Cookie Dough Truffles

Ok, raise your hand if you eat raw cookie dough.  If both hands are not raised above your head while you are jumping up and down, you are either lying, or allergic to eggs.

I love cookie dough WAY too much.  I grew up sneaking into the kitchen while my mom was baking and stealing cookie dough.  Some of my earliest memories were of my mother handing each of us a spoonful of cookie dough to prevent us from sticking our fingers in the bowl.  When they came out with cookie dough ice cream I thought it was the most brilliant invention on the face of this earth.  So brilliant, in fact, that I almost switched allegiances from Mint Chocolate Chip (not likely ever to happen, by the way).

When I first stumbled across these babies I reacted how normal cookie dough loving person would - "Ooh, I'm gonna have to try those sometime."  But then I noticed something a bit special about these.  They have no eggs in them!

You may ask why I am so hung up on the egg allergy thing?  Well, you see, we have a friend who spends an inordinate amount of time at our house.  This friend just happens to have food allergies - eggs being a prominent one.  Knowing him, and having a child with food allergies, has given me a strong resolve to find recipes without eggs or milk in them.  So this one is for you, Danny!

Edit: Poor Danny couldn't eat them because they have condensed milk in them.  Oops!

First of all, the recipe calls for brown sugar, butter, vanilla, flour, condensed milk, and mini chocolate chips.

Now, here's the thing about mini chocolate chips.  They are expensive and pretty much pointless unless you are using them for decorating.  As a substitute I take regular chocolate chips and chop them in my slap chopper.  They turn out just as small as the minis and even leave some chocolate "dust" that mix in really well with dough.

From here on out it is pretty easy.

Mix brown sugar and butter until fully incorporated...

...add vanilla and mix some more.

Add flour a cup at a time.

Mix until all of the brown sugar pieces are broken up into a fine dust.

Pour in the condensed milk, and mix until you get a consistent dough.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Cover and chill for at least one hour.  Dough will need to be very stiff.

When you are ready, using a teaspoon, scoop out a small amount of dough...

...and form into 1-inch balls.

Place them on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet.  Place them back in the fridge to chill until you are ready to dip them.

Meanwhile, put 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 tsp of shortening into a microwave safe bowl.

Microwave on high in 30 second bursts.

Stir until smooth.

Drop each ball into the chocolate...

Using a candy fork, roll the balls around to coat completely.  Pick it up and let the excess drip off for just a second.  Don't let it sit for too long as the chocolate is warm and can cause the balls to lose their form.

Transfer the balls back onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet.

Let chill until set.  After they are set store them in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Hope you enjoy these as much as my family did.  I know that my two year old enjoyed "painting" his face with them.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp of shortening

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, use electric mixer to cream together butter and brown sugar. Add vanilla. Beat in flour, 1 cup at a time, until it is incorporated and you no longer see chunks of brown sugar (if you spot any, just squish them). Beat in sweetened condensed milk and mix until well-combined. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips.

2. Cover bowl and refrigerate until dough is firm (at least 1 hour- maybe more... you want the dough to be quite firm). Use a small cookie scoop or teaspoon to scoop out small amounts, roll into balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Place all of the rolled balls back into the refrigerator until you are ready to dip them in chocolate.

3. Melt chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring after each heating time, until smooth. Use a candy fork or spoon to help you dip the chilled dough ball into the chocolate and roll it around to cover all sides. Place it on a waxed paper-lined platter.  Repeat with the rest of the dough balls. They'll begin to set pretty quickly. Keep them refrigerated until ready to serve.