Sausage Balls

These are a favorite at our house for Christmas morning. I usually make them the night before and then just reheat them. I make sweet rolls, coffee and hot chocolate to go with them.  Here’s the recipe.

Sausage Balls
Ingredients:
2 Cups of Bisquick
1 pound of sausage
10 oz. Package of shredded  cheese 

Directions:
Put everything in the bowl and mix. This is easiest to do with your hands though it feels pretty gross at this stage.  Roll the mixture into balls, a little smaller than golf balls.  Place the sausage balls on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes. The Bisquick balls should be lightly browned with the meat cooked through.

If you have any left over (which is rare), then store them in an air tight container in the refrigerator. They can be reheated in the oven or the microwave. Some people eat them cold, but I generally heat them.

I make a dipping sauce using mayo, spicy mustard and chipotle sauce all mixed together.  You can even dip them in warm syrup too! Yummy!

As promised, here’s another recipe for one of my favorite holiday treats: peanut brittle. My mom made peanut brittle every year and would mail it to me if I didn’t get home for the holiday. She of course,  made it the old fashioned way in a cast iron skillet. I, however, do not own a cast iron skillet and even if I did, I’d be afraid I’d ruin my cooktop. So I found a recipe that can be made in the microwave and it’s awesome! Give it a try! 

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup raw peanuts
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:
Combine first 4 ingredients in 2-quart microwave mixing bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 8 minutes, stirring after 4 minutes. Add butter. Microwave on HIGH 2 minutes. Brittle should not get too brown. Stir in vanilla and soda until light and foamy. Spread on buttered baking sheet as thinly as possible. Cool. Break into pieces.  Note: exact cooking times may vary depending on your microwave wattage.

Yummy Oreo Truffles

Christmas is without a doubt my favorite holiday. I love decorating! At my house, when the witches come down the day after Halloween, that signals the start of Christmas decorations at my house.

By now, I hope your tree is up and you are ready to start making those holiday goodies that we all love so much! I know its a busy time of year, but I hope you’ll take the time to head into the kitchen with the kids.  Over the next 24 days, I’ll be sharing some of my family’s favorite holiday treats. Oreo Truffles are easy to make and have very few ingredients and look really pretty in the tins or cellophane bags. Get creative with your almond bark, use red and green food coloring, decorate them like Santa, or put little tuxedos on them, or just dip ‘em and eat em! Just make em. After the first bite you’ll be hooked! We keep ours in the fridge so they are firm when you eat them. Here’s the recipe!

Ingredients
1 lb Oreo cookies (3 sleeves) ( don’t use off brand…use OREO)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 lb Chocolate Almond Bark
1/2 lb White Chocolate Almond Bark
 
Directions
Using a food processor, grind cookies to a fine powder. With a mixer, blend cookie powder, cream cheese and vanilla extract until thoroughly mixed (there should be no white traces of cream cheese).

Roll into small balls and place on wax-lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 45 minutes.

Line two cookie sheets with wax paper.

Follow directions on the package of the almond bark to melt.

Dip balls and coat thoroughly.

With slotted spoon, lift balls out of chocolate and let excess chocolate drip off.  ( you can use toothpicks )

Place on wax-paper-lined cookie sheet.

Melt the White Chocolate, then using a fork, drizzle white chocolate over balls.

Let cool. Store in airtight container, in refrigerator.

Note: For a variation, instead of dipping the balls, you can roll the  truffles into various mixtures - chopped nuts, chocolate sprinkles, vari-coloured candy sprinkles, cocoa powder, chocolate shavings, coloured sugars — still pretty — less work.