Odette's Secrets - Cookie Dough Truffles

Odette's Secrets, written by Maryann Macdonald, is one of the several books I read while I had some free time over winter break. It ended up being my favorite of the bunch. Odette is a young girl living in Paris, France when World War II begins. Her mother and father are Jewish, but they are not very involved with their religion. Her father signs up to fight for France as soon as the war begins and is captured by the Nazis pretty quickly. As Odette is adjusting to the change in her home life without her father, the Nazis start invading Paris. Although Odette does not fully understand what it means to be Jewish, she starts being treated differently because of it.

Food and everyday supplies become scarce for Odette and her mother in Paris. Everyday life also becomes more dangerous for them. Odette's mother comes up with a plan to keep Odette safe. She will be sent off to the French countryside to hide with families she has never met. Once in the small villages, Odette must learn to blend in. She must hide her city mannerisms and most importantly her religion. On the outside, she is a Christian country girl. While she waits for her mother to bring her home, she becomes more and more confused about who she really is.

For this book, I decided to make a cookie dough truffle. I know that when I am biting into a truffle, the last thing I would expect to find is cookie dough. This treat hides its true interior behind its chocolate shell. Odette was able to learn that even though she projected the life of a Christian country girl for so long, she was still the same girl that she was before the war on the inside.

I found this recipe from The Nonpareil Baker's blog last Christmas. I added it to my unruly list of Christmas cookies, and it was a hit. This year we made 10 different varieties.

Since the cookie dough is never baked, there are no eggs in the recipe to keep it safe. Greek yogurt is used in place of eggs. You could use sour cream as well.

Cookie Dough Truffles

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda (for flavor)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups chocolate chips
Chocolate almond bark or dipping chocolate

Place the butter in a bowl and beat it for about one minute. Add the sugars and beat until blended. Add the yogurt and vanilla and mix until combined.

Mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the butter and sugar and mix at a low speed until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Place one inch dollops of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. I do this using spoons, but you could also use a cookie scoop. I find it too messy and difficult to form the cookies into balls before they have firmed up a bit. Place the cookie sheets in the freezer for about an hour. At this point, you can round out the dollops into balls by rolling them in your hands. Freeze the balls of dough for about another hour.

When you're ready to coat the dough, melt the chocolate according to the package directions. Dip each ball of dough into the melted chocolate and coat it completely. Return the balls to the wax paper to set. You can decorate the truffles with sprinkles before the chocolate dries.

After the chocolate has set, the truffles can be stored in a container. They should be kept in the refrigerator.