To Make these Oreo Balls You'll Need:

One (18-oz.) package Oreos One (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened 1 (12-oz.) package chocolate chips A dollop of vegetable shortening White chocolate (optional)

Instructions:

Crush the Oreos until they're fine and crumbly. Combine the cookie crumbs with the softened cream cheese, mixing well. Roll into one-inch balls. Place on a baking sheet covered with wax paper. Refrigerate for at least two hours or until well chilled. Place the chocolate chips and the shortening in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second increments until melted, stirring in between increments. Place the balls on a fork, one at a time, and dip into the chocolate. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off of the balls through the fork; place the balls back onto the cookie sheet. Refrigerate for one hour, or until chocolate has set. If desired, drizzle with melted white chocolate

Swedish Chocolate Balls Prep Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes Total Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes Yield: 12 Ingredients

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar 1 pound butter, softened 1 cup cocoa powder

2 tablespoons really strong coffee 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 cups rolled oats Decoration:

The traditional decoration is coconut flake, but you may use sanding sugar, colored sprinkles, toasted almond slivers, powdered sugar, powdered cocoa, etc.

Instructions 1. Cream butter, sugar, and cocoa until smooth. 2. Add in coffee, vanilla and chocolate, mix well. 3. Add in oats and mix well on high speed with mixer until completely combined, about 3-5 minutes. 4. Pinch a 1 1/2 inch piece of dough and roll between your two palms. 5. Roll in desired decoration to coat. 6. Eat immediately or chill for approximately 2 hours in the refrigerator for a firmer treat.

7. Bitterballen
8. When you order bitterballen in my countryusually during a night out in one of our cozy brown barsyoull be served a plateful of deliciously golden brown, crunchy deep-fried meatballs. Ragout and meat, that is. 9. But in reality these crispy little numbers can be filled with a variety of things. Anywhere from veal, chicken or beef ragout, to mashed potatoes, cheese, chicken satay mix and vegetables. Just like our kroketten. Give them an Asian twist. An Italian twist. Fill them with spicy noodles or rice with veggies and meat. Heck, even risotto works! Youre only limited by your own imagination. 10. Im making vegetable bitterballen this time. Not only because they taste so good theyll knock you right off your socks, but they also make for slightly healthier junk-food, which is a big plus to me. Another major advantage is they double duty as a childrens side dish and snack. But whatever theyre filled with, you will find bitterballen on almost every Dutch New years snack table. 11. 12. Ingredients: 13. 1/2 a celeriac root 1/2 a red bell pepper 1 large carrot 1 large onion 1 medium leek 1/3 cup corn 10 green beans 1/3 cup green peas 2/3 cup vegetable broth

3 tbsp flour 2 oz butter flat-leaf parsley 2 egg yolks 1 egg 1 tbsp milk breadcrumbs pepper salt oil (for deep-frying)

Directions: 14. Okay. Lets make bitterballen. 15. I love celery root. It has an absolutely wicked flavor and is perfect in bitterballen because its not as dense and rich as mashed potatoes. Were using half the celery root, you can use the other half in a nice hearty Dutch winter stew or authentic Dutch split pea soup, or even better: add it to mashed potatoes and see what happens to the flavor! Cut the root in half and cut the skin off.

16. Time to break out your grater. I was really tempted to use my food processor since it comes with a grater, but I didnt want to cheat so I found a perfect middle ground: I had

someone else grate it for me! Peel a large carrot.

17. Finely grate the celery root.

18. And do the same with the carrot.

19. Finely mince a small handfulabout 10 or sofresh green beans. And finely mince 1/2 a red bell pepper.

20. Cut the leek in half beginning at the end of the white part, turn it over and repeat the process several times. Keep doing this until your leek looks like mine. Fan out the leaves

and give them a wash.

21. That way its not only easier to wash but also to chop. Use only the white and yellow part of the leek.

22. Transfer the grated celery root and carrot to a large pot and pour in 2/3 cup vegetable broth. Simmer over low heat (with the lid on) for 10 minutes. Stir now and then.

23. After 10 minutes are up, stir in the chopped green beans, bell pepper and leek. Put the lid on and simmer another 15 minutes.

24. After 15 minutes you check the green beans for readiness. Add the corn and peas and simmer for yet another 5 minutes.

25. Drain the vegetables. Gently push out as much of the cooking liquid as you possibly can. Save the liquid.

26. Youll end up with almost as much cooking liquid as you put in there, 2/3 cup. Mainly because the carrot and celery root will have released their juices as well.

27. Finely mince one large or two small onions.

28. Lightly beat two egg yolks.

29. Heat the butter and as soon as the bubbles are gone you add your onions. Sautee them for a few minutes, until soft but not brown. Add the flour and cook for a minute to neutralize

the rawness of the flour.

30. Bit by bit, pour in the cooking liquid. See? Its supposed to stay very thick. Add the egg yolks, the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and turn off the heat.

31. Finely mince a really good handful flat-leaf parsley and add it to the vegetable mix.

32. Variation tip: at this point you can also add some dry steamed rice or even noodles! Whatever rocks your boat.

33. Transfer the vegetable mix to a baking tray and even it out so itll cool off faster. Give it a few hours to get firm.

34. Fast forward! 35. Break a large egg over a bowl, add 1 tbsp milk and mix it up.

36. Ive poured a 4.5 oz box of breadcrumbs in a large bowl.

37. Scoop up some vegetable mix with a dinner spoonnot too muchform mixture into a ball, cover with breadcrumbs, cover with egg and cover with breadcrumbs again. Coating them with breadcrumbs twice will make for a nice crunchy and firm outer layer.

38. Important step: put them back in the fridge for at least an hour, preferably longer! 39. Break out your deep fryer. Or be like me and just pour some oil in stir-fry pan and stick a candy thermometer in there. I used sunflower oil. Well be deep-frying at 350F (180C).

Man, Ive Americanized. I even use a Fahrenheit thermometer nowadays. 40. Fry them in small batches until brown. This will take 3 to 4 minutes. I usually keep them moving a little while theyre frying. Drain them on a paper towel. 41. Meat bitterballen are generally dipped in mustard here, but these are fabulous when theyre dipped in sweet chili sauce! 42. 43. And this is how we do it. Dutch junk-food made a wee bit healthier. Youre gonna love them, your kids are gonna love them and your guests are gonna love them. Mark my words! 44. Kays Recipe Card