Idaho is pretty fond of Candy Cane cookies, apparently.  Those are the best holiday cookie, according to a new state-by-state breakdown, but see if your people might love Oreo Balls more.  The balls are easy to make too.  

This is the best time of the year to be in the kitchen.  Even if you're not really a baker, there are quality time moments waiting to happen with the kids, and it's worth a shot to try to whip up something they won't forget.

The first time I made these Oreo Balls it was during the holiday season with a football game on in the background, and I've made them every Christmas since.  My dad and my niece always race to get the first one when I set them out on the tray, and after that, the whole family digs into the pile and they're gone before we know it.

I got the recipe from my cousin several years ago, and they're the easiest treat ever to make.  And it's the perfect way to cram more fat and calories into your Oreo consumption.

Oreo Balls:

1 package of Oreos

1 package of cream cheese (8 ounces)

1 package of White Chocolate candy coating (also called almond bark)

Crush the Oreos by hand and put them in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Add the softened cream cheese and mix until it's blended.  Roll the mixture into balls and dip each ball into melted candy coating.  Let the balls dry on waxed paper.

General Mills collected search data from BettyCrocker.comPillsbury.com, and Tablespoon.com, and created a map that shows which recipes are clicked most often in each state.  In Idaho, we're clicking on Candy Cane Cookie recipes more than anything else.  But once more Idahoans give Oreo Balls a try that will take over, we're sure.

Other top holiday treats include Kiss-topped peanut butter cookies, M&M bars, and those little shortbread cookie balls rolled in powdered sugar.  Perhaps there's no real need to pit these culinary confections against each other after all.  We can gladly make room for all of them on those treat plates that sit on the counter for the last two weeks of the year, and every time we walk by we'll grab a different one and graze our way through the holiday.  That'll work.

Oreo balls are great stored in the freezer, so if you have any leftovers at Christmas they'll easily keep til March.  My girls actually prefer to eat them frozen so they're chewier and last longer.

We've only got two weeks left to make some holiday memories in the kitchen, so it's time to get crackin'.  Oh, and all of these bite-sized treats will impress your people at football parties too.  If you're making Oreo Balls, you could put food coloring in the white chocolate candy coating to match the Broncos team colors. The possibilities are endless.

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