Halloween Oreo Balls Kids Can Help Turn Into Spiders
No-bake Oreo and cream cheese truffles rolled in crushed Oreos and decorated as spiders with mini Oreo legs and candy eyes. Kids can help with most of the assembly.
Equipment
- Food processor
- Zip-top bag
- Rolling Pin
- Sturdy spatula
- Hand mixer
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Butter knife
Ingredients
- 18 regular Oreos about 200 g / 7 oz, crushed fine, for the truffle base; leave the cream filling in
- 6 regular Oreos for rolling, about 1/3 cup / 70 g once crushed
- 4 oz cream cheese softened, full-fat block (113 g); not whipped tub-style
- 24 mini Oreos for the legs
- 24 candy eyeballs two per spider
Instructions
- Soften the cream cheese: Leave it out until a fingertip sinks in easily, usually 30 to 60 minutes depending on how warm your kitchen is. If it is cold, you will get white streaks and lumps.
- Crush the Oreos: Pulse all 24 in a food processor until they look like dark, slightly damp dirt with no big chunks. Without a processor, crush them in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin, and keep going until the crumbs are fine. Scoop out 1/3 cup and set it aside for rolling.
- Mix the base: Add the remaining crumbs to the cream cheese and beat with a sturdy spatula or hand mixer. It will look too dry at first. After a minute or two it becomes a dense, uniform dough like thick fudge, with no white streaks.
- Portion and roll: Divide the mixture into 12 equal pieces of about 26 g, or a heaped tablespoon each. Roll each between your palms until smooth. If the dough sticks or slumps, chill the bowl for 15 minutes. Rinse warm hands under cold water halfway through.
- Coat in crumbs: Roll each ball in the reserved crumbs and set it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. The coating hides fingerprints and gives the legs and eyes something to grip.
- Prep the legs: Twist each mini Oreo apart, scrape out the filling with a butter knife, and snap each wafer in half. You will get 96 half-moons, which is eight legs per spider. Prep a few spares, since some will break.
- Attach the legs: Push four wafer halves into each side of every ball, cut edge first, so the rounded edges stick out like bent legs. If the balls have gone soft and the legs slide out, chill the tray for 15 minutes and try again.
- Add the eyes: Press two candy eyes onto the front of each spider. If an eye will not stay put, pinch off a crumb-sized bit of leftover truffle mixture and use it as glue.
- Chill: Refrigerate the tray for 30 minutes to an hour, until the spiders feel firm. Keep them cold until serving.
