Chocolate-Covered Cookie Dough Bites

So remember my goal for 2013?  The blogging every week goal?  Yeah, well, that hasn't turned out like I hoped (i.e., my first post for April is on the LAST day of the month!).  Life happens though.  Like your kid getting sick (again) while your husband is away on business, which can really throw a wrench in your plans.  Catching said sickness from kid and feeling not so hot is a pretty big wrench, too.  Among other things.

So I hope this recipe will make up for my absence.  Now that it's (finally) warming up, it's a great no-bake way to fill your cookie craving.  And I'm trying out Ziplist for the printer-friendly copies of this recipe.  I hope I like it.  And I hope you do, too!

Chocolate-Covered Cookie Dough Bites
Adapted from Picky Palate
Printer-friendly copy

Ingredients:
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, room temperature or softer (but not melted)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 24-oz. package of chocolate Almond Bark (or equivalent amount of preferred variety of chocolate chips)

Directions:
Place butter and sugars in a large bowl.  Using an electric or stand mixer, beat on high for 2-3 minutes, until creamy. Add vanilla and mix until well combined.  Add flour, salt, and chocolate chips and mix.  The dough will be quite crumbly.  Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.  Use a small cookie scoop to collect the dough.  Place the dough in the palm of your hand and form it into a ball.  Because it is crumbly, you probably won't have luck rolling it into a ball, which is why squeezing seems to work better.  Place the dough ball on the parchment-lined pan and repeat.  The recipe makes 26-28 dough balls.  Place the jelly roll pan in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

While the dough balls are in the freezer, melt the chocolate using a double boiler or equivalent, stirring as necessary until smooth.  Avoid burning or scorching.  Remove the chocolate from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.  Again, stir occasionally as necessary to keep it from setting up.

Remove the dough balls from the freezer.  Dunk the dough bites in the chocolate, one by one, until evenly coated.  Remove and place back on the parchment-lined jelly roll sheet.  Repeat until all the bites are coated.  Place the pan back into the freezer for an additional 30 minutes to solidify the chocolate.

Store the bites in a covered container in the refrigerator.  Remove prior to serving and allow to come to room temperature.