Homemade Oreos

Adapted from a baking magazine I have at home - will update this with the name of it.

Homemade Oreos

For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups (155 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (45 grams, but cocoa weights can vary greatly) unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups (200 to 300 grams) sugar [see recipe note]
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks or 140 grams) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 55 grams) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup (50 grams) vegetable shortening
2 cups (240 grams) sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.

My comments: This might be my all-time favorite cookie recipe, partially because the dough is so incredibly addicting. (Thankfully I've never gotten salmonella.) It's also a fun one because you can choose how oreo-like you want your cookie to be. I usually like making my cookies more of a chocolate-vanilla sandwich cookie than an oreo - larger and less crispy than oreos.

One adaptation that I'd recommend is to flatten the balls of dough slightly when you put them on the cookie sheet.

For the filling I've tried making it without shortening (using butter as a substitute) but it really didn't come out as well. Also, you don't want your filling to look yellow.

There was one notable disaster when I made these cookies with a friend and we couldn't figure out why the filling tasted so odd. It tasted very chemical-y. After we had assembled all of the cookies we thought to check the expiration date on the shortening - it had expired 3 or 4 years earlier. Eugh.

Lemon Thumbprints

Adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• FILLING:
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• Confectioners' sugar, optional

Directions

• In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.
• Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each.
• Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
• For filling, in a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in lemon juice until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; gently stir in butter and lemon peel. Cool.
• Spoon 1/2 teaspoonful into each cookie. Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.

My comments: Abby and I make this recipe a lot. It's definitely one of my favorites! It's a fun cookie, but also more sophisticated than a drop cookie. Always a big hit.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Adapted from Food Network

Ingredients

Lemon Filling:

• 4 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 (9-inch) pre-baked pie shell
• 1 recipe Meringue, recipe follows

Directions

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Whisk egg yolks in medium size mixing bowl and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, water, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine. Turn heat on medium and, stirring frequently, bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and gradually, 1 whisk-full at a time, add hot mixture to egg yolks and stir until you have added at least half of the mixture.

Return egg mixture to saucepan, turn heat down to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and gently stir in butter, lemon juice, and zest until well combined. Pour mixture into pie shell and top with meringue while filling is still hot. Make sure meringue completely covers filling and that it goes right up to the edge of the crust. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until meringue is golden. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Make sure pie is cooled completely before slicing.

Meringue Topping:

• 4 egg whites
• 1 pinch cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then gradually add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Use to top lemon filling.

My comments:  Yummy, as expected.

Oreo Cookie Cheesecake

Adapted from cooks.com

OREO COOKIE CHEESECAKE

CRUST:

2 c. Oreo crumbs

4 tbsp. butter

CAKE:

4 (8 oz.) cream cheese

1 1/4 c. sugar

2 tbsp. flour

4 whole eggs

3 egg yolks

1 tbsp. vanilla

TOPPING:

2 c. sour cream

1/4 c. sugar

• Pat crust in bottom of springform pan.
• Pour 1/2 of mix in crust.
• Crumble remaining Oreos and put them on top of the cake mix, then pour remaining 1/2 of batter over crumbs.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes and 225 degrees for 50 minutes.
• Mix together sour cream and sugar mixture and pour over baked cheese cake.
• Refrigerate. Can be frozen.

My comments: Abby and I made this but without the topping, and we thought it was delicious. It's one of Abby's favorite desserts.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Cream Cheese Frosting 

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
• 2 - 3 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

METHOD

1 With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

2 Add the vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding until you get to desired sweetness and thickness.

3 Either spread on with a blunt knife or spatula, or spoon into a piping bag to decorate your cake or cupcake.

Variations:

• Adding a teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice is always great for exotic chocolate cakes.
• Adding freshly ground ginger helps spice up a carrot cake.
• Freshly ground chai spice or even the contents of a bag of earl grey tea are heady and aromatic.
• The scrapings from a vanilla bean can be very sweet and heavenly for red velvet or dark chocolate cakes.
• Freshly grated or dried, flaked coconut mixed in makes it perfect for a coconut cake.

My comments: I didn't do any of the variations - just tried the plain ol' cream cheese frosting. It came out exactly as I had expected - a delicious cream cheese frosting, but nothing that blows your socks off. I expect that if you were to use some of the variations suggested you could find some phenomenal adaptations!

Fudgey Chocolate Cake with Cayenne Mascarpone Cream

Adapted from Nomad with Cookies

makes a four-layer cake!

Fudgey Chocolate Cake with Cayenne Mascarpone Cream

Chocolate Cake
2 c (450 g) sugar
3 c (200 g) all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c plus 4 tsp (130 g) cocoa powder
1 1/2 c (320 g) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 c plus 2 tbsp (350 ml) water
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 c (350 ml) milk

Cayenne Mascarpone Cream
16 oz (500 g) mascarpone, room temp
1/2 c (90 g) powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (1 tsp if you like spicy things, A LOT)
2 c (480 g) heavy cream

Instructions

For the chocolate cake
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Grease your cake pans with butter (or oil). Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper. This gives you extra cake-will-actually-release-from-the-pan insurance.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, salt, baking soda and cocoa powder. Whisk (or sift) to combine.

In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and water. (We do not add the melted butter here. The reason is because once the melted butter meets the cold milk, it will seize and create lumps rendering it near impossible to have a smooth cohesive batter. So let’s leave the butter out of the party until the next step.)

Add the liquids along with the melted butter to the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine until the lumps are out and the batter is mostly smooth. Don’t over whisk as this may result in a tough cake.

Split the batter evenly amongst your cake pans. If you are from the metric world, I highly recommend weighing the batter and dividing by four to get the batter weight for each layer. This ensures even layers.

Bake the cakes for 20m or until the cake springs back to the touch. If you bake more than 2 layers at once, it will likely take longer for the cakes to bake since your oven will be crowded.

Remove cakes and let cool.

For the cayenne mascarpone cream
Whisk together the mascarpone, cayenne and powdered sugar until smooth.

Whip the heavy cream until medium peaks form.

Fold (not whisk) the whipped cream into the mascarpone until incorporated. Refrigerate until needed.

For the assembly
Once the cakes are cool, you may notice a hump or bubble on top of the cake. It’s best to trim the top of each layer so they are flat. Using a serrated knife, gently trim off this bubble of cake. Proceed to eat cake scraps.

Once all the cakes have been trimmed, remove parchment and place the first layer on your plate/stand/piece-of-cardboard-wrapped-in-foil. Put a big dollop of mascarpone cream on the first layer and spread until even. Add next layer of cake and repeat.

Zoe: not tested

Tomato, Scallion, and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Tart

Adapted from What's Gaby Cooking

Tomato, Scallion and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Tart Prep time: 60 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 1 hour 20 mins Serves: 4 Ingredients 2 cups AP flour 20 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small squares 2 tsp sea salt 6 tbsp cold water 6 oz Goat Cheese 3 large tomatoes, cut into wedges 8 scallions, thinly sliced olive oil sea salt pepper Instructions For the Puff Pastry: Place the flour and 1/2 butter in a food processor with a steel blade. Pulse until the mixture becomes the consistency of sand – just a few seconds will do. Add the remaining butter and pulse for a few more seconds until the mixture is course. Add the salt and pulse for 1 second. Slowly drizzle in the cold water and pulse until the dough comes together in a ball. Remove the dough from the food processor onto a piece of parchment paper or a floured work surface. Shape it into a rough rectangle and lightly flour the top of the dough. Fold the dough into thirds, like a brochure, and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Once chilled, remove the plastic wrap and roll out the dough to another 12×18 inch rectangle. Repeat the folding process then cover and chill. Repeat this process 1 more time and voila – you have a quick puff pastry in about 1 hour! For the Tomato, Scallion and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Tart Preheat oven to 425 degrees Roll the dough out into its final 12×18 inch rectangle. Cut the pastry into long strips and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the pastry with a little olive oil, sprinkle on the crumbled goat cheese and some tomatoes. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven, sprinkle with scallions, sea salt and cracked black pepper. Enjoy!

Zoe: not tested :(

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

 

White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Ingredients

• 2-¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ½ cups Butter, Softened
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• ½ cups Brown Sugar
• 1 cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1-½ cup White Chocolate Chips

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and combine thoroughly. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool for a couple minutes on the cookie sheet. The recipe makes 36 small cookies or 18 large cookies.

Zoe: not tested

Salted Caramel Chocolate Brownies

Adapted from What's Gaby Cooking

Salted Caramel Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

• 10 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup AP flour
• Salted Caramel Sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare a 9x9 baking pan with parchment and butter.
3. In a large pot over low heat, combine the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and salt and mix together until the butter has melted.
4. Remove the pot from the heat.
5. Add in the vanilla and eggs and stir constantly until the eggs are incorporated.
6. Add in the flour and combine just until the flour is no longer visible.
7. Place the brownie batter into the prepare baking tin and bake for 20-22 minutes until the brownies are done.
8. Once the brownies have cooled, pour the salted caramel sauce over the top and chill until the caramel is set.
9. Slice and serve!

Zoe: not tested... but these look simply phenomenal.

Cookies and Cream Brownies

Adapted from What's Gaby Cooking

Cookies and Cream Brownies

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 15 oreo cookies, crushed and divided

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x9 baking pan with tin foil and spray with non-stick baking spray.
2. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter.
3. Once the butter has melted, add the white sugar and cocoa powder. Stir to combine and remove from the heat.
4. Add the salt, vanilla and eggs, whisking until fully incorporated.
5. Add in the flour, chocolate chips and half of the crushed oreo cookies and stir until just combined.
6. Scoop the batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining oreo cookies on top.
7. Place the pan into the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookie and cream brownies cool for at least 2 hours.
8. Remove the brownies from the pan by lifting the tin foil out. Place the brownies on the counter, cut into 12 squares and serve.

Zoe: not tested

Mama Kaye's White Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Family Circle Magazine. I found the recipe on their website in June, but now you need to register to see it, so here's another link to the recipe.

For those who don't know, every presidential election since 1992 Family Circle Magazine has hosted a cookie contest between the candidate's wives. I love the idea that Michelle Obama got this recipe from Sasha and Malia's godmother, but honestly? Cool, let's reinforce the stereotype of women's role as domestic housewives more. Would men ever be asked to participate in a cookie-baking contest? (In all fairness it should be noted that President Bill Clinton participated in 2008, along with Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain). But when there are two female presidential candidates will their spouses participate in a cookie-baking contest? If the spouses are men, based on this example I bet they'll be roped into a BBQ competition. 'murica.

Mama Kaye's White and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2¼	cups all-purpose flour
1	teaspoon baking soda
1	teaspoon salt
1	cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1	stick Crisco butter-flavored solid vegetable shortening
¾	cup granulated sugar
¾	cup packed brown sugar
1	teaspoon vanilla extract
2	eggs
1	cup each white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips and mint chocolate chips (or Andes mint pieces)
2	cups chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter, vegetable shortening, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract.
2. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, beat in flour mixture. By hand, stir in white and milk chocolate chips, mint chips and walnuts.
3. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Zoe: I used the general idea with some major modifications - I didn't include nuts, Andes mints, or shortening. Instead, I increased the amount of chocolate and white chocolate chips, and used butter for the shortening.

I would have liked to use Andes mints, but alas, they are not among my stock of baking supplies at college. And I used butter rather than shortening to be healthier. They spread a bit thin and ended up more crispy than I would have liked. The shortening would have helped with that, so maybe next time I will use some shortening. Or, you could probably try not softening the butter as much as normal and seeing where that gets you.

Peppermint Crunch Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

I've always wanted to try this recipe - partially because it looks absolutely scrumptious, and partly because the recipe is by somebody named Peabody.
#familyties?

It seems like it would be an excellent Christmas-season cookie.

Peppermint Crunch-Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
7 ounces milk chocolate chips
7 ounces Andes Peppermint Crunch Chips

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium speed just until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, then stir in the flour mixture followed by the chocolate and peppermint chips.

On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into quarters. Shape each quarter into a log about 9 inches long. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, preferably for 24 hours (do this part for real please).

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Slice the logs into disks ¾ inch thick and place the disks 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. If the chips crumble out (and they will), simply push them back in, they reshape nicely.

Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway through baking, until the cookies are very lightly browned in the centers, about 10 minutes. If you like soft chocolate chip cookies, as I do, err on the side of underbaking.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets until firm enough to handle, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack.

Adapted from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz

Zoe: not tested

Vegetarian Gravy

Adapted from about.com, also this one and this one?

As might be expected, Daven gave me a lot of shit last year at Thanksgiving when I was a vegetarian. It might have bothered me if I had any desire to eat meat, but I was perfectly secure in my vegetarianism. I found that I didn't miss turkey at all, but I was incredibly bummed about the lack of vegetarian gravy - gravy is my favorite 'food' of Thanksgiving. So I took it upon myself to remedy the situation and turned to my best friend for guidance: google.

I found a bunch of vegetarian gravy recipes and ended up combining parts of different ones. Through Sunday, when I headed back up north to school, I had bread and gravy for breakfast (sometimes accompanied by pumpkin pie, of course). That's how good it was.
However, to be honest, I'm not sure which ingredients I used, nor how much of each ingredient.... 

The general idea:

1. Using butter and flour, make roux.

2. add soy sauce and vegetable broth.

3. add flavor! (parsley, sage, onion, garlic, etc)

Sorry I can't be more exact! I will do some testing of this and edit this later to be more precise.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Adapted from Savory Sweet Life.

Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Classic American Buttercream frosting. This recipe uses powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and milk. This is a great recipe for decorating and piping on cupcakes and cake.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened (but not melted!) Ideal texture should be like ice cream.
• 3-4 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, SIFTED
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• up to 4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Instructions

1. Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the sugar doesn’t blow everywhere) until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 tablespoons at a time.

Zoe: To be honest it's quite possible that I've tried this recipe. I love buttercream frosting, but I don't remember if I've used this particular one or not.