Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Homemade Oreo Cookies

Another recipe from my cooking friend. I don't have the book, but I'm pretty sure it's Flour by Joanne Chang. Instructions are copied verbatim.

I've made these cookies three times, and the frosting just once. I wasn't that impressed with the frosting, and I think the cookies are better (and easier to eat) just on their own with milk. They're tasty. 

Ingredients


Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled slightly
1 egg
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Filling

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp milk
Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions


Cookies

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter and granulated sugar until well combined. Whisk in the vanilla and chocolate. Add the egg and whisk until thoroughly incorporated. 

2. In another medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda until well mixed. Using a wooden spoon, stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture. The dough will start to seem too floury, and you will find it easiest to switch to mixing it with your hands until it comes together. It will have the consistency of Play-Doh. Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 1 hour to firm up. 

3. Transfer the dough to a 15-inch square sheet of parchment or waxed paper. Using your hands, shape the dough into a rough log about 10 inches long and 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Place the log at the edge of the sheet of parchment paper, and roll the parchment around the log. With the log fully encased in parchment, roll it into a smoother log, keeping it at 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm. The log may settle and sink a bit in the fridge, so reroll it every 15 minutes or so to maintain a nice round log. (At this point, the dough log can be well wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month. If the dough is frozen, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding.) 

4. Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper. 

5. Cut the dough log into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place the slices about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. 

6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cookies are firm to the touch. Check them frequently after 16 or 17 minutes, poking them in the middle. As soon as they feel firm to the touch, remove them from the oven. You can't judge by color because they start out black. Let cool on the baking sheet to warm or room temperature. They don't have to cool completely before you fill them, but you can't fill them while they are hot. 

Filling

1. While the cookies are cooling, using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer), beat the butter on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until completely smooth and soft. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat until the mixture is perfectly smooth. Add the milk and salt and again beat until smooth. Add the milk and salt and again beat until smooth. It will look like white spackle and feel about the same - like putty. You can also mix this filling by hand. Make sure the butter is very soft, and use your hands to mix and knead the sugar into the butter. You should have about 1 cup. (The filling can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature before using.) 

2. Scoop about 1 rounded tablespoon of the filling onto the bottom of one cookie. Top with a second cookie, bottom-side down, then press the cookies together to spread the filling toward the edges. Repeat until all of the cookies are filled. 


My notes


I don't know if my salt is kosher salt. 

I do this all in my Kitchenaid mixer (except that I whisk the flour, etc. in a separate bowl). P.S. - any time a recipe says to sift dry ingredients together, I just whisk them together in a bowl. 

As I was typing this, I thought that it might be pretty awesome to use a cream cheese (or cream cheese/marshmallow fluff) frosting instead of the buttercream frosting. 

The book suggests a peanut-butter cream filling as an alternative. 

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