Oreo Cookie Balls (Santa Bellies)

Ever since I was a kid, OREO Cookies have been my absolute favorite snack.  Now, Jack has developed my passion for the dark chocolate wafer and smooth delicious cream filling.  Many nights have found the two of us planted on the couch enjoying a couple OREOs and a glass of ice cold milk.  Back in school, my Mom’s OREO Delight was the special reward for an all A report card and other worthy celebrations.

So it’s no surprise that every year at Christmas, these OREO Cookie Balls get made during our annual family candy and cookie making party.  Based on the classic recipe, these are always a family favorite.  This year, I decided to dress them up and make them look like little Santa bellies – with their black belt and yellow buckle. 

Not feeling that adventurous?  No worries!  Just coat them and leave off the extra decoration.  They’ll taste just as delicious.  I promise.  🙂

To start, you’ll need to get those OREOs crushed nice a fine.  I find that that easiest way to do that is in the food processor.

Next, combine the softened cream cheese and the cookie crumbs in a large bowl.  I’m not going to lie, this takes some time. Just be vigilant and keep stirring.  It will all come together.  I found that using the back of a spoonula to press the mixture together helped a lot.

Now, roll the dough into 1 inch balls.  I used a small cookie scoop to scoop out the dough and keep them all portioned about the same.  Place the balls on a wax paper-lined baking sheet or jelly roll pan and freeze them for about 10 minutes.

To coat these, I used Wilton’s Candy Melts.  It’s super easy to work with and hardens quicker that almond bark.  The best part is you can get both the OREOs (insert Walmart  landing page when link available) and the Wilton Candy Melts at Walmart, so there’s no need to have to run all over town to get various ingredients.

To coat them, simply follow the directions on the package to melt the entire package of the Candy Melts in a small bowl.  You can use any color you’d like even white if you’re not planning to add the Santa decorations.  But if you are wanting to turn them into Santa bellies, you’ll want to use red.  Place one of the chilled cookie balls in the coating and roll it around to get it coated well.  Use a fork to scoop up the ball and tap it on the side of the bowl to shake off the excess coating.  Place it back on the wax paper and allow to harden.  Repeat until all the balls have been coated.  (Note: There are lots of gadgets out there to claim to make the dipping process easier, but I find a fork it the best tool for the job.  I’m not saying that the other utensils don’t work, just that there’s no sense in buying something special when you have a whole drawer of forks already.)

To make the Santa decorations, melt about ½ of the package of black Candy Melts according to the package directions. Pour the melted chocolate into a disposable piping bag or a zip top back and carefully snip off a small part of one corner. Use the bag to pipe a wide belt across the cookie ball. Allow it to harden.
Next, melt about ¼ of the package of yellow Candy Melts according to the package directions. Pour the melted chocolate into another disposable piping back or a zip top bag and carefully snip off a small part of one corner. Use the yellow to carefully draw the buckle on the belt. Allow to harden. Store in the refrigerator.

If you decide that you don’t want to go the Santa decoration route, you can coat them in white or regular chocolate and sprinkle a few cookie crumbs on top for decoration.  Regardless of how you decorate them, you and your family are going to love them.  They’re the perfect thing to add to your holiday spread!

Learn more about the different varieties of OREOs available at Walmart for your next baking project! HolidayOreo.com