Chocolate Oreo Doodles

When I first saw these cookies I couldn't wait to find a reason to make them. My monthly special ed team meeting was the perfect excuse with so many chocolate lovers in attendance. 

The chocolate cookies are rich, fudgy, and chewy. They're speckled with chocolate chips and I bet would be even more incredible with the addition of roughly chopped cookies. The dough gets rolled in chocolate cookie crumbs (I used generic Oreos) which give the outside a crunchy and slightly crumbly texture. I imagine this would be good with just about any crumbled hard cookie (like thin mints, vanilla wafers, etc). 

I was thinking of renaming the cookie and calling them earthquake cookies, because when they bake the tops crack open and expose the cookie inside. I also thought of calling them dirt cookies because they remind me of the dirt pudding cups from my childhood. I decided not to rename these though with respect to the original author who posted a naming contest to her Facebook and Oreo Doodles won.

Without further ado, I bring you: Oreo Doodles

Ingredients

4 ounces of chopped bitter or semisweet chocolate, or 4oz chocolate chips

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

1 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

12 Oreos, finely crushed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment part and set aside. 

2. In a double boiler melt the  4 oz of chocolate with the butter. Or melt using the microwave method (microwave for 30 seconds on 50% power, stir, and repeat until smooth). Set aside for a few minutes to cool (but not harden)

3. In a medium bowl whisk to combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. 

4. When the chocolate is cool transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and incorporate the sugar with the paddle attachment on low. 

5. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Mix until combined. 

6. Add half the flour mixture and stir to incorporate. Ass the remaining flour and stir on low. Mix in chocolate chips. 

(Note: at this point the dough is done but will still be very soft, that's ok)

7. Using a cookie scoop, scoop a heaping tablespoon of dough into the Oreo crumbs. Roll to evenly coat, then place on a baking sheet spaces 2" apart (the cookies will spread quite a bit during baking). 

8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops start to crack. Do not over bake. (Note: when I made these, I took them out even though hey did not look "done"

Recipe from Gimme Some Oven.

And here is her pretty picture.

Cookies and Cream Frosting

Difficulty: Easy
Time Consuming: Less than 10 minutes

**Some house keeping things: by some, I mean 1: I added a "Pin It" button to most of my posts (I'm still working my way backwards to get them all set up).  I haven't tried using it, so if you like the recipe, try using my "Pin It" button for Pinterest and let me know if it works (or didn't).  Thaaaaaanks :)

This is the last week for my church's Lenten Fish Fry, and I wasn't planning on baking anything.  See, my husband wasn't going to volunteer since he had to coach a high school rugby game right after school and couldn't take the treat up to church.  And I workout right after school on the other side of town and wouldn't be able to get them there either.  Then rugby got switched, so Kenny decided to volunteer.  I felt like I couldn't send him empty handed, so I thought I'd whip up a batch of brownies.  Brownies turned into cookies and cream brownies, which of course needed a ganache topping (thanks, Bakerella!).  Suddenly, "whipping up" a batch of brownies became a 2 hour project.  But ooooooh baby are they to die for.

I used my favorite brownie recipe which takes less than an hour from start to finish.  I modified the recipe by using only 1 1/2 sticks of butter instead of two, which I think makes for a fudgier brownie.  Then I topped them with this incredible cookies and cream frosting I found online.  Finally, I finished them over by smothering them with ganache.  To make them prettier, you can whisk together a few tablespoons of powdered sugar with a few teaspoons of milk (add a splash of vanilla if you want), drizzle lines over the ganache, then swirl together with a toothpick like I did.  I popped them into the fridge for a few hours to let everything set up, cut them into 28 bars (7 rows by 4 rows), and plated them for the fish fry.

They turn out so rich - the fudgy brownie is the perfect base for the creamy cookie frosting, and the ganache really sends the whole dessert over the top.

I was able to frost around 1/2" of frosting over a 13x9 inch pan; I'm not sure how many cupcakes you could frost with it, but I imagine 12 if you pipe large swirls, 24 if you spread it smooth with a knife moderately.  If anyone tries, please feel free to comment and let me know :)

The recipe:

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter, room temperature
1 stick of vegetable shortening (1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 - 3 cups of powdered sugar
4 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream, milk, or half 'n' half
12 Oreos, crushed finely

Directions:

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the shortening and butter until smooth.  Add vanilla extract and mix in.

2.  Stop the mixer and add 1 cup of powdered sugar, and mix until combined.  Slow mixer down, add 2 tablespoons of cream.  Stop mixer, add 1 cup of sugar, mix on medium to combine.  Slow mixer down, add remaining 2 tablespoons of cream.  Stop the mixer, add 1/2 cup of powered sugar, mix on medium to combine.

3.  Taste the frosting - if it is sweet enough, then mix on medium-high for about 3 minutes, until the frosting becomes fluffy.  If you want it sweeter, add another 1/2 cup of frosting, slowly mix to combine, then crank up the speed until fluffy.

4.  Fold in crushed Oreo's and frost your treat!


Cookies and cream frosting adapted from the Dollhouse Bake Shoppe

Cookies and Cream Popcorn

Difficulty: easy
Time consuming: nah.

For Halloween at school, I didn't dress up, I didn't decorate my room. I had a sad attempt at decorating my door.  And maybe 3 of my kids actually did Halloween related activities.  Not that I don't enjoy the holiday, but the month really got away from me.  I did manage to carve pumpkins and make pumpkin seeds, but that's pretty much the extent of it.  I did however dress up for the belated Halloween party this past Saturday and dressed as a rugby player (courtesy of hubby's closet).  I had a really clever costume planned around some Jay-Z lyrics, but hubby was a funhater and went as a sad hobo clown (dumb!).  But anywho.  For Halloween I did manage to whip up a treat for all the fantastic teachers at my school: Cookies and Cream Popcorn with Reese Pieces.  I doubled the recipe and it was almost completely gone by lunch.  I was told that my boss hi-jacked a container and didn't return it until it was empty.

The great thing about this recipe is that it is so adaptable.  You can add Reese Pieces, M&M's, or other candies.  You can use colored vanilla melts like red or green for Christmas, orange for Halloween (unless you go to Walmart and they only have lime green colored Wilton candy melts), red and blue for the Fourth of July, you get the idea.  And everyone will love you for bringing it.  I promise.

The recipe:

Ingredients
1 bag of kettle corn, popped; or regular unbuttered popcorn
6 oz vanilla candy melts or white chocolate
12 chocolate wafer cookies, like Oreo's, crushed
3/8 cup (give or take) candy like Reese Pieces (optional)
additional chocolate or vanilla candy melts for drizzling (optional and decorative)

Directions

1. Pop kettle corn in the microwave.  Be careful not to burn it!  Put popcorn in the largest bowl you have (I used a bowl that I make party mix in) and sort out as many unpopped kernels as you can (you don't want to chip a tooth).

2.  Melt the vanilla candy melts - put into bowl and microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until melted and smooth.  Or you can melt over a double boiler.  Pour over popcorn.  Add Oreos and candy if you are using them.

3.  Using a spatula, gently fold the popcorn and white chocolate together until everything seems evenly coated.

4.  Line some cookie sheets or counter tops with wax paper and spread popcorn mixture over it.  Spread out and let dry, about 20 minutes.  Serve and eat immediately, at or store in an airtight container.


Recipe from Sweet Tooth plus I added Reese Pieces