Cooking with a Toddler...

"Ooo, ooo, ooo, please give me another Candy Cane Joe-Joe*!"

"Oh, maybe if I smile while begging, I'll get another one."

"Let me think about this, does she even know that it is only 8 in the morning and she is feeding me cookies?"

"Hi Mommy!  Thank you for the cookie and for letting me cook with you!!"

Okay, I admit.  I love this child.  And I'll also admit, because I am a push-over mommy, I did in fact let him eat a Candy Cane Joe-Joe before he had eaten breakfast...Well, what really happened was I put the Joe-Joe's in the food processor and he was on his stool and kept saying "watch, watch" so I showed the bowl of the processor to him and he immediately grabbed a cookie, seriously, the kid has cat-like reflexes.  I was so impressed with his prowess, I decided to let him eat the cookie :)

We had a little office party for my co-workers, I mean Jeremy's co-workers.  If I had an office party for my job it would be me and Owen and that would complete the guest list!  So I made a variety of treats, my favorite and easiest treat were these delish Candy Cane Joe-Joe Balls!

Candy Cane Joe-Joe Balls

*Trader Joe's (better) version of the peppermint Oreo!
Makes: LOTS

Ingredients:
1 box of Candy Cane Joe-Joes, Peppermint Oreos, or just pain old Joe-Joe's or Oreos!
1 package of cream cheese
1 1/2 packages of Hersey's White Chocolate Chips
1 package Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Bits (I, of course, couldn't find them in the Little Apple, so I used the peppermint candies and crunched them up.)

Instructions:
Toss the Joe-Joe's and the softened cream cheese into your food processor.  Process.  Once all the cookies are broken up and mixed in well with the cream cheese, start making little balls.  I advise placing them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. 

After you are done making far too many balls, pop them in the freezer for about a half hour.  When you are ready, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.  Now, this is where it gets a bit messy.  Use two spoons and plop the balls (I am using such amazing vocabulary right now) in the chocolate, making sure all sides are covered, then place back on the parchment lined cookie sheet.  Before the chocolate hardens, drop a few Andes peppermint crunchies on top.  Delish!

Super easy and yummy.  I might make them for the Super Bowl and dip them in dark chocolate with some white stripes...We'll see!

Our one and only pic in front of our Christmas Tree - and we blocked it to boot!