulfed in the dark world of Pinterest.

It’s dark because you stay up late at night pinning projects which will never come to fruition but you can look cool by having full boards and lots of good intentions.

But because I am on Facebook, I can still see what other people pin. So clearly I am dabbling with Pinterest.

Don’t judge.

And for the most part, I am transfixed (possibly a stronger word than needed) by recipes for chocolate baked goods.

Again…don’t judge.

And when this delightful looking recipe came across my FB feed a couple weeks ago, I knew it wouldn’t be long before I tried it.

Some recipes I read and think, “Oh, I’m going to try that out at such-and-such event…so if it’s awful, I can preface it with ‘This is a new recipe’ and I’ll get opinions from multiple people, which will help me discern whether or not to make it ever again.”

But some recipes look so lovely that you know you can’t possibly wait for a pitch-in event and it needs to be made for the family.

This was one such recipe.

But since tomorrow is the Fourth of July, you can just trust me on this: it will be a big hit so go ahead and take it.

And maybe make an extra one for your own family because it is doubtful there will be any leftovers.

Now, the original recipe gave me what I can only presume to be a lovely recipe for a fabulous basic brownie.

I opted for a box mix…in the interest (not to be confused with the Pinterest) of time. (See what I did there? Funny, right? I am clearly so starved for some words of affirmation that I feel compelled to point out my own jokes.)

I also did not have a package of Double Stuff Oreos. What I DID have, however, was a package of the two-toned (not really called that but you probably know what I mean) generic sandwich cookies from Aldi, costing a whopping $1.29. And since I didn’t really need the whole package…more like half of it, the PBA were satisfied while the brownies were “in process”.

I also used a full package of cream cheese (if you look at the original below, you would undoubtedly know that 4 ounces would not be nearly enough to cover a 9x13 pan…that’s a little silly to even consider the idea that 4 ounces would be enough).

And I also had no dipping chocolate…but I did have a bag of Aldi-brand semi-sweet chocolate chips.

So…even though I did not really use this recipe at all, I will share it with you. My muse deserves some recognition, right?

It may or may not be better than what I made, but I will probably never know, as I will probably use mine. Mine was most assuredly easier, and probably cheaper.

I will also include, for the convenience of my loyal readership (and to be honest, anyone else who might stumble across it because honestly once it’s out there, can I realistically control who has access to it? I probably can but I don’t know how to do all that filtering stuff, so it will be fair game to anyone. I’m a giver…let’s just go with that.) my stripped-down version.

Original Recipe: Oreo Truffle Brownies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1⅓ cups flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 pkg. Double Stuffed Oreos
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 10 oz. Dipping Chocolate

INSTRUCTIONS

• Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and blend well. Add vanilla, salt, cocoa and flour. Don’t overbeat. Pour into a greased 9X13 pan. Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
• While brownies are cooling, make Oreo truffle layer. Crush Oreos finely in a food processor or by putting them in a Ziploc bag and smashing them until finely ground with a rolling pin. When Oreos are finely crushed, using hands, mash softened cream cheese and crushed Oreos until well combined.
• Start with 4 oz and keep adding until desired consistency is reached. When Brownies have cooled completely, place layer of Oreo truffle on top.
• Melt dipping chocolate and pour and spread evenly over the top of the Oreo truffle layer. Cover and put in fridge until set.

Mrs. Always Random Version: Oreo Truffle Brownies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 box Brownie mix (with necessary ingredients to follow instructions on the box)
• 1/2 pkg. generic sandwich cookies (chocolate or chocolate/vanilla)
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

• Mix brownies and bake according to box instructions; be sure to use a 9x13 mix (or half the other ingredients I’ve listed if using a 9x9 or 8x8; you’re bright…I’m certain you can figure this out.)
• While brownies are cooling, make truffle layer. Crush sandwich cookies by putting them in a zippered baggie and smashing them until finely ground with a rolling pin.
• When cookies are finely crushed, mix softened cream cheese and cookies until well-combined.
• When Brownies have cooled completely, place layer of truffle on top.
• Melt chocolate chips in microwave (use half power and do 30 second increments, stirring after every 30 seconds to make sure it doesn’t dry out) and pour and spread evenly over the top of the truffle layer.
• Cover and put in fridge until set.

  

 Happy Fourth of July!

PS Note to my father: Because you would want to know, this is what I made to bring over tomorrow night. No worries!

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