Sugar-free Peppermint Stick Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Ball

This is crazy delicious and perfect to take to your holiday office party, or a friends Open House Christmas Eve Party... or for a special treat while decorating the Christmas Tree. It's as beautiful as it is good.

For your sugar free option, serve with a plate of sugar free butter cookies. A very low sugar option if you plan to serve at a an office or family party would be Famous chocolate wafers or Flora Chocolate Pizzelles.

Serve with a small paddle knife so guests may smear the Cream Cheese Ball on a cookie! Yum.

Ingredients

• Two, 8-ounce packages Philadelphia reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup Truvia Blend or 1 cup Splenda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2/3 cup finely chopped 70% dark chocolate (or sugar free chocolate) - a 3 or 3.5 ounce bar
• 1 cup crushed/chopped red & white sugar-free peppermint candies or candy canes

Instructions

• Line a small, deep, 2 cup bowl with plastic wrap.
• Blend the cream cheese, Truvia, vanilla & peppermint extracts using a hand mixer, until smooth.
• Fold in the chocolate bits.
• Transfer cream cheese mixture to prepared bowl, smooth and cover with plastic wrap and chill 4 hours or overnight.
• Unmold onto a decorative plate and remove wrap.
• Sprinkle the crushed candies over the surface.

Your candies will dissolve and look wet if this dessert is made too far in advance, so it is best to coat the outside of the ball just before serving.