DIY Quarantine Snacks: "Double Stuf" Oreo Cookie Recipe
Even though coronavirus-related restrictions are easing up in some states, I'm still trying to avoid the busy grocery stores and other communal indoor places as much as possible. This means that when sweet snack cravings hit, I try to make do with what I have on hand instead of popping out of the apartment to buy them. I've found myself especially longing for comforting childhood favorites like Oreos and Pop-Tarts over the last few months. If you have a few key baking ingredients at home, you'll be able to make crave-worthy replacements for your treats of choice, starting with these “Double Stuf” DIY Oreo Cookies!
This recipe creates a delicious dark chocolate cookie that’s rich and satisfying, with just a hint of saltiness. These cookies sandwich fresh vanilla buttercream, which I guarantee you’ll want to eat out of the bowl. Save some for the cookies! Consider adding vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract to your buttercream to amp up the flavor. An added bonus that comes with making Oreos yourself? You’re the one who decides to make the filling double stuf, triple stuf, or beyond!
Get creative with these cookies by adding texture to rolled-out dough with stamps or everyday household objects. For my cookies, I used the textured exterior of an old teapot to create a bumpy look that looks similar to the classic Oreo exterior. Use chopsticks, textured plates, toothpicks, buttons, or other stray objects to create intricate, unexpected patterns.
Happy snacking!
For the Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups dark cocoa powder (regular cocoa powder will work too, but dark cocoa powder creates a taste most similar to the classic Oreo cookie!)
½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions:
In a stand mixer, cream together 1 cup of softened butter with the sugar and salt, mixing until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs until fully incorporated.
Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Stir well.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir until combined.
Form the dough into a flat disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 325˚F .
Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out.
Once rolled to your desired thickness, stamp the dough with your preferred textured objects to create interesting designs.
Using a small round cookie cutter, cut the dough into individual rounds and place on a large parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about ½-inch between each cookie. If you don’t have cookie cutters, consider using the rim of a champagne glass or vase.
Bake in a preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes at 325˚F. Remove and transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before piping on your buttercream.
For the Buttercream Filling
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Instructions:
Beat butter in a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar.
Add heavy cream and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
Using a small piping bag and round piping tip, pipe dollops of buttercream on cookie halves, and sandwich. Allow cookies to chill in the fridge for 1 hour to prevent buttercream from spilling over the edges of the cookies while snacking.
