Last updated on December 13, 2022
Homemade Christmas gifts. How much we appreciate and cherish them, yet we seldom take the time to make them ourselves. Perhaps this could be the year when many of us will remember the wonderful tradition, and we will spend time making presents instead of buying them?
For many money is tight this year but presents, big and small, are a part of our Christmas and holiday traditions. We don’t have to join the commercial spectacle that takes place right now. We can be different and give away homemade goods and I thought I will post a few ideas this year.
One of my seasonal favorites: Oreo pralines. These chocolatey, juicy, and super simply prepared Oreo chocolates are guaranteed to leave a lasting impression. The general popularity of Oreos cookies speaks for itself and the countless processing possibilities know hardly any limits.
The pralines (truffles) are so simple to make, and always a big hit. Making them doesn’t cost much and they look impressive in a tin box, a bag, or an older glass jar. Pralines and truffels. They are not an everyday treat, but special.
Ingredients
28 Oreos
100 g cream cheese (A good brand, that’s creamy and not too watery)
200 g white couverture (white baking chocolate)
Preparation
Crush the Oreo cookies in a food processor or put them in a freezer bag and smash them with a rolling pin or similar. Set aside two tablespoons of Oreo crumbs.
Then mix the oreo crumbles with the soft cream cheese, until it spreads well. Form small balls with a diameter of about 1 to 1 1/2 inches (3 cm) and place them on a sheet lined with baking paper. Put them in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
For the glaze, melt 2/3 of the couverture over a water bath, then turn the stove down and stir in the remaining chocolate until it’s melted. Make sure that the bowl is heated only by the hot steam during the water bath and not by direct contact with the water.
Remove the Oreo balls from the freezer and skewer them on toothpicks. Then dip them into the liquid chocolate and drain thoroughly. Place the chocolates on a plate lined with baking paper.
While the glaze is still warm, sprinkle the pralines with the Oreo crumbs we set aside at the beginning, or use Christmas sprinkles as decoration. The possibilities are endless! Remove the toothpicks as soon as the glaze is dry. You can fill the small hole with Oreo crumbs or with a bit of warm chocolate glaze.
Tips:
Freezer time: Shorter is better
Couverture: Melt the chocolate carefully, you can melt it in the microwave (yes, I know) but do it in small intervals.
Crumbles: I like to use the hand mixer. I can crumble the cookies very fine, and I don’t have to clean the food processor.
I learnt homemade chocolates in lockdown at home. Because I had time to made it. I tried more time made chocolates. Now I make perfect chocolates.
I learned photography. I think many of learned a new skill. 🙂
I make a few handmade treats to share at the holidays, my favorite are Ritz bits peanut butter crackers dipped in chocolate!
I’m getting such a slow start on my baking and I think this recipe would be something I could do! We try to give our neighbors a few goodies and I think these would be wonderful. Wonderful for gifts, provided I don’t eat them all myself. LOL! Very tempting. 🙂
We do the same. We make and bake goodies for the neighbors, for my customers and students, and for my husband’s co-workers. It’s actually fun and most of them seem to enjoy them as do we.
Creatively appetising
Thank you, Derrick
They look lovely and didn’t realise how easy it was to make. 3 ingredients is such a surprise
That sealed the deal for me as well. 3 ingredients. 🙂
My favourite season…chocolate season, oh yeah and Christmas too. Those look really tasty. Allan
Chocolate season! You got that right!
I love the simplicity and attractiveness of this suggestion of yours 🙂
It’s so simple to make and no matter where I take them, they are always gone fast.
This year I am making them with gluten-free Oreos, yippie!
How tempting!
Indeed 🙂
Thanks for sharing this. These look delicious and as noted…easy enough to make.
Easy and fast is good 🙂
Thanks a lot for the suggestion! They look delicious💙❤️💙
Yum. and homemade?! wonderful.
Thank you, Selma.
I used to make Christmas baskets. Each one would include 3 types of bread–Pumpkin, banana-chocolate chip, and cranberry orange. 3 kinds of jam or jelly, 5 types of cookies, 3 types of fudge, and 3 types of candies. Then we’d include some instant orange/cinnamon tea, flavored mocha mix, or hot cocoa mix in a festive jar. One year we made 50 baskets. I quit making them when I visited a friend of mine and she still had not used any of the basket contents. Everything was frozen or given away to other people. Oh and out of those 50 people, we got thankyous from 2.
Simple yet very effective!
Thanks for this. It is a wonderful idea.
You are very welcome. I am glad you like the idea.
These look amazing, and I agree that there are many possibilities! Thanks!
I was sceptical, but now they are a ‘must make’ in our home.
Reminds me of my mom’s rum balls which were made in much the same way with vanilla wafers and a ton of rum. Yes, a ton! So simple, and everyone loved them!
I remember the rumballs. I think they were a standard in many households in Austria and Germany when I was a child.