Orange Creamsicle Truffles

Orange Creamsicle Truffles
Yields about 20


Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
Zest of 1/2 orange
3 Tbsp heavy cream
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 tsp orange extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Red and yellow food coloring (optional)


Directions:
Pour white chocolate chips into a mixing bowl, set aside. Melt butter along with orange zest in a small saucepan. Stir in cream and scald mixture. Pour hot cream mixture through a fine mesh sieve over white chocolate chips and using a rubber spatula press zest against sieve to release orange oils into mixture. Allow mixture to rest 1 minute, add orange extract and optional food coloring to white chocolate chip mixture then stir until smooth. Cover mixture and refrigerate 2 hours or until firm enough to handle. Scoop mixture out by heaping teaspoon fulls and form into balls then roll in powdered sugar. Freeze truffles 20 minutes then enjoy. Store truffles in refrigerator as they will soften at room temperature or freeze for up to 1 month.


Recipe Source: inspired by kitchen simplicity

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Orange Creamsicle Buddies (Variation on Muddy Buddies)

Ah, creamy, dreamy Orange Creamsicles, aren't they just amazing?  Indeed they are one of my favorite dessert flavors, that is why I created my recipe for Oranges and Cream Cookies and Orange Creamsicle Popcorn, and now these!  Orange Creamsicle Buddies.  They are woman approved, man approved and kid approved.  I love them, my husband loves them and my kids love them.  I never thought the classic muddy buddies would ever see a competitor, but here it is.  They are bursting with natural, zesty and refreshing orange flavor thanks to the orange zest and pure orange extract they contain.  They vanilla chips and cream compliment the orange flavors perfectly giving these treats that delightful oranges and cream flavor.  Once you start munching on these, trust me, it's hard to stop!  Before you know it you'll be reaching in for another handful only to find the last bits of remaining crumbs mingling at the bottom along with some of the sugar dust.  Now don't go drinking it =).
Try these and it's very likely this delicious and exciting recipe will find a spot right next to the muddy buddies recipe in your recipe book.

Orange Creamsicle Buddies
Yields 8 cups


Ingredients:
8 cups Rice Chex Cereal
1 1/2 cups white vanilla baking chips
1/4 cup butter
3 Tbsp heavy cream
1 1/2 Tbsp orange zest (this is the zest of about 1 1/2 large oranges)
1 tsp orange extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar


Directions:
Measure 8 cups Rice Chex Cereal into a very large mixing bowl, set aside.  In a microwave safe mixing bowl, combine vanilla baking chips, butter, cream and orange zest.  Microwave mixture on 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring with a fork after each interval, until melted and smooth.  Stir in orange extract.  Pour mixture over Chex Cereal and gently toss mixture with a rubber spatula until evenly coated.  Pour coated cereal into a 2 gallon ziploc bag, add powdered sugar and seal bag.  Shake mixture until evenly coated with powdered sugar.  
For a crispier version: preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Divide prepared Orange Creamsicle Buddies in an even layer among two cookie sheets and bake 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through baking.  Allow to cool and store mixture in an airtight container.


Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

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Orange Creamsicle Popcorn

Oranges and cream is such a dreamy combination isn't it?  I love orange creamsicles and last week I made a recipe for Oranges and Cream Cookies so I wanted to create another recipe for people to have a second use for the orange extract if you purchased it.  Everyone loves this popcorn.  It would be a great snack for parties, movie night or the upcoming super bowl.  I played around with the recipe, the first time I made it I did an alternate method which you can find at the bottom of the recipe. It dried after a while whereas the listed recipe didn't.  It stayed nice and sticky, which I prefer.  Both ways were delicious so take your pick but either way I hope you try this recipe =).  This recipe makes a ton of popcorn so be prepared to share.
Also, check out Sweet as Sugar Cookies, sweets for saturday.  It's a great blog!

Orange Creamsicle Popcorn


Ingredients:
1 cup unpopped popcorn kernals
1/2 cup butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbsp orange zest
4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 tsp orange extract


Directions:
Pop popcorn into two very large mixing bowls, set aside.  Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in sweetened condensed milk, cream, sugar, salt and orange zest.  Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.  Boil mixture one and a half minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add in marshmallows and stir until melted.  Mix in orange extract.  Divide warm mixture evenly over two bowls of popcorn and toss with a spatula to coat.  Allow to rest 20 minutes to set.


For an alternate method:
I have also made this popcorn in a dry version.  Omit the cream, then when you stir in marshmallows also stir in 1/3 cup white chocolate chips. 

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Oranges and Cream Cookies

Is it summer yet?  I'm craving the glistening suns rays warmly beating down upon me while I relax and slowly work my way through a generous scoop of thick ice cream... if only, for now all I can do is bake what brings the flavors of summer =).  These blissful cookies taste just like an orange creamsicle.  I made the chocolate chip version and thought, hmm I bet if I add in white chocolate in place of the chocolate chips it would taste like an orange creamsicle, and wallah it did!  When I said yesterday the Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies were my new favorite cookie, I was referring to both those and these =).  I couldn't decide between the two.  And I will let you in on a trick to enjoy both flavors, once the dry ingredients are incorporated in, divide dough in half then mix 1 cup white chocolate chips into one half of the dough then 1/2 cup semi-sweet and 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips into the other half of dough.  It's a great way to enjoy two kinds of cookies out of one batch of dough.  I hope these cookies become one of your new favorite cookies too!  I know for me they are going to be one of my lifelong favorites.

If you purchase Orange Extract for these cookies you may also like to try Orange Creamsicle Popcorn for another great use of the extract.

Oranges and Cream Cookies
Yields about 4 dozen


Ingredients:
1 recipe Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies, minus milk and semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups white chocolate chips 


Directions:
Prepare and bake according to directions, stir in white chocolate chips in place of milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

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Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies (tastes just like an Orange Milano, but better!)

These are officially my new favorite cookie!  They are one of the best cookies I've ever eaten!  These taste just like a Pepperidge Farm Orange Milano Cookie, but I think they are even better because they have all the flavors of that cookie but these are soft and chewy rather than crisp and crunchy.  I've been changing up flavors to all my favorite classics lately like Rice Krispie Treats and Oatmeal, so I decided it was time for a change with the Chocolate Chip Cookie.  So, I came up with this recipe.  I don't know if there could be a better upgrade.  These cookies are a must try!  Enjoy.  
PS just be sure you don't skip out on the orange extract or the orange zest, if you leave one out you wont get that incredible, zesty orange flavor.  They are the key ingredients of this cookie recipe.  You should be able to find the orange extract in the spice section of the grocer/supermarket, it's about $3-$6 and well worth it.
You may also like to try Oranges and Cream Cookies, they taste just like and orange creamsicle and they are made from the same dough as these cookies.

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields about 4 dozen


Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange extract
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in eggs 1 at a time mixing after each addition.  Mix in vanilla extract, orange extract and orange zest.  Slowly add in dry mixture and mix until well incorporated.  Gently stir in milk chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Drop cookies by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a buttered cookie sheet and bake 9-11 minutes.  Allow to cool on cookie sheet several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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