Oreo Truffle Brownie

Happy, happy 2014!
I hope you all created some amazing memories over the holiday!
Now that life has calmed down a bit, I am hoping to give the blog here a face-lift and start cranking out some more recipes to share with you....I have missed you all - xoxo
First up for the New Year, just in time to sabotage your resolutions before Girl Scout Cookies do, is the scrumptious love child of the infamous "Oreo Truffle" and the good-old perfect Brownie.  Seriously...amazeballs!

Oreo Truffle Brownie
Recipe by:  Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients

For the brownies:
• 1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
Oreo Truffle and Topping:
• 26 Oreo or other chocolate-sandwich cookies
• 8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened
• 4 ounces white chocolate or white almond bark

Directions

1. For the brownies, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate chips. Stir constantly and remove from heat when the chocolate is fully melted. In the same pot, whisk in the sugar and vanilla. Then add eggs, blending fully one at a time. Add the flour and salt and stir until well combined. Pour the batter into a greased 9 X 13-inch pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 325 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let the brownies cool completely.
2. For the Oreo truffle topping, crush the Oreo cookies and mix with the softened cream cheese until the mixture is well-combined. I find the best method is to lightly crush the Oreo cookies and then mix the cookies with the cream cheese in an electric stand mixer, food processor or with a handheld mixer. Lightly press the Oreo truffle mixture over the cooled brownies.
3. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate or almond bark on low power at 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Pour the chocolate into the corner of a ziploc bag. Carefully snip a small piece off the corner and drizzle the chocolate across the brownies. Alternately, you can cut the brownies into squares and then drizzle with the chocolate. Chill the brownies in the refrigerator until the chocolate is set (10-20 minutes). Cut into slices and serve.