Oreo Truffle Brownies

About a year ago, Jordan's school had an evening book and craft fair. We went to dinner with some friends and then drove over to the school to buy some new books.

As we walked through the parking lot, at 7:00 at night in the late Fall, the stars were coming out.

Jordan turned to me and said something to the effect of, "Wow, is this how dark it gets?"

I thought she was joking. Her friend and his mom laughed. And then I realized something.

She was serious. She really didn't know how dark it gets.

Because she always goes to bed before 8:00. And, other than Halloween, we were hardly ever outside after dark. The poor child had been deprived of nighttime.

I'm really not a horrible parent. I just value my sanity.

You see, no matter what time she goes to bed, she wakes up no later than 6:30. Recently, we hit a long stretch of bouncing into my bedroom before six. And when she loses sleep it takes her days to recover it.

Days, people. Days of tantrums and general unpleasantness.

But this year I decided to be nice. We had people over for New Year's Eve and let her stay up to celebrate the ball drop...with the East Coast live show at 9:00.

And I may have let her think it was midnight.

Maybe. But I will neither confirm nor deny that.

As for the screaming and unpleasantness...for going to bed at 10:00 pm, she was pretty good until bedtime Sunday. There may have been a lot of TV on that day. And the next.

But I will not confirm nor deny that either.

What I will confirm?

That these brownies rock.

I didn't make Oreo Truffles this year. I wanted too, but ran out of time for all that rolling and dipping.

And then I thought, why not just make an Oreo Truffle layer? On brownies? And spread melted chocolate on top? So. Much. Easier.

And tasty, too.

I'll be making these again for sure. As for letting Jordan see the night sky again...well, there's always New Year's Eve next year.

I'm kidding.

{Sorta.}

Oreo Truffle Brownies

Ingredients:

1 box brownie mix (8x8 pan size) and ingredients called for on box

20 Oreo Cookies

4 ounces cream cheese

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1.       Bake brownies according to package directions, using foil to cover your pan for easy removal. Leave in pan and let cool completely. (The refrigerator can help speed up this process.)

2.       Finely crush Oreo cookies in a food processor. Add cream cheese to food processor and pulse until mixture is combined and smooth. Spread over brownies and press to compact.

3.       Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Spread evenly over Oreo truffle mixture using an offset spatula. Chill until hardened, remove from pan and cut into squares.

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Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts, Creative Monday (Clairejustineoxox). Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training), Trick or Treat Tuesday (Inside BruCrew Life). Wednesday: Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party (Mrs. Fox's Sweets) Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks, Cast Party Wednesday (Lady Behind the Curtain).  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy), Tastetastic Thursday (A little nosh), Sweet Temptations (Talking Dollars and Cents). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home), Latest & Greatest Friday (Days of Chalk and Chocolate), Fusion Friday (Jane Deere Blog). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Strut your Stuff Saturday (Six Sisters' Stuff), Moms Crazy Cooking