can't hardly wait (and a chocolate #giveaway)

Forget the island paradise--we're honeymooning in Ireland!

I feel guilty for saying this, but we're WAY more excited about our honeymoon than the wedding itself. Of course we look forward to celebrating with our families, but one of the things we were most thrilled to learn about each other in the get-to-know-the-basics phase of our relationship was a shared and strong desire to visit Ireland. The castles! The landscapes! The brogues! The beer! (I was speaking vicariously for my fiance with that last one.)

Since we've started planning our trip, anything and everything even remotely tied to Irish culture has been catching my eye. When I spotted some white chocolate Irish cream liqueur at our local booze shop, I obviously had to buy it because a)MADE IN IRELAND, and b)WHITE CHOCOLATE IRISH CREAM!

As you might expect, it's awesome in coffee and cocktails (though I haven't been so bold as to have it simply on the rocks, I think that would be delicious too), and it just so happened to make what could've been standard Oreo truffles extra delicious! I suppose you could use the liqueur to flavor the chocolate coating, but I opted to slip it into the cookie mixture itself. It's subtle because the Oreos have such a powerful flavor of their own, but that hint of Irish cream really elevated these into a classy and extra special treat!

I made a second batch of truffles, too, and it was equally as delicious but far less Irish. As it turns out, you can replace some of the cream cheese with hazelnut chocolate spread and get super rich candies with a completely different, slightly nutty flavor profile. Awesome! I used a spread from Endangered Species Chocolate, which is doing its part to make the world a better place, one chocolate bar at a time. Not only are each of its tasty milk and dark chocolate bars and bites made with ethically traded, shade grown cacao and natural ingredients, but 10 percent of net purchases benefit conservation efforts around the world! Its 2016-2018 10% GiveBack Partners are Rainforest Trust and Wildlife Conservation Network, and I think that's pretty awesome. I have three jars of spreads to give away--cocoa, hazelnut, and almond, each delicious and each thoughtfully produced and presented. Enter using the widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sláinte!

Tipsy Truffles
(printable recipe)
Makes about 4 dozen
Ingredients:

• 1 (14.3 ounce) package Oreo cookies
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons white chocolate cream liqueur (I recommend Sheelin!)
  
• 2 (8 ounce) packages semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

Directions: Crush cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese and liqueur; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42-48 balls, each about 1 inch in diameter. Freeze these balls for an hour or so, until they're frozen through. Dip the frozen balls into the melted chocolate. Lift truffle from chocolate using 2 forks (this will allow excess chocolate to run off) before placing on wax paper. Sprinkle with colored sprinkles and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. 

Hazelnut Truffles 

(printable recipe)
 Makes about 4 dozen 

 Ingredients:

• 1 (14.3 ounce) package Oreo cookies
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup hazelnut chocolate spread
  
• 2 (8 ounce) packages semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

Directions: Crush cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese and chocolate spread; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42-48 balls, each about 1 inch in diameter. Freeze these balls for an hour or so, until they're frozen through. Dip the frozen balls into the melted chocolate. Lift truffle from chocolate using 2 forks (this will allow excess chocolate to run off) before placing on wax paper. Sprinkle colored sanding sugar and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.