Eggnog Cheesecake Truffles
Yay! I finally started my Christmas shopping. Hopefully I finish on time. I had a busy weekend putting together a sampler of goodies for my neighbors’ gift baskets. These Eggnog Cheesecake Truffles were a part of the baskets. I was really excited about how well they came out, in taste and visual appeal. I would have kept them all to myself, but I thought it would be nicer to share in this season of giving. And I would probably have had to buy some new pants come January. I am so bad at eating just one.
This recipe does have several steps that take time, but the good news is that it can be made in stages.
I was doing a little here and a little there in between housework, laundry, taking care of my son, making meals, etc. I did use real rum in this recipe, but it’s really just a little for flavor. If you want you can leave it out.
Once you make the balls, and put them in the freezer, you can leave them overnight or until you have time to dip them in the candy melt.
Rolling the balls, is a little messy, but not any worse than when I used to make cake balls. I found that rubbing my hands with leftover graham cracker crumbs reduced the stickiness. Although, you could try flour or powdered sugar also.
For the candy coating, I found Wilton’s Eggnog Candy Melt and Gingerbread Candy Melt. I had to try both. And by try, I do mean eat them straight out of the package. I couldn’t decide which I liked better, so I used both. I found both of these at Walmart.
I did find the melted consistency to be very thick, so I did add a generous amount of vegetable shortening to the melted candy to make it smoother, thinner, and easier to work with.
I just used a fork to sit the balls on top of to dip them in the candy melt and my cake tester to slide the balls off the fork onto the waxed paper. The candy melt did harden very fast, so I had to be quick with the sprinkles.
I used different sprinkles and placed them in some Wilton’s mini cupcakes wrappers to give them some character. These would look so pretty in a decorative box or tin given as a gift for the holidays.
Although the insides are the same, the different candy coatings give these Eggnog Cheesecake Truffles different flavors. The eggnog candy melt makes it more sweet, while the gingerbread candy melt makes it more spicy. Each are equally delicious. The cheesecake filling just melts in your mouth. You really can’t eat just one.
Eggnog Cheesecake Truffles
by The Sweet Chick
Prep Time: 2 1/2 hours
Keywords: no bake dessert egg nog egg nog candy melt cream cheese gingerbread candy melt Christmas truffles American winter
Ingredients (36 truffles)
For the filling
- 2 cups crushed graham crackers
- 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
- 1/2 cup vanilla eggnog
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons rum (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
For the coating
- 1 cup Wilton’s Eggnog candy melt wafers
- 1 cup Wilton’s Gingerbread candy melt wafers
- 2-4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
For the topping
- holiday sprinkles
Instructions
For the filling
In a stand mixer combine the graham cracker crumbs, cream cheese, eggnog, vanilla, sugar, rum, and spices and mix on low until completely blended.
Place white chocolate chips in a glass bowl over a pot of water so that the bowl does not touch the water. Bring water to a gentle boil and stir chocolate until all melted. (I find that white chocolate does not melt well in the microwave.)
Then add melted chocolate to the cream cheese mixer and mix on low until all incorporated. Mixture will be slightly soft.
Place mixture in the fridge for at least one hour to firm up.
Remove from fridge and roll mixture into balls. I measured out one tablespoon mixture for each ball. Place balls in airtight container lined with wax paper. Place the container in the freezer for at least one hour to set.
For the coating
After the balls are set, melt the candy wafers (one flavor at a time) in the microwave as per directions on package (30 second intervals , stirring in between). If melted candy is too thick add a tablespoon at a time of vegetable shortening until you get the right consistency.
Remove cream cheese balls from the freezer.
Dip the balls into candy coating mixture until all covered. I use a fork. Once covered, remove and softly tap until excess candy melt falls off. Then place pops on wax paper.
Carefully add the sprinkles to the top of the balls before the candy melt hardens.
When candy melt does harden, scrape off any excess candy melt on the bottom of the ball and place in mini cupcake wrapper.
Keep truffles refrigerated. Enjoy!
Churro Macarons
Who else but me would combine Spanish and French desserts into one tasty treat. Ever since I made my Conversation Heart Macarons, I have been thinking up other crazy macaron flavors. With Cinco de Mayo around the corner, I thought a churro flavor would be appropriate. I’ve made Churro Cupcakes, Churro Crepes, Churro Donuts, Churro Puff Pastry, so why not in a French macaron form. Trust me, you are going to like these.
There are really not a lot of ingredients for these macarons, but they do take a bit of time and patience to make. You have to measure, sift, whip, and let sit 30 minutes before you even put them in the oven. They are not an everyday treat, but are great for special occasions. They can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge.
Even though it has cinnamon on the inside, I wanted the macaron to have a coat of cinnamon sugar on the outside. To adhere the sugar, I used a simple glaze. For the filling I was going to do just dulce de leche, but it was a little to rich for me, so I had to come up with another idea. I found a recipe for dulce de leche buttercream that worked out well. It is so good, I just wanted to eat it with a spoon. Of course that wasn’t enough. I still wanted the taste of pure dulce de leche in the macaron so I first added a thin coat of dulce de leche, then topped it with some buttercream before smooshing the two macarons together.
Now I know at this point all you want to do is eat one, but again you have to wait. These Churro Macarons need to sit in the fridge at least 24 hours to acquire their delicious flavor. I tried one on the day I made them and they were a bit hard, but by day 2-3 they were just right. The shell was crunchy and full of cinnamon sugar flavor. The inside of the shell was soft and chewy and the filling was amazing. I will say they are on the sweet side, but these are to be savored not chowed down like a pack of cookies. These are perfect with a cup of coffee, espresso, or cappuccino. Each bite is to be eaten slowly and enjoyed thoroughly. I just ate another one while writing this post and it still tastes phenomenal on day 5. These macarons were totally worth the effort.
Churro Macarons
by The Sweet Chick
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 10-13 minutes
Keywords: bake dessert snack cinnamon dulce de leche egg whites almond flour Cinco de Mayo macarons French Mexican spring
Ingredients (30 macarons)
For the macaron
- 7 oz. powdered sugar,divided
- 4 oz. almond flour/meal, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 large ( 4 oz.) egg whites, room temperature (I used 4 oz. egg whites in a carton)
- 3 1/2 oz. granulated sugar
For the topping
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- 3 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar (store bought or homemade)
For the filling
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup + 5 tablespoons dulce de leche
Instructions
For the macaron
Prepare circle templates (1 1/2 inch circle, 1/2 inch apart) and line baking sheets with parchment paper, placing template under parchment.
In a food processor, pulse 1/3 of the powdered sugar and all the almond flour to form a fine powder. Then sift sugar mixture 2 times.
Sift remaining powdered sugar 2 times also. In a large bowl combine almond flour mixture, remaining powdered sugar and cinnamon.
Add egg whites to stand mixer bowl with whisk attachment. Whisk whites on medium speed until foamy. Then gradually add the granulated sugar. Once all sugar is added, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase mixer speed to high and whisking until stiff, firm, glossy peaks form.
Next sift the powdered sugar mixture 1/3 at a time over the egg white mixture and carefully fold using a large silicone spatula until mixture is smooth and shiny. Repeat process for the remaining 2/3 of the powdered sugar mixture.
Place the macaron mixture into a piping bag with a round tip ( I used Ateco # 804). With piping tip 1/2 inch above the template , pipe 1 1/2 inch circles onto parchment paper lined baking sheets. Once finished gently tap baking sheet on your work surface to release and air bubbles and help form the “feet” of the macarons.
Let macarons stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Go read a book or surf the web.)
During this time, preheat oven to 375°F. Macarons will be ready to bake when they no longer stick to your finger when lightly touched. (Do not forget to remove the template paper before baking.)
When ready, bake the macarons at 375°F for 10-13 minutes (Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn). Rotate baking sheets halfway through to promote consistent baking. Macarons will be ready when they are crisp and firm.
Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes. Then carefully remove the macarons from parchment paper and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
For the topping
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk to a thin spreadable consistency.
Brush the tops of each macaron with a light coat of glaze and sprinkle with about an 1/8 teaspoon or less of cinnamon sugar each.
Set aside and let the glaze dry.
For the filling
In a stand mixer, beat the butter until fluffy.
Add the powdered sugar and salt and mix until well combined.
Then add 1/4 cup dulce de leche and mix until fully incorporated. Place the mixture in a piping bag or Ziplock bag with the tip cut off.
Using the remaining dulce de leche, spread on thin layer (about a teaspoon or less) on half the macarons.
Then over that, pipe on a bit of the dulce de leche buttercream.
Place the remaining macarons over the filled ones and carefully sandwich together.
Place macarons in the fridge and wait 24 hours before eating. (I know it’s torture, but you can go lick the bowl of buttercream instead.)
Notes
Macarons can be kept sealed in an airtight container up to 1 week in the fridge.
McCormicks does sell a premade cinnamon sugar mix, but if you want to make your own, you can find my recipe here.
For the dulce de leche, I used Gaucho Ranch brand that I found at World Market. I like it because it is thick.
Macaron recipe adapted from Sur La Table Mango Macarons
Dulce de Leche Buttercream Frosting by Cupcake Project
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