One of the things I enjoy about blogging is how it connects me with friends and acquaintances creating additional interaction outside of phone calls and gatherings. We are in a busy stage of life juggling work and little kids as are many of my friends. Without having to orchestrate calendars, blogs create interaction on both the writers and readers terms. Some say that online “socializing” makes people more lonely and less personable. For me, it creates a level of connection that I would not otherwise find time for.

After reading my recent Strawberry Rhubarb Compote post, my friend Marla emailed me this recipe for rhubarb upside-down cake. A co-worker of hers brought it to their office and it disappeared in short order. Because Marla also had two little kids and works full time, we don’t see each other often. I was warmed to know she had been reading Whipped and was tickled that she forwarded the recipe along with a positive review.

The concept of an upside-down cake appeals to me. My last bag of frozen rhubarb was just enough to sprinkle around the bottom of the pan.  Tart, chopped rhubarb mingling with butter and sugar under a bed of batter forming a sweet, tart topping to the cake? Almost romantic.

Separating the eggs and whipping the whites was a little fussy. Because I used whole wheat flour, the cake was still somewhat dense but I loved the nutty flavor and crumb of the cake. Though the cake was best warm, it also went down easy the next day alongside a cup of coffee. If you really want to treat yourself, add a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Rhubarb Upside-down Cake
Adapted from Taste of Home
Serves 8-10

Topping:
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb
4 teaspoons sugar

Batter:
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Whipped cream for serving, optional

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and melted butter. Spread into a greased 9 inch round baking pan. Layer with rhubarb; sprinkle with sugar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Separate eggs and beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.

In a small, clean bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold into creamed mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time. Gently spoon batter over rhubarb.

Bake at 325° for 50-60 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm with whipped cream if desired.

Note about frozen rhubarb: If using frozen rhubarb, measure rhubarb while still frozen, then thaw completely. Drain in a colander over a bowl, but do not press liquid out. You can reserve liquid that drained to make rhubarb simple syrup for use in cocktails!

Marshmallows are a happy food. They glue together Rice Krispies Treats, float in hot cocoa and perch on the end of skewers around cozy campfires. Just thinking about the sweet, cloud-like cubes and their squishy texture probably brings a little smile to your face, or at least tickles a comforting, nostalgia nerve.

My recent experimentation with graham crackers opened my eyes to just how much better homemade versions of the usual store-bought treats can be. With dozens of graham crackers around the house, my thoughts immediately jumped to marshmallows. Perhaps you have guessed where I am going with this. Imagine sandwiching homemade marshmallows between two homemade cinnamon graham crackers with a square or two of quality chocolate. S’more heaven!

If your familiarity with marshmallows is limited to the grocery store bags and you like them, I have great news for you. It can get so much better. These homemade marshmallows have natural, aromatic vanilla flavor and a much softer, springier cushion. Though these don’t have the same shelf life, they also don’t have the stale, crusty shell on the outside. And once you start eating them, I’m quite sure limited shelf life won’t be a problem. My first batch disappeared in a matter of days.

The process of making these homemade beauties takes a little time and the stringy, whipped marshmallow “batter” is a bit messy. However, I think you’ll find it is worth it. These sweet, edible pillows are the stuff sweet dreams are made of.

Find my recipe at the Spice Islands® Flavor Explorer blog here.

I am behind on a lot of things lately: work piling up, overdue on cutting both our lawn and my overgrown hair, embarrassingly late thank you notes still waiting to be addressed, and neglecting this blog!

A few weeks ago, I managed to plant some greens in our garden so we will be eating our own organic salads soon. While tending to our edibles, I noticed that the rhubarb is already up and some stalks are nearly ready for harvest. It reminded me that I had a few bags of frozen rhubarb in the freezer from last year. I meant to enjoy the chopped rhubarb all winter in muffins and breads but the bags were buried and forgotten in my meager one-drawer freezer.

One of the simplest ways to enjoy rhubarb is in a sauce or compote. I emptied a bag of frozen rhubarb into a pan along with some fresh strawberries and a little sugar and let the stove do the rest. The bright red sauce is the perfect balance of tart and sweet. Spoon it over angel food or pound cake or atop ice cream. I’ve found it dresses up a dollop of Greek yogurt making a nice, breakfast treat.

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

2 cups chopped rhubarb fresh or frozen
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon water
2 cups sliced strawberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)

Combine rhubarb, sugar, water and strawberries in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until soft, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract. Serve warm over cake or keep in the refrigerator for a few days and spoon over yogurt or ice cream.

All day Friday, this scene in my refrigerator made me giggle. I imagined a number of spoiled, demanding comments emanating from the princess Barbie cake, her hand raised in protest.  Last year on Mini Whipped’s birthday,  I wrote about my efforts to create a pink paradise for her starting with pink pepto-bismal colored pancakes all the way through to the triple pink cupcake dessert. This year, I surprised her with this princess cake. It wasn’t quite the home run I expected.

Mini Whipped loves pink. She isn’t totally obsessed with princesses (yet) but she is physically moved when watching the classic princess movies. I’m not much of a girly girl. I don’t wear pink very often and I should probably pay more attention to hair and makeup than I do. The princess culture is a bit bothersome to me as I worry slightly about the message we are feeding little girls about fairytale romance. Marriage, love and partnerships take work. I am fortunate to have a fantastic marriage and often, it feels like a fairytale romance. But, we also work hard to accommodate the other, communicate, and keep the “spark” alive. When I see my 4 year-old’s eyes welling up with tears as “prince charming” kisses Snow White awake, I cringe, just slightly. I know, I know… what a wet blanket.

Despite being a bit of a princess grinch, I have always been drawn to princess cakes where domed cake becomes ball gown. Mini Whipped requested red velvet birthday cake with princesses on it. I decided I would surprise her by making the cake into a princess.

I watched a few videos on YouTube to learn tips and tricks about making this cake. I used two 6-inch cake rounds and an oven-proof bowl for the mound on top. This video had some helpful frosting and assembly tips. Mini Whipped has a few Barbies that she rarely plays with so I planned to use one of them as the cake topper. Unfortunately, my stacked dome was not tall enough to accommodate her long legs, mostly due to her feet being formed into permanent ultra high heeled form (urgh). I made the decision to detach her legs to fit in my cake.

I truly thought that the legs would pop off and then back on again later. But, I guess Barbies aren’t made with ball and socket joints. So, this Barbie became an amputee in order to wear a red velvet cake skirt. I believed it would all be worth it! I tucked her legs in the back of the cupboard, thinking they might be funny cake toppers of their own some day – Halloween, diving into a blue “swimming pool” cake?

The big moment came. With a table full of family members, I brought the cake out and set it down in front of Mini Whipped. The grand parents gasped and praised the cake. The birthday girl smiled politely. She definitely did not have the same look on her face as she does when Cinderella pulls the second glass slipper out from under her apron. We lit the candles and sang and immediately after, Mini Whipped requested, “can you please take my doll out of there now?”

I whisked the cake off to the kitchen to hide the fact that Barbie had no legs under her skirt! While eating the cake, Mini Whipped gave me a number of compliments on the frosting, the cake and the color. The sweet thing felt our expectations that she would love the cake and she was being as polite as she could to make me feel good. She just didn’t like that doll in the cake. She asked for princesses on the cake. And, I didn’t listen.

Once again, during my daughter’s birthday, I reflect on the many emotions of parenting. I made a cake that I thought she would adore and I didn’t quite hit the mark. She sensed my disappointment and did her best to boost me up. While I was putting Mini Whipped to bed that night, I told her I was glad she had such a fantastic birthday but that I was sorry that she didn’t love the cake. She stroked my cheek and reassured, “I did love that cake mommy. I just didn’t like my doll in there.”

As for Barbie, both her separated legs and body are still safely hidden in the cupboard. For now, Mini Whipped seems to have forgotten about her. I’m hoping it stays that way.

There are some recipes that nag at me because I can’t get them quite right. For years, my ideal cream cheese brownie recipe was just beyond my grasp. Finally, after dozens of tweaks, I have finalized a batch that properly satisfies my sweet tooth.

When I was in high school, I dated the same guy for a number of years. His mother was a wonderfully warm woman who had beautifully manicured nails, perfect makeup and sometimes wore “princess Leia” buns on the sides of her head and pulled them off. One of her specialties was chocolate cream cheese brownies. After school, we would descend upon the pan of rich brownies dotted with tart cream cheese reservoirs and speckled with chocolate chips. Ahh… a teenage metabolism. I ate multiple brownies without a second thought.

For years, I tried various cream cheese brownie recipes in an attempt to re-create those that ignited my after-school binges. I realized after a number of attempts that my quest was hindered by nostalgia and that I wasn’t satisfied by any batch of brownies because they didn’t deliver the carefree days of my past.

Some months ago, I reset my goals and began making chocolate cream cheese brownies with a fresh attitude. I considered what qualities I like in a brownie and tweaked recipes until I came upon the best result. These brownies are more fudgy than cakey with a bit of a higher ratio of cream cheese swirl than some. I use high quality dark chocolate and cocoa powder (try Valrohna or Callebaut) for the richest flavor. Be sure not to over mix the batter to keep a moist, gooey crumb. And finally, consider enjoying one these alongside a tall glass of milk.

Visit the Spice Island’s Flavor Explorer Blog for my recipe.

I don’t post recipes on Whipped that I believe are mediocre. They are usually my standby recipes or first time recipes that I am certain I’ll make again. Now and then, I share something that I think is perfect. It doesn’t happen often and I don’t use the word perfect lightly. I was once accused of hyperbole when I declared that my cinnamon rolls were the “ultimate cinnamon roll.” The truth is, I am overly engaged with food and if something I make has the texture, color, aroma and flavor that I find ideal, I get very, very excited.

This fresh fruit tart riles me up so much that just looking at the photo as I type this post quickens my pulse. I can take no credit for its deliciousness, only for having mastered the techniques of its creation. The recipe for both the sweet tart dough and the vanilla pastry cream are found in the back of the book Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme.

Many years ago when I first started working at Vosges Haut-Chocolat, I had the great fortune of traveling to the Aspen Food & Wine festival with the owner, Katrina Markoff. We were young and her exotic chocolate company was just a few years old. We upgraded our rental car to a convertible and made the ride from Denver to Aspen, stopping at a roadside beef jerky stand along the way.

That trip was memorable in many ways. I became acquainted with the gracious Swanson family (of this vineyard), I hiked in the mountains, I served luxury chocolate to an engaged audience and I mingled with celebrity chefs. I suppose that time in my life was integral in confirming my love of the culinary world and solidifying my career choices.

I returned from that adventure with an autographed copy of the Pierre Hermes book. The Parisian has been called the Picasso of Pastry and if you master a few of his recipes, you will understand why.

How funny… until I typed this post, I had not realized that my memories of that trip and my strong emotions were so intertwined with the love of this tart! Don’t let my epiphany stop you from trying this amazing dessert. I promise that even without the connection, you will find it simply delectable. Vanilla beans, whole milk and six egg yolks have a way of making things unforgettable.

Pierre Herme’s Vanilla Pastry Cream
Fills one 9 or 10 inch tart

2 cups whole milk
1 most, plump vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
6 large eggs yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
3 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1. In a small saucepan, bring milk and vanilla bean (pulp and pod) to a boil over medium heat. Cover the pan and turn off heat and let rest to infuse vanilla for 10 minutes.

2. Fill a large bowl with ice cubes and water. Set aside smaller bowl that can hold the finished cream and be placed in the ice bath. Set aside fine mesh strainer with it.

3. Whisk the yolks, sugar and cornstarch together in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Remove vanilla bean pod from hot milk. Slowly drizzle some milk into yolks, whisking continuously. Still whisking, pour in all the liquid in a steady stream. Place the pan over medium heat and whisking vigorously without stopping, bring mixture to a boil. Keep at boil while whisking for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and scrape pastry cream into the small bowl in put it in the ice bath.

4. Stir the pastry cream continuously as it cools to keep it smooth. When it is about 140 degrees (very warm to the touch but not extremely hot) stir in butter in 3 or 4 additions. Return to ice bath and leave until cooled. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Pierre Herme’s Sweet Tart Dough
Makes 3 tarts

2 1/2 sticks (285g) unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 1/2 cups (150g) confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup lightly packed (100g / 3 ¼ oz) finely ground almond powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
3 1/2 cups (490g / 17¼ oz) all-purpose flour, sifted

1. Place the butter in the bowl of a mixer with paddle attachment and beat until creamy, scraping down the edges as needed.

2. Add the sugar almond powder, salt, vanilla and eggs and still working on low speed, beat to blend the ingredients, scraping sides as needed. (dough may look curdled, that is okay)

3. With the machine on low, add the flour in three parts and mix until the dough mixture starts to get together. Do not over mix – stop when the dough comes together in a soft ball, just a matter of seconds.

4. Remove the sweet pastry dough and divide into thirds, shape each third into a ball and flatten it slightly and then wrap in plastic wrap. If using the dough immediately, let it settle in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. To freeze, put the wrapped disks in freezer bag and use within a month. (When starting from the frozen pastry disks, thaw about 45 minutes before the dough is ready for rolling out.)

5. To roll and bake the tart, butter a 9 or 10 inch tart pan.

6. Lightly flour a surface and a rolling pin, then roll out the pastry disk, working it in each direction to ease the shape into a circular shape between 1/16 and 1/8 inch thick. Carefully lay the rolled dough over the tart dish. With your fingers, gently ease the dough into the corners and up the sides. If the shell cracks, use scraps to patch.

7. Use the rolling pin or knife to cut off excess edges. Prick the surface all over with a fork. Line the shell with parchment or foil and fill with dried beans or rice.

8. Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes until it is lightly colored. Remove the parchment or foil and beans and bake an additional 2-3 minutes to firm up the bottom.

9. Cook tart on a rack.

TO ASSEMBLE THE TART

1. Pour the pastry cream into the cooked tart shell.
2. Top with sliced fruit of your choice.
3. If you want to glaze the fruit, combine 1/2 c. fruit juice (pineapple, peach, etc.), 1/4 c. sugar
and 2 tbsp. cornstarch in saucepan, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. It should be clear. Remove from heat; cool until lukewarm. Spoon over fresh fruit on top of the tart.

From the moment I first lined up my large collection of Spice Islands’ glass jars, I was titillated by the vibrant colors and textures of the various contents within. One particular jar entranced me with its possibilities – the Spice Islands Crystallized Ginger. I left it out against my kitchen back splash with a few others that I knew would make it into my early culinary explorations.

Each day, the bottle of ginger caught my eye. With their slightly dusty finish and unique, rough shapes, the golden nuggets resemble a pile of treasure from a lucky prospector’s pay dirt. My first taste of the little gems revealed a soft texture, just enough sweetness and the aromatic flavor from the Australian ginger root.

One evening while cooking dinner, my attention was inexplicably called to the jar of ginger pieces and I knew that they must find their way into a blond, cookie bar. I pulled the necessary ingredients out of the pantry, (my favorite thing about Blondies is that you almost always have ingredients on hand), and made my first batch of Ginger Blondies.

I added a sprinkling of Spice Islands Ground Ginger to the batter so that my precious, crystallized nuggets would feel more at home in their new surroundings. The finished bars delivered the buttery heaven of a Blondie, a touch of warmth from the ground ginger and an occasional surprise when you discover a piece of Spice Islands Crystallized Ginger hidden within.

Try these alongside a cup of tea or after a big meal to help quench a sweet tooth and sooth your stomach. Even if you aren’t normally a ginger lover, just one bight you may catch the fever.

Click HERE for the Ginger Blondies recipe.

A few weeks ago, I jotted down a long list of Valentine’s Day ideas and planned to share a number of holiday inspired projects and gifts with you over the last week. My husband and I met on Valentine’s Day 15 years ago and Baby Whipped is turning 1 on Tuesday so the celebration has taken on extra meaning in our house. What fun I thought it’d be to set Whipped ablaze with red and pink, cupid-kissed goodies. Unfortunately, life got ahead of me and as is often the case, I have many more schemes than I do time for execution.

I did manage to make a batch of Valentine’s Linzer cookies. Personally, I am not a major fan of jam-filled cookies but these are so visually fitting for the occasion. I have also developed a great fondness for rolling out and handling dough so the process was immensely satisfying.

Through my initial recipe research, I found a great variety of recipes. Some traditional shortbread cookies without eggs, others with eggs and added spices. I altered this recipe from epicurious by using almonds in instead of hazelnuts, adding a touch more salt and skipping the cinnamon. For the filling, I chose a Raspberry Pomegranate jam from St. Dalfour.

When I finished and plated this batch of cookies, I admired them with satisfaction. The delicate sugar dusting and heart cut-outs are so sweet. Because these cookies take a bit more effort than your average cookie (and it shows) a plate of the little beauties would be a quite a gesture for someone who has caught your eye.

A tip: Bake the top, cut out cookies on a separate sheet pan. They might need slightly less cooking. And, once they are cool, it is easy to dust them with the sugar and assemble them straight from the pan.

Linzer Cookies

1/2 cup blanched, slivered almonds, toasted and ground
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 small jar raspberry jam (or your favorite red jam)
Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Toast almonds for about 3-4 minutes, until edges are turning brown. Remove and let the nuts cool. Pulse nuts in a food processor until they are finely ground.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt. Set aside.

Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer (preferably fitted with paddle) or 6 minutes with a handheld. Add nuts and beat until combined well, about 1 minute. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

With floured hands, form dough into 2 balls and flatten each into a 5-inch disk. Chill disks, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 2 hours.

Roll out 1 disk of dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Keep surface and rolling pin well floured to avoid sticking. Keep remaining dough chilled. If dough becomes too soft to roll out, rewrap in plastic and chill until firm. Cut out as many cookies as possible from dough with round cookie cutter and transfer to parchment lined baking sheets. (Tip: To keep cookies from losing form, try using a sharp, brownie spatula and wiggle it back and forth as you slide it under the cookie and then pick it up to place it on the baking sheet.)

Using smaller cutters, cut out centers from half of the cookies. Either add center cut outs to unrolled dough OR bake them as separate small cookie bites!

Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are golden, 10 to 15 minutes total, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies from second disk.

Once cookies have cooled, sift confectioner’s sugar over the top cut-out cookies. Spread about 1 teaspoon jam on flat side of 1 solid cookie and sandwich jam with flat side of 1 cut-out cookie. Continue with remaining cookies.

As long as I can remember, I have loved vanilla puddings, custards and creams whether oozing out of doughnuts, inside crepes or layered between cake. As a child, we often ate packaged pudding for dessert, which I slurped off the spoon slowly, savoring every bite.

In the past years, I have learned that homemade, old-fashioned pudding does not take that much more time and when using high quality ingredients, you will notice a major difference in the outcome. Once you leave the box, you’ll never go back. This recipe uses whole milk, a few egg yolks and a touch of butter for extra richness, and fragrant Spice Islands vanilla extract.

Spice Islands makes its vanilla extract exclusively with beans from Madagascar. In case you didn’t know, that is a small island off the southeastern coast of Africa. I first learned about Madagascar during a primatology course in college because it is the only place on earth where a host of bouncing, cartoon-like lemurs exist. As my cooking and baking skills advanced, I came to appreciate the unique locale for producing the most plump, flavorful vanilla beans in the world.

As if traveling to a far-off, primate-laden island isn’t enough of a chore, vanilla beans are not easy to grow. The beans are actually a fruit and grow out of an orchid flower. Each flower must be pollinated by hand on the day that it blooms. Because the plants can bloom at slightly different times, the growers must carefully look for open flowers numerous times a day, taking advantage of the short window of opportunity. After nearly ten months of waiting, the vanilla pods are ready to be plucked by hand and made into vanilla extract.

Sounds like a fairytale, doesn’t it? You can see why it is so common for many to take a short cut and use artificial vanilla flavor. Perhaps you are asking yourself, does the quality of the small amount of vanilla extract used in most recipes REALLY make a difference? Well, as they say, the proof is in the pudding.

Find my recipe for Old Fashioned Vanilla Pudding HERE at the Spice Islands Flavor Explorer Blog.

A few weeks ago, I admitted to my first encounter with Oreo cookie balls. I decided that the edible spheres would be an appropriate addition to my Stella & Dot jewelry-inspired menu. For the outside of the cookie pearls, I splurged and bought Callebaut white chocolate. I wanted to “dress up” the everyday sandwich cookies with the best white chocolate I could find. Like wearable pearls that can be a wardrobe staple (at least in the south) or a formal accessory, these cookie pearls have some common grocery store food on the inside and some glamor on the outside.

I also tested a recipe for Nutter Butter truffles. Unfortunately, on their own, the peanut-shaped cookies were a bit of a disappointment. I cherish such fond memories of the treats of my childhood but when I eat them at present, I often find the sweets to be flavorless. I suppose that working with a high end chocolate company for the past decade has made me a bit spoiled! When you’ve been eating these peanut butter bonbons, it’s hard to turn back.

After adding a half a cup of peanut butter to the Nutter Butter batter, it was greatly improved. I would suggest a good milk chocolate or dark chocolate to coat the peanut butter balls. The white chocolate was a little too sweet with the peanut butter centers, which called for a more chocolatey match.

These cookie pearls might just be the belle of the ball at a holiday cookie exchange! Help them look professional by tucking each in candy cups.

Oreo Cookie Pearls in White Chocolate
(a.k.a. Oreo Cookie Truffles, Cookie Balls)

1 package (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
1 package (18 oz) OREO Cookies, finely crushed in food processor
4 ounces white chocolate, melted
Sprinkles, nuts or decorations (optional)

Pulse cookies in the food processor until they are finely crushed. Mix crushed cookies and softened cream cheese in a food processor until blended. Roll into 1 inch balls (about 40). Put the balls on a wax paper lined cookie sheet or plate and in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. If you use a microwave, stop and stir every 30 seconds until melted. Use a fork to dip the balls into the chocolate. Set them back on the wax paper and top them with sprinkles, nuts or decorations immediately. Let the “cookie pearls” set in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes or until chocolate is firm.

Nutter Butter Cookie Pearls
(a.k.a. Peanut Butter Truffles, Nutter Butter Cookie Balls)

1 package (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
24 Nutter Butter Cookies, finely crushed in food processor
1/2 cut creamy peanut butter
4 ounces white, milk or dark chocolate, melted
Sprinkles, nuts or decorations (optional)

Pulse cookies in the food processor until they are finely crushed. Mix crushed cookies, softened cream cheese and peanut butter in a food processor until blended. Roll into 1 inch balls (about 40). Put the balls on a wax paper lined cookie sheet or plate and in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. If you use a microwave, stop and stir every 30 seconds until melted. Use a fork to dip the balls into the chocolate. Set them back on the wax paper and top them with sprinkles, nuts or decorations immediately. Let the “cookie pearls” set in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes or until chocolate is firm.