Halloween pumpkin cookie balls

Oreos combined with a block of cream cheese and then rolled in chocolate? Surprisingly good!

Though I ate my share of Oreos growing up and though I’ve had them swirled into a flurry or two, I don’t think I have ever bought a package of them. I love baking from scratch and most of the baked goods coming out of my kitchen involve a more old school base of flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. At an event last week, I was introduced to my first cookie ball and not only did the signature Oreo flavor tickle my nostalgia nerve, the decadent bites nearly unplugged my will power.

It is always fun for me when my work life and blog life collide. I had the opportunity to visit the Kraft Food Kitchens in Glenview, Ill., where I got a sneak peek behind the scenes and had the pleasure of meeting more than a dozen mom bloggers. I was invited by the hosting group to talk with the mom bloggers about food photography. I found that I also had a thing or two to learn from this group of in-the-know mom writers and product reviewers! 

Between sessions, we were served lunch prepared by the Kraft staff. Only at a blogger gathering would nearly everyone capture a photo of the spread before digging in.

The desserts were artfully presented and had a timely Halloween flair. I helped myself to a little of this and a little of that, taste testing almost everything. The Kraft crew presented some candy bar bites that were some sort of mock Butterfinger. It actually tasted so much like a Butterfinger, it left me wondering, “Why not just buy a Butterfinger?”

I was tickled by a Jello-O brain mold and admired the various pretty pudding parfaits.

But it was the Halloween Oreo Pumpkins that inspired me to ask where I could find their recipes. It shouldn’t be a surprise that Kraft has an enormous website of recipes including a vast Halloween section. There are some cute ideas to get your wheels turning, especially for Halloween party planning.

As for these cookie balls? Perhaps a bag of Oreos will be visiting the Whipped kitchen.

Oreo Pumpkin Cookie Balls

6 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1 package 15.25 oz Oreo peanut butter creme cookies, finely crushed (regular Oreos would be good too!)
2 packages (6 squares each) Baker’s white chocolate, melted
1 cup orange colored sugar or sprinkles
10 pretzel sticks, broken into 4 pieces each

Mix cream cheese and cookie crumbs until well blended. Shape into 40 1-inch balls.

Freeze for 10 minutes.

Dip balls in melted chocolate; roll in sugar or sprinkles to evenly coat. Place on wax paper lined cookie sheet.

Insert 1 pretzel piece into top of each for the pumpkin’s stem. Refrigerate one hour or until firm.