Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Will needed a dessert to bring to work for a potluck and I found this one on a blog called Bailey Bakes, it looked amazing so I made some modifications (mostly just doubling the recipe so that it made enough to share with a group of people). I had to try one (or two) to make sure they were share-worthy and they were sooooo good! They taste exactly how they look -- like little balls of cookie dough covered in chocolate! Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of butter (softened)
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 2 tbsp of vanilla extract
• 2 cups of flour
• 2 cups of mini semisweet chocolate chips
• 12 oz of regular size semisweet chocolate chips (or you could use a bar of semisweet chocolate if you chop it)
• 2 tbsp of shortening
• 1 section of a block of almond bark (approx. 4 oz) (optional)

Directions:

1. Line 1-2 baking sheets (depending on their size) with wax paper, parchment paper, or aluminum foil and set aside (the paper or foil just makes for easier clean-up later). 
2. Add the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract to a medium size bowl. Mix together with a mixer until combined.
3. Add flour to mixture and beat with mixer until combined. (Note: Depending on how softened and what type of butter you use, the mixture may stick to itself or not but don't worry, when you go to make the truffle balls, it will stick together; I used whipped butter that was not very well softened so my mixture was completely loose and that made things harder but it worked.)
4. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
5. Shape the dough into balls using your hands and place them on the lined baking sheet(s). 
6. Put the baking sheet with the dough balls in the freezer for about 30 minutes to harden. 
7. Shortly before you take the dough out of the freezer (approximately 5-10 minutes before), begin melting the semisweet chocolate chips or bar with the shortening in a small saucepan on low-medium heat on the stove or in a Pyrex mixing cup in the microwave. Stir every 30 seconds to ensure that the chocolate is melting and not burning. Once the chocolate is completely melted, take off the stove (or remove from the microwave).
8. Take the dough balls out the freezer and drop each ball into the chocolate one at a time. Use a fork to roll the ball around in the chocolate and then fish it out and let it drip off a little. Transfer the chocolate-covered dough balls back to the lined baking sheets. 
9. (If you choose to drizzle the truffles with almond bark): While you are dipping the dough balls in chocolate, begin melting the almond bark in the same way as the semisweet chocolate; I used the microwave because it was such a small amount. 
10. (If you choose to drizzle the truffles with almond bark): Once all of the dough balls are covered in chocolate and placed on the lined baking sheet(s), take the melted almond bark and use a spoon to scoop a small amount and drizzle it over the truffles. 
11. You may also choose to sprinkle any remaining mini chocolate chips on top of the truffles. 
12. Once the truffles are completely covered, place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to serving so that the chocolate will harden. 

Remember to continue to store the truffles in the refrigerator unless serving.

Ingredients

Dough balls after Step #5

Taste testing! Delicious! :-)

Completed truffles!

Update: An alternative coating for the truffles is to coat in vanilla/almond bark and drizzle with melted chocolate (see picture below). Both options are delicious!