Kaleidoscope Candy

There are sweet/salty/sour flavors in each pretty bite of this festive treat.  Thanks to  my friend Mary Frances, party-giver extraordinaire, for a  recipe that's as visually appealing as it is tasty.

Combine 1/2 c. chopped macadamias, 1/2 c lightly toasted chopped pistachios, 1 cup dried tart cherries or cranberries, 1 c.  pastel mini marshmallows, and  1 c. jellied sour candies  -- such as Jelly Bellies --   cut  or halved.  Cut them even if they are  much smaller than regular jelly beans--otherwise when you cut the candy  whole pieces will fall out.    Mix with 16 oz.  melted white chocolate and spread evenly in a parchment-lined  9x9 pan. I've used both  white chocolate chips and white candy bark.   Cover and chill. Refrigeration is not necessary once set.   It will  need to come to  room temperature later to slice  neatly. 

Oreo Truffles

Come to the dark side.......... the deep dark  decadent world of chocolate, with this simple  no-cook  confection that can  easily pass as a product from a  fine chocolatier.  I've seen them  called any number of things including  Oh My God! Balls  but I think 'truffle'  is more descriptive.   If you like white chocolate - or what passes for white chocolate, dip the truffles in white, they  may be  prettier  with that striking contrast, but I don't like the taste.  I make mine a little bigger than a standard candy-sized truffle.

 Crush a package of oreo cookies  or store-brand  oreos  using a food processor.  The crumbs  have to be  really fine. I suppose if you did them just a few at a time you might get by using a blender.

 Blend an 8-oz. block of room-temperature cream cheese into the crumbs, using the food processor if you like.. With your hands, make into bite size --- or two-bite -- balls,  and  refrigerate.  Melt a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (chocolate or ....yuk, white) with a heaping tablespoon of Crisco or other shortening - not oil.    Dip the cold  balls into the chocolate to cover completely, place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or foil, and return to the refrigerator to harden.    Drizzle with a little  melted white chocolate, if you like, or chopped nuts, sprinkles, dragees, or seasonal decoration.  At Christmas I sometimes color  white chocolate with red and green  for a holiday  swirl., or use mint oreos and tint  some of the white chocolate a pretty mint  green.