Christmas treats - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

These are one of my favorite things I make each year.  You might not guess that seeing as it can take us literally a year to eat a full batch but that just stems from being overly enthusiastic about them the first time I made them and then getting a stomach ache.  Now I know one a day is plenty.  People are usually pretty impressed by homemade truffles and I know few (if any) people that don't like cookie dough.  There are no eggs involved so these are perfectly safe to eat, as long as you don't go for 3 in a day.

Cookie Dough Truffles
yield: depends on size, I got 66 truffles this year

Ingredients
8 TB unsalted butter (definitely butter, not margarine, butter will hold shape much much better)
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
approx. 20oz melting chocolate for dipping
mini chocolate chips for garnish

Directions
1) Combine the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a mixer and combine of medium speed until light & fluffy.  Add in the flour, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla until it is incorporated and smooth.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until harden (I usually do this days in advance but an hour or so would probably suffice).

2) Shape the mixture into balls about 1 - 1 1/2 inch in diameter.  These are rich so you don't want them too big.  Place on a baking sheet (optional: line with wax paper, I never do but it would probably be easier to pull them off) and place the whole sheet in the freezer (Again, mine usually sit uncovered in the freezer for days until I get around to dipping them.  A few hours would be enough if you are less lazy.)

3) When you've worked up the courage to deal with melted chocolate, put at least 8 oz of chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat.  Let it melt, keeping an eye on it and stirring to help it along.  Dip each truffle, one at a time, in the melted chocolate, shaking off the excess as best you can.  Place on a wax paper lined baking sheet or counter.  Refill your melted chocolate as needed.

4) If using mini chocolate chips or another garnish, place on the truffles before they are hard.  I do this about every 3rd truffle.  They will set at room temperature or you can place in the fridge to speed up the process (I never have room for that).

Store in the fridge and try not to eat them all at once.  They are best fresh but are still perfectly edible a year later.  I have shipped these in the winter and they make it ok.  

Source: Annie's Eats