Homemade Artisan Oreo Cookies

I love the white stuff baby, in the middle of an oreohooo!

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The secret of the intense chocolate flavor (much more than with any original store bought cookie!) is in the addition of the high quality cacao powder and above all the 100% chocolate to the dough. The chocolate we use is the one from Willie’s wonky chocolate factory, the Venezuelan black. It has a nice acidity and spiciness that comes through even when using just a small amount. We also love the stuff in our chili sin or con carne. You can of course replace the 100% chocolate with the darkest chocolate you can find.

Ed has extensively tested my oreo cookie baking results and this version was the clear winner. The filling is a very simple butter and sugar concoction with vanilla. So real chocolate and real vanilla without the 36 or so factory cookie ingredient additions. The joy of home baking!

Making the Oreo Cookies
In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Beat the softened butter and the egg until smooth. Add the icing sugar, milk and vanilla extract and beat with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until smooth again. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder mixture and add it to the butter mixture.

Then add the grated 100% pure chocolate. Stir until everything comes together and you end up with a nice cookie dough, this will take no more than 30 seconds. If necessary give it a very quick knead by hand but keep it to an absolute minimum. Wrap the dough in plastic foil, press in a flat disk and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 175ºC / 350ºF.

Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 3 mm / 0.12 inches, press your cookie stamp gently in the dough. Cut out the cookies and place them on a baking sheet or silicone baking mat. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes (depending on your oven). With these chocolate cookies it is very difficult to see if they are ready, so it might take you a few bakes to figure out your own optimum baking time.

Remove the cookies from the oven, leave them on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer them to wire rack to cool completely.

Make the filling by beating the icing sugar with the soft butter, milk and vanilla extract until smooth. Spread half of the cookies generously with the filling and press a second cookie on top.

These cookies can also be baked well in advance and stored in the freezer. You can either store them already filled or you can make and add the filling just before serving.

Other tasty suggestions: put little morsels in ice cream, make oreo cookie brownies or make mini versions and use as cake decorations! Whatever you do, bake don’t buy!

Enjoy!