My Best Fraaaaan and Eggnog Truffles

.  So...guess what?

I can barely sit still in my seat long enough to type out this post.  And you wanna know why?

Because my BEST FRIEND in the whole entire world [I sound like I'm 5] is visiting me in Omaha.  And yes, I've been counting down the days until her arrival.  I was that pumped.

Obviously you will not hear from me for the rest of the weekend because we shall be too busy catching up on anything and everything.  And having a grand time while doing so.  We always have too much fun together so who knows what the next couple of days will bring.

So since this is a short and sweet post, I figured this would be a great opportunity to leave you with a recipe that is just as short and even sweeter.  I made these Eggnog Truffles while I was in Washington for Christmas and I really can't believe I haven't gotten these out to you sooner.  I'm slowly, but very surely, becoming a truffle addict.  I seriously love them in all of their rich, creamy glory.  And I'm an eggnog fanatic, so needless to say these are one of my favorite truffles to date. 

Which brings me to a rather ironic point: these truffles don't contain any eggnog.  Nope.  Not a drop.  Rather, they're perfectly flavored by white chocolate and those crucial eggnog spices.  I kid you not.  Craziness, huh?  No one could believe they didn't have any eggnog in them!

Anywho, I must get going.  Have a wonderful weekend! I know we will!!  .

Adapted from Taste and Tell

  

Ingredients:

2 lbs. white baking chocolate

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. imitation rum extract

Directions:

1.  Melt 1 pound of the white chocolate according to the package directions.  In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, nutmeg, and rum extract until smooth.  Add in melted white chocolate and beat until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate mixture until firm (about 4 hours).
2. Shape the mixture into balls (size depends on how big or small you'd like; I used a very scant teaspoonful).  Place balls on a wax-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until firm.
3. Melt the remaining 1 pound of white chocolate in a large bowl.  Using two spoons, dip each truffle in the chocolate and place back onto the lined baking sheet to dry.  Sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired.

Yield: 3 dozen truffles

Eggnog Fudge

.  Take it or leave it.

It's that simple.

When it comes to eggnog.

Am I right or am I right?  My conclusion is that you either love eggnog or you despise it.  There really is no in between with this distinctly thick and rich holiday beverage.  Personally, I'm an eggnog lover.  But I've definitely come across my share of haters.  So if you're the latter, I'd love for you continue reading my post but I'm fairly certain you won't find this fudge appealing.  Sowwy, guys.

But hey, if you're still here, you made a wise choice.  I was overly pleased with this fudge because not only is it oozing with eggnog goodness, but it's legit!  Sweet, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth fudge.  All of the key qualities a fine fudge must possess, right?  Correct.  And it doesn't get much more holiday-esque than eggnog. 

I had a hunch this was a smash recipe because it uses marshmallow fluff, and I'm a firm believer it's the key ingredient.  My first fudge attempt was for an SRC post, Cherry Walnut Fudge, and that recipe included marshmallow fluff as well.  And...it was the best fudge I'd ever had.  Let alone made.  The author of the recipe attributed the delectable-ness to the marshmallow fluff, so I'm stickin' with that.  And this Eggnog Fudge follows suit.

So how to describe this festive treat?  Well...it's rich and sweet.  The eggnog itself is complemented by white chocolate, marshmallow fluff, and salty butter.  And putting that all into one bowl will surely give you something scrumptious, but small bites are all you're going to need.  Well, you'll probably end up eating a lot of those little bites.  But hey, who's counting?  It's the holidays!  .

My Notes:

• Be patient when making the fudge.  It will probably take several minutes to get the temperature where it's supposed to be, but it'll be worth it because you'll get the most perfect consistency!

From Chocolate, Chocolate and More

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter

2 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

3/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. eggnog

2 c. sugar

10 oz. white chocolate chips

1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Line a 9x9-inch pan with foil; set aside.
2. Combine butter, heavy whipping cream, eggnog, and sugar in a medium saucepan.  Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Once boiling, reduce heat a bit and using a candy thermometer, continue cooking until temperature reaches 234°F.  Remove pan from heat and stir in white chocolate chips until completely melted and blended in.  Add in marshmallow creme, nutmeg, and vanilla extract.  Stir until smooth and pour into pan.
3. Sprinkle top with additional nutmeg (if desired).  Let cool to room temperature before removing from pan and cutting into small pieces (I found it best to put the fudge into the refrigerator to cool).

Yield: 32 servings

Eggnog Cookies

.  ONE. MORE. DAY.

I can't believe it.  Christmas is finally upon us.  It's one of those days that you can't wait to get here but once it does, you want time to slow down.  But I guess that's what makes it so special, huh?  What a wonderful day.

To get our Christmas weekend kicked off, Robbie and I had some long lost Creighton softball friends and family over last night for what we call a 'safety meeting.'  Long story short, the softball girls parents would meet out in the parking lot between our double headers every weekend for a 'safety meeting', which entailed large amounts of beer drinking.  Unfortunately I never really got to participate in the ridiculous amounts of fun those parents had [since the team was obviously supposed to be focusing on something else!] but boy, did those parents of ours create some lasting memories.  It's hilarious to see them get together and reminisce about the good ol' days.

But same goes for the softball ladies.  I had some of the most wonderful teammates, ladies that are unforgettable and will be lasting friends.  We're, of course, all off living our own [crazy busy] lives so  I don't get to see them ever.  So needless to say, last night was an absolute blast.

Since it's the Christmas weekend and my family is here, I'll have to share other pictures and recipes from the weekend later.  So stay tuned!

But I did want to give you an amazing holiday recipe that I made for the party last night.  Eggnog Cookies.  Okay, if you're not an eggnog fan, you can 'X' out of this post right now.  Because these are eggnog-goodness cookies.  Seriously, they exceeded my expectations and have easily become one of my most favorite cookies ever.  They're subtly sweet, made so by the eggnog, and have a great soft, soft shortbread texture.  It's not a crunchy shortbread, but I can't really think of another way to explain them.  But basically all you need to know is that they're fabulous.  And for a little extra eggnoggy boost, the cookies are drizzled with a simple eggnog glaze.

Due to the busy-ness of baking, cooking, and cleaning for the party yesterday, I didn't bother to take time of the actual baking process like I usually do.  But these cookies are pretty straight forward and I didn't have any extra notes I want to fill you in on.  So head on over to The Girl Who Ate Everything to get the full recipe and some additional pictures of these lovelies.  Also, here's a sneak peak of another dessert I made for the party but that'll have to come later  .

Merry Christmas Eve!