Mini Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

A hundred years ago this past week the Oreo cookie was born.  I think I grew up on these cookies (which certainly explains my hips); I don’t think I ever ate one without breaking it apart.  In honor of Nabisco and the iconic Oreo, here is a recipe for an Oreo-type cookie that you can make at home. It comes from one of the delightful "small batch" books by Debby Maugans.  If you've not treated yourself to the experience of her tasty treats that whip up in no time and in a batch small enough to finish off in one sitting without feeling guilty, then you are seriously missing out.  Click the link and check them out.  I've yet to have tried anything (these cookies included) that haven't been delicious.


Mini Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
From Small-Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers by Debby Maugans

 1/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1-1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch salt

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg yolk

1 ounce fine-quality semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature

Vanilla cream filling (recipe follows)

Position a rack in the center of oven and preheat to 375 F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  Place the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, and whisk to blend.  Place the sugar, butter, and egg yolk in a small deep mixing bowl; beat with a handheld electric mixer on low speed until blended, about 20 seconds.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 20 seconds.  Beat in the melted, cooled chocolate.  Add flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat just until the dough is blended, 15-20 seconds.  Portion and roll the dough in your hands to form 24 equal-size balls, and place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 1-1/2 inches apart.  Press the cookies to flatten them using the bottom of a buttered and sugared drinking glass.  Bake the cookies until they are firm, 8-10 minutes.  Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.  Sandwich two cookies together with vanilla cream filling.

Makes 12 sandwich cookies

Vanilla Cream Filling

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening, or unsalted butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon heavy (whipping) cream, milk, or water

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Place the butter, shortening, cream, vanilla, and salt in a small bowl and mix with a fork until a soft, smooth paste forms.  Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until the filling is well blended and smooth.  Cover and refrigerate the filling until firm enough to spread, about 15 minutes.

NOTE: To make larger sandwich cookies, form the dough into 14 balls; press and bake 10-12 minutes and fill the cookies as directed.

Makes about 1/4 cup

This post is linked to:

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

What's Cooking Wednesday

Wild Wednesday

Foodie Friday

Sunday's Best Party

Sweets for a Saturday

Themed Baker's Sunday

Ritz Cracker Cookies and Cream & Health Bar Cookies

A good advertising campaign is one that we remember.  It's not the flash and dazzle, the talking dogs, the cute babies, or endearing old people.  It pretty much all boils down to a clever slogan that becomes burned into our brains.  One of the best slogans that I can recall was created back in the late seventies/early eighties and spoken by a trustworthy pitchman in the form of Andy Griffith.  We believed him when he said, "Everything tastes better when it sits on a Ritz."  We not only believed him, we remembered him, at least I did.  This is a slogan that I remember to this day, and do you know what?  It turned out to be true!  And this goes for both sweet and savory.  

After the great success I had with the Thin Mint Clones, I decided to continue to experiment and came up with two other recipes that are as least as good as the Mint Cookies, if not better (my husband swooned over the Cookies and Cream).  They are also ridiculously quick and easy.  I made both at the same time I was making a pot of mushroom soup. 

Cookies and Cream Cookies
 Total Time: 25 minutes
 Yield: 10-12 cookies

1 cup Ghirardelli white chocolate chips

1 teaspoon solid shortening (I used Crisco)

2 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed (I used Oreos)

10-12 Ritz crackers

1/4 cup Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Melt white chocolate chips and shortening in a heat-resistant bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir in crushed cookies. Drop Ritz crackers, one at a time, into the warm mixture, turning to coat. Place on baking sheet to harden (you can expedite this by putting them into the refrigerator for about 5 minutes). After all crackers have been covered in the mixture and have been allowed to hardening, melt dark chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave. Using a small spoon, scoop up melted chocolate and drizzle it over the cookies in a back and forth motion.

I made the Heath cookies first and used the extra chocolate to drizzle over the Cookies & Cream.

Heath Bar Cookies

Total Time: 15 minutes
 Yield: 10-12 cookies

1 cup Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips

10-12 Ritz crackers

1/4 cup Heath brand brickle chips

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Melt milk chocolate chips in a heat-resistant bowl set over a pan of simmering water. When melted and creamy, drop Ritz crackers, one at a time, into the warm mixture, turning to coat. Place on baking sheet.  While chocolate is still warm, generously sprinkle Heath bits over the tops to cover.  Allow to harden (you can expedite this by putting them into the refrigerator for about 5 minutes). 

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