Tag Archives: oreo

January 11, 2013 · 5:00 am

Candy Cane Cheesecakes

Candy Cane Cheesecakes // Pale Yellow

One last holiday recipe, it’s January 11th and I’m finally done posting all my Christmas cookie and holiday treat recipes.  I would say it’s time for some healthy, whole foods, because it is time, buuuuuut that’s not happening at my house.  There is still plenty of dangerous baking going on around here; January has a quite a few birthdays that simply require cupcakes.

Candy Cane Cheesecakes 6

My New Year’s Resolution is simple – each month I will pick one area of my life and focus on improving that area for the month.  This month it is working out.  My goal, not resolution, is to run or workout at least three times a week with another walk or two thrown in.  Right after a good sweat I feel fantastic, but trying to motivate myself is another story…

Candy Cane Cheesecakes // Pale Yellow

If you have been following the blog since the summer, you hopefully haven’t noticed the sad excuse for a Recipe Index.  It was not well organized or maintained.  This past week I’ve been working to update things, SO GO THERE NOW!!!!  It’s not fancy, but it has a picture each recipe I’ve posted with a link.  It’s a Pinterest board of me.

Candy Cane Cheesecakes // Pale Yellow

These cupcakes were made for the dessert tray at my family Christmas party.  My dad’s side of the family always meets up on a non-holiday day to celebrate Christmas and it’s kind of awesome – family, food, and drinks without the obligations of the actual holiday.  Also on the tray were naughty bars and gingerbread cupcakes, please notice this week’s blogging theme.

Candy Cane Cheesecakes // Pale Yellow

The candy cane cheesecakes are not in-your-face minty.  They have the sweetness and peppermint-ness of candy canes, not mint leaves.  The crust is perfectly crunchy and provides contrast to the silky cheesecake on top.  A little swirl of rich, creamy, decadent chocolate ganache never hurt anyone and it pulls the mini cheesecakes all together.  Keeping the cheesecakes in individual cupcake wrappers make these desserts super easy to serve for a party!

Candy Cane Cheesecakes // Pale Yellow

One Year Ago: Vanilla Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Print the Recipe!

Candy Cane Cheesecakes
Adapted from Annie’s Eats
Yield – 24 cupcake size cheesecakes

2 cups (2/3 of a package) Oreo cookie crumbs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
pinch of salt
5 crushed candy canes
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
3 broken candy canes for garnish

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Place cupcake liners into 24 cupcake tins.
  2. Crush the oreos into small grounds.  Mix with 4 tablespoons of unsalted, melted butter and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
  3. Place 1 tablespoon of the oreo mixture into each cupcake liner.  Press down firmly to make a solid bottom.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, make the cheesecake mixture.  Beat together the cream cheese and sour cream until light and fluffy.
  6. Beat in the egg, sugar, salt, and peppermint extract.  Make sure the mixture is well mixed.  Fold in the crushed candy canes.
  7. Reduce the oven to 300 F and scoop 2 tablespoons on the mixture on top of each oreo bottom.
  8. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are set.
  9. Let cool completely in the fridge.
  10. To make the ganache garnish – Bring the heavy cream to a simmer and pour over the bittersweet chocolate.
  11. Allow the chocolate to sit and then whisk until melted.  Whisk in the butter.
  12. Let cool completely whisking every few minutes.
  13. Pipe onto the chilled cheesecakes and place a piece of candy cane on top.Candy Cane Cheesecakes // Pale Yellow
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December 14, 2012 · 5:00 am

Candy Cane Truffles

Candy Cane Truffles // Pale Yellow

These are an adaptation of the classic oreo truffle, but so much better because they are made with Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe Joe’s!  I won’t go all crazy again and profess my life for candy cane Joe Joe’s, but you can read about my love here.

Candy Cane Truffles // Pale Yellow

I have made these truffles for the past three years, they are always a hit!  And so simple too.  The hardest part is dipping, I HATE dipping things in chocolate; it’s messy, everything falls into the chocolate, and my chocolate is always lumpy. But, and this is a big but, all the mess and frustration is totally worth it!

Candy Cane Truffles // Pale Yellow

The process of making candy cane truffles or Oreo truffles is so simple and requires 4 ingredients: oreos, cream cheese, chocolate, and shortening.  Crush the oreos, and then throw them in the mixer with the cream cheese.  Mix on low until well combined and then scoop, roll, and refrigerate.  To dip I set up a double boiler and keep the water simmering on low the entire time.  I add a few scoops of shortening to thin the chocolate, this makes the coating thinner and softer, so the drying time is longer.  I use 2 forks to dip and the chocolates.

Candy Cane Truffles // Pale Yellow

Let cool and then place in cute papers.  Done. Deliciousness.  Everyone will love you, trust me!  Go buy some candy cane Joe Joe’s before I buy them all.

Candy Cane Truffles // Pale Yellow

Print the Recipe!

Candy Cane Truffles
Adapted from Oreo Truffles
Yield ~ 60

1 1/2 boxes Trader Joe’s Candy-Cane Joe-Joe’s
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (1/3 fat)
24 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
shortening
red/green candy melts for drizzling

  1. Crush the Joe-Joe’s into a fine crumb using a food processor.
  2. Add the Joe-Joe’s to the bowl of your stand mixer and mix on low with the cream cheese until well combined.
  3. Use a 1 tablespoon scoop to portion the dough.  Roll into balls and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  4. Melt the chocolate in a bowl placed over a pot of simmering water.  Add shortening to thin the chocolate to a proper consistency.
  5. Use forks to dip each truffle into the chocolate, let cool and harden on wax paper.
  6. Melt the colored candy melts and drizzle over the top, allow to cool.Candy Cane Truffles // Pale Yellow

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December 3, 2012 · 5:00 am

Candy Cane Chocolate Cupcakes

candy cane chocolate cupcakes // pale yellow

I’ve been wanting to make these cupcakes for a long, long time.  Ever since I saw them on Beantown Baker, I knew I would make them the following holiday season, clearly we are kindred spirits.  These my friends are no joke!  Rich, creamy, chocolately, and full of candy cane peppermint fun!

candy cane chocolate cupcakes // pale yellow

This is essentially a chocolate oreo cupcake with a doctored chocolate whipped vanilla frosting and candy cane Joe Joe’s instead of plain old oreos.  If you don’t live near a Traders Joe’s; one, I’m sorry because that is sad, and two, I’m sure you could use regular mint oreos.

candy cane chocolate cupcakes // pale yellow

Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe Joe’s are apparently so popular and in such high demand they sell out by mid-December.  This year I was not playing around, I went Thanksgiving weekend and bought 4 boxes.  So when the Brooklyn Trader Joe’s runs out of the Candy Cane Joe Joe’s you can blame me because I’m a hoarder.  I would apologize but I’m not sorry.  I’m willing to share a few goodies, but not a whole box.

candy cane chocolate cupcakes // pale yellow

These cupcakes were not made for a holiday party, but for my friend & colleague Theresa’s housewarming party!  She has moved into an awesome new apartment and was kind enough to host us all for a little get together.  Work has been extremely stressful the last few weeks for various reasons and we needed a reason to hang out, this was the perfect opportunity!  The cupcakes were well receive by all those who enjoy cupcakes.  I adore the softness of the frosting with the density of the Joe Joe.

candy cane chocolate cupcakes // pale yellow

Do yourself a favor, buy some Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe Joe’s, it will greatly improve your life!!!

candy cane chocolate cupcakes // pale yellow

Print the Recipe!

Chocolate Cupcakes
Yield – 21 cupcakes
Adapted from Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting
Inspired by Beantown Baker

28 Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa, I used Hershey’s Dark
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup hot water

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line the cupcake pan with liners and add 1 whole Joe-Joe to each liner.  Set aside.
  2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, soda, powder, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix together on low with the paddle attachment.
  3. Beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and milk in a small bowl and add to the dry ingredients.
  4. Mix until just combined and then scrape down the sides.  Turn on the mixer and add the hot water slowly until well combined.
  5. Chop up the remaining 7 Joe Joe’s and fold them into the batter
  6. Use a 2-tablespoon scoop to portion the batter into the cupcake liners.  The batter will only fill about half way.  If you want a more generous cupcake, use 3 tablespoons of batter.
  7. Bake 15-18 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Chocolate Whipped Frosting
1 1/2 cups whole milk
7 1/2 tablespoons flour
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
generous pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
12 Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s for garnish
Colored sprinkles

  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk and flour.  Keep whisking until the mixture becomes smooth and thick resembling pancake batter.
  2. Remove from the heat and add in the chocolate chips.  Give them a few minutes to melt and then mix until well combined.
  3. Stir in the vanilla and salt and allow to cool completely.
  4. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy – beat for 8 minutes
  5. Add in the cooled flour/milk/chocolate mixture and beat until the entire frosting is light and fluffy, about another 5-8 minutes.  This is a softer frosting, don’t be discouraged!
  6. Add the frosting into a piping bag and pipe a dollop on each cupcake.
  7. Cut 12 Joe Joes in half and garnish with 1/2 a Joe Joe.  Place sprinkles on top.candy cane chocolate cupcakes // pale yellow

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July 23, 2012 · 5:00 am

Cookie Crazy Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for myself for my birthday.  Please don’t feel sorry for me for having to make my own birthday treats!  Other people offered to make me something for my birthday, but being the control freak I am, I wanted to make my own cupcakes.

Most of the time, like 95% of the time, I am baking for other people whether it’s a birthday, order, or special occasion.  Rarely do I bake something that is just for me.  My birthday is a chance to do that!

I remember when I was about 10 and I wanted to bake my own birthday cake and my mom told me that you don’t bake your own birthday cake, but I said I wanted to anyway, so she let me me!  There was even a period of time where I opted for ice cream sundae bars instead of birthday cakes.  I guess I knew even then that I wasn’t a fan of boxed cake mixes!  Making my own birthday treat is awesome, it really allows me to do something I love for myself, which is what birthdays are all about!

In addition to baking delicious cupcakes for my birthday, going out to the Neely’s BBQ parlor, and singing along to a dueling piano bar in Rockaway, I bought myself a new camera!  A real, big girl DSLR camera!  I love the feeling of walking to a store and just knowing I’m going to spend a buttload of money.  It’s kind of empowering.  Hopefully the pictures on this site will be improving as I better learn how to use my new camera!  It’s a lot of fun!!

This cupcake is a doozey, it’s really good, but boy is it sweet!  I’m not one to say a dessert is too rich or too sweet, but this one comes really, really close.  Too make this perfect I think the frosting will need a rework, because it’s really too much sugar on an already sugary cupcake.  The perfect part of this cupcake is the giant wad of cookie dough in the middle, come on?!?!  Amazing!  And the Oreo is needed to give the cookie dough something to stand on.  The vanilla cake is wonderful on its own, but in this case it serves as a filler.  This is a cupcake made to impress!  Do it, impress your friends!!

Print the Recipe.

Cookie Crazy Cupcakes
adapted from Cookies & Cups
Yield – 30 cupcakes

Cookie Dough
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

  1. Beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
  2. Turn the mixer to low and beat in the vanilla and milk until well combined.
  3. Add in the flour and salt and mix until just combined.  Then beat in the mini chocolate chips.
  4. Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon portions and then roll into balls.
  5. Freeze for at least a hour or overnight.

Vanilla Cupcake
Adapted from My Vanilla Cupcakes
1 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1/3 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
2/3 cup milk
30 Oreos

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. In the bowl of a mixer add the sugar, flour, powder, soda, and salt, mix slowly with the paddle attachment.  Add the butter and beat for several minutes until the mixture becomes nice and crumbly.
  3. While the mixer is mixing, whisk together the yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla.  Pour this in the mixer and combine.  Scrape the mixing bowl as needed.
  4. Slowly add the milk in and turn on high for a few seconds.
  5. Add liners to the cupcake tins and place a whole Oreo in each liner.
  6. Scoop two tablespoons of batter on top of each Oreo.
  7. Place a dough ball in the middle of the batter, part of the dough will stick out.
  8. Bake 14-17 minutes until a toothpick in a center cupcake comes out clean.  Cool on cooling rack.

    I LOVE this picture showing the little balls of cookie dough poking out above the cupcake!!

Cookie Butter Buttercream
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup Biscoff spread or other cookie butter
4 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons milk
Extra Oreos and mini chocolate chips for garnish

  1. Beat the butter and Biscoff spread in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy and well combined.
  2. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, scrape the bowl as needed.  The mixture will get very thick.
  3. Beat in the milk until the frosting has the right spreading consistency.
  4. Pipe onto the cupcakes and then decorate as desired.

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May 18, 2012 · 5:00 am

50 Shades of Grey Cupcakes

Soooooooo, yeah, I’ve read the book, all three actually.  And I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty details, but it was an enjoyable weekend.

Pretty much everyone at work has read the books too, we talk about them at lunch, specifically, who should play the characters when it is made into a movie.  I vote for Ryan Gosling.  Yes, I work with a lot women, so it’s not surprising that we are all reading the books, but a lot of male co-workers are reading the books too.  I’ve mentioned before about how awesome my staff is, right?

The best part about the books is who introduced me to them.  There will be no names here, but she is a pretty awesome lady!  And I was SHOCKED to learn about this type of book from her.  She is one of the kindest, most genuine, and modest people I know in the best possible way.  She is conservative in her practices, yet so open and tolerant in the way she treats others.  I am honored to be her colleague and her friend!

So it’s her birthday this week!  And what better way to celebrate a birthday than with cupcakes?  I mean obliviously there are better ways, but this is a family friendly blog.  Red room anyone?

These bad boys are an adaptation of the slutty brownie, which makes perfect sense!  Chewy chocolate chip cookie on the bottom, Oreo in the middle, and a rich, dark brownie on top.  Everything you need in one delicious bite!  But cupcakes do need frosting, otherwise it is just a muffin, and no one wants a boring muffin on their birthday, not even a slutty one.  To turn these guys into cupcakes I made a whipped vanilla frosting and dyed it in an ombre fashion to have four shades of gray.  I did not anticipate how shiny and silky the frosting would look, I was pleasantly surprised, and it certainly reminded me of everyone’s favorite gray silk tie!

The flavor?  Safety word good!  So rich, so buttery, so delicious.  You know you want some.

Print the Recipe.

50 Shades of Grey Cupcakes
Adapted from Slutty Brownies originally from What’s Gaby Cooking
Yield – 16 cupcakes

5 tablespoons + 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup & 2 tablespoons + 3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
1 + 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 + 1 eggs
1/4 + 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 + 1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
16 Oreos

Making the brownie layer:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Melt 5 tablespoons of butter on a saucepan over medium heat.  Once melted add in 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar and the cocoa.  Whisk until blended together and then remove from the heat.
  3. Add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 egg, again whisk to combine.  Add in 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 cup flour.  Mix until everything just comes together.  Set aside to cool.

Making the cookie layer:

  1. Beat together 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until pale yellow.
  2. Add in 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla, beat to combine and then scrape down the bowl.
  3. Add in 1/2 teaspoon salt, the powder, soda, and 1 1/4 cups flour.  Mix on slow until all the flour is incorporated.  Mix in the chocolate chips by hand.

Assembly:

  1. Use silicone cupcake liners if you have them, lightly grease the inside.
  2. Scoop 1 tablespoon of cookie dough into each lined cupcake cup.  Press an Oreo on top.
  3. Scoop about 1 – 1 1/4 tablespoons of brownie batter on top of the Oreo.  Spread slightly with a spatula.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes until the brownie is set.  Let cool completely on a wire rack.
  5. There will be leftover cookie dough, what you do with that cookie dough is nobody’s business…

50 (4) Shades of Grey Whipped Vanilla Frosting
Adapted from Can you Stay for Dinner
Yield – decorates 16-20 cupcakes generously

1 cup whole milk
5 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
black gel food coloring

  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk and flour.  Keep whisking until the mixture becomes smooth and thick resembling pancake batter.
  2. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and allow to cool completely.
  3. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy – just keep beating until it is no longer grainy.
  4. Add in the cooled flour/milk mixture and beat until the entire frosting is light and fluffy.
  5. Add a small drop of black food coloring and mix well to combine.
  6. Scoop a bit into a piping bag and pipe onto 4 cupcakes.  Squeeze the rest of the frosting into the bowl.
  7. Add another small drop of black food coloring mix well to combine.  Repeat step 6.
  8. Repeat steps 5-7 two more times.  This will give you four shades of gray.

Laters, babe.

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May 7, 2012 · 5:00 am

Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes

I’ve made a lot of Oreo cupcakes, they are definitely a fan favorite!  Chocolate Oreo cupcakes have been in the back of my mind for awhile now, so it was about time I finally got around to making them!

I promised my homeroom if they raised over $400 for Pennies for Patients I would make them cupcakes.  Not only did they raise over $400, they raised more money than any other class in the sixth grade! I’m so proud of them!!  Since I have a lot of students with an aversion to chocolate, I also made Tie Dye cupcakes.

The kids really enjoyed the cupcakes and gave me lots of nice compliments.  After two weeks of state testing I was glad I could make them a nice treat!  The chocolate cupcake recipe is my current stand-by chocolate cake recipe.  So moist and delicious and chocolaty!  I sort of made up the frosting as I went along.  I just wanted simple amounts that corresponded to the packaging!  The frosting is sweet without being too sugary and has great cream cheese flavor.  This recipe makes a LOT of frosting!

Print the recipe.

Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes
Yield – 36 cupcakes
Adapted from Bakerella
Inspired by Beantown Baker

2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup cocoa
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk
1 cup hot water
41 Oreos

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Line the cupcake pan with liners twist Oreos apart.  Take the half with more cream and place cream side up in each cupcake liner.  Reserve the cream-less halves.
  3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, soda, powder, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix together on low with the paddle attachment.
  4. Beat together the eggs, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl and add to the dry ingredients.  Beat in the milk
  5. Mix until just combined and then scrape down the sides.
  6. Turn on the mixer and add the hot water slowly until well combined.
  7. Fold in 30 cream-less Oreo halves plus 5 whole Oreos chopped into quarters.
  8. Fill the cupcake liners using a basic ice cream scoop.
  9. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

Simple Cream Cheese Frosting
Yield – a lot!  Don’t worry about running out

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
16 ounces (2 boxes) cream cheese, room temperature
2 lbs (a bag) powdered sugar
3 tablespoons vanilla
18 Oreos

  1. Beat the butter and cream cheese until light and creamy.
  2. Slowly add in the powdered sugar.  Stop every once and awhile to scrape down the bowl and then beat on high speed for a few seconds.
  3. Add in the vanilla and beat again until well combined.
  4. The frosting won’t be super stiff, if you want it stiffer for piping, place in the fridge for a few minutes.
  5. Add to a piping bag with a large round tip and pipe a dollop on top of each cupcake.
  6. Crush the remaining cream-less Oreos and sprinkle on top.
  7. Break 18 Oreos in half and place one half on top of each cupcake.

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April 6, 2012 · 5:00 am

Slutty Brownies

These are slutty brownies my friends.  Why are they called slutty?  I don’t really know.  They could be called “chocolate chip, Oreo, brownie bars,” but that is just not catchy.  I hypothesize that these are called slutty brownies because they are much like that girl you know who doesn’t know what kind of man she wants, so she tries them all.  Some may call her slutty, but I would call her indecisive.  Like this torn girl, these brownies are perfect when you don’t know what type of treat you are craving.  Do you want a brownie?  How about a chocolate chip cookie?  What if you want an Oreo?  Are you slut for eating all three?  I don’t like to place judgment.  What you should really do is bake all three together, then everyone will love you for creating deliciousness, and no one would dare call you a slut!

I first tried slutty brownies at a staff luncheon before I knew what they were called.  All I knew is that they were delicious and I wanted more!  I went home that evening and I searched my Pinterest board and wouldn’t you know it, I had already pinned a recipe!  Sometimes, I surprise myself!  Not only was I excited to make this recipe, but I already knew the perfect time to make them – Cinnamon’s Girls’ Night In party.  If girls are staying in, it is only fitting that there are some slutty brownies to go around!

Just look at these brownies!  They start with a chocolate chip cookie base that is chewy and still a still gooey like cookie dough.  Then you add the Oreo, which you think would be a crunchy element, but oh no, the Oreo has become soft and fully incorporated into the two layers.  And then, to top it all off, you have a fudgy, chocolaty brownie layer of wonderfulness!  These are so good!  Completely satisfying and even the non-chocolate lovers enjoyed the slutty brownies.  The recipe is not that difficult.  It looks like there are a lot of steps, but they go pretty fast.  Plus, there is a high yield, so one batch is great for a large crowd.  You should definitely make these and impress you friends!

Print the recipe.

Slutty Brownies
Adapted from What’s Gaby Cooking
Yield – 24-30 small square (small is better, these guys are very rich!)

10 tablespoons + 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 + 1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
2 + 2 teaspoons vanilla
2 + 2 eggs
1/2 + 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 + 2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups (1 standard bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips
24 double stuffed Oreos

Making the brownie layer:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Melt 10 tablespoons of butter on a saucepan over medium heat.  Once melted add in 1 1/4 cups sugar and the cocoa.  Whisk until blended together and then remove from the heat.
  3. Add in 2 teaspoons of vanilla and 2 eggs, again whisk to combine.  Add in 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 cup flour.  Mix until everything just comes together.  Set aside to cool.

Making the cookie layer:

  1. Beat together 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, 1 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until pale yellow.
  2. Add in 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla, beat to combine and then scrape down the bowl.
  3. Add in 1 teaspoon salt, the powder, soda, and 2 1/2 cups flour.  Mix on slow until all the flour is incorporated.  Mix in the chocolate chips by hand.

Assembly:

  1. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
  2. Scoop about half of the cookie mixture on top of the parchment paper.  Wet your hands with cold water, dry, and smoosh the cookie layer until it covers the bottom evenly.  Add more cookie as needed.  I ended up using about two-thirds of the batter.
  3. Press the Oreos on top of the cookie layer in 6 rows of 4. Smoosh them into the cookie.
  4. Pour the brownie batter over the Oreos and smooth with a spatula.
  5. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife comes out with only a few crumbs.  Cool on a cooling rack.
  6. Trim the edges and then cut into small squares.  What you do with the edges is no one’s business but your own!  I recommend relaxing on the couch with so edges and a cold glass of milk.

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March 21, 2012 · 5:00 am

Oreo Truffles – Bling, bling

 

Oreo truffles are barely a recipe and require zero cooking skill.  They are delicious, sweet, and adorable.  They can be dressed up or dressed down depending on the occasion. What always surprises me is how much people loves these.  I bake to impress and challenge myself, but what impresses me doesn’t always impress others.  Most people like the simplest desserts the best, while I love the ones with 12 steps and are daringly decadent!

These Oreo Truffles were an order request for a co-worker who wanted something for a bridal shower with the colors white & silver, and a theme of “bling.”  I hope these little guys lived up to the theme!

Oreo Truffles

Seen many places around the blog-o-sphere!

Yield – 40-48

1 package Oreos

8 ounces cream cheese (I always use 1/3 fat – I like to keep things healthy…)

1 pound candy melts

sprinkles or other decorations of your choice

  1. Crush Oreos to a fine crumb.  The easiest way is in a food processor.  I only have a mini one, so I can fit 7 Oreos in at once and I pulse until everything is nice and small.  You should not see any distinctive white bits.
  2. Smoosh (spell check doesn’t like that word, but I don’t know how else to describe the process) the cream cheese into the Oreo crumbs.  Just keep smooshing until it is all combined and looks like a stiff dough.
  3. Using a one tablespoon scoop, scoop the Oreo dough onto parchment paper.
  4. Roll each scoop into a round shape – I have poor rolling skills, hopefully your truffles will be perfectly round.
  5. Freeze the truffle until you are ready to dip.
  6. Make a double boiler by filling a small sauce pan with about an inch of water and then place a clean bowl on top of the sauce pan.  The bowl should not touch the water.  Heat the water gently, do not let it boil, keep it at a simmer.  Add the candy melts or chocolate into the bowl and stir every couple of minutes.  I have tried many ways to melt chocolate (or candy melts) and this way is by far the easiest, least messy, and most consistent.  Feel free to melt any way you like.  If the melted chocolate seems to thick, add a little shortening.  I often need to add shortening, this time I did not.
  7. I leave my bowl on the hot water while dipping.  Using toothpicks, dip each truffle into the chocolate and twist to coat.  Try and shake off any additional chocolate.  Place the truffle on parchment paper.
  8. After the first dipping hardened, I scooped extra melted candy melts into a baggie and pipped zig-zags over the top.  Quickly, I sprinkled silver sprinkles on top of the pipped candy melts.  After the candy hardened, I shook off the extra sprinkles and placed in a cute mini cupcake liner.

 

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February 15, 2012 · 5:20 am

Oreo Cupcakes

These cupcakes have been made several times, always to rave reviews!  There is something about the whole Oreo at the bottom that people can’t get enough of.  I have adapted the recipe several times now and although it is definitely inspired by several different bloggers, I feel it is becoming my own.  These cupcakes are moist and delicious and full of Oreos.  The frosting is creamy and sweet!

A funny story about these actual cupcakes.  They were made for order of a dozen Oreo cupcakes and a dozen Irish Car bomb cupcakes.  I packed up the cupcakes in my cupcake caddy to take to work the next day and I place the caddy, as I always do, in the lobby of my apartment building.  Now I know I can be a naive New Yorker, but I’ve lived in the building for 3 years and besides my actual apartment, there are only 5-6 other people.  Nothing has ever happened to my cupcakes before.  But in the morning, as I was on my way out the door, I notice there were 2 cupcakes missing!  I run upstairs, talk to my roommates, but they knew nothing.  Someone took 2 cupcakes!!!  Luckily I had a few extra to replace the missing ones.

Inspired and dramatically adapted from Annie Eats via Beantown Baker

Print the recipe!

Oreo Cupcake
Adapted vanilla cupcake – Cupcake Project
Yield 17 cupcakes

1 cup sugar (225 g)
1 vanilla bean
1 3/4 cup cake flour (175 g)
1 1/2 tea. baking powder
1/2 tea. baking soda
1/2 tea. salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (57 g)
2 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream (I used non-fat Greek yogurt)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 table. vanilla
2/3 cup whole milk
17 Oreo bottoms w/ cream filling
12 full oreos, cut into quarters

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.  Twist apart Oreos so that all the cream is on one half, place the half with the cream in each cupcake liner cream side up.  Put the cream-less halves aside.

Add the sugar to a small bowl. Split open the vanilla bean and scrap out the seeds with a paring knife.  Smush the vanilla seeds in the sugar and set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer add the flour, powder, soda, and salt, mix slowly with the paddle attachment.  Add the vanilla sugar and mix together.  Add the butter and beat for several minutes until the mixture becomes nice and crumbly.

While the mixer is mixing, whisk together the sour cream, oil, eggs, vanilla, and milk.  Pour this in the mixer and combine on a slow speed.  Then turn on high for a few seconds.  Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in the quartered Oreos by hand, it’s a lot of Oreos!

Using a standard ice cream scoop, pour into lined cupcake pans.  Bake 15-18 minutes until a toothpick in a center cupcake comes out clean.  Cool on cooling rack.

Cream cheese frosting – Pale Yellow Original
6 oz cream cheese (I always use 1/3 fat), room temperature
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar

In a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter until well combined.  Stop, scrape the bowl and add in one cup of powdered sugar, mix on slow speed to start, and then mix a few seconds on high speed.  Repeat with the second and third cups of powdered sugar.  Add the vanilla in with the third cup of powdered sugar.  Scoop the frosting into a piping bag with a large tip and pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.

To assemble, cut the bottom off the cream-less Oreos and place in the middle.  Sprinkle with a few Oreo crumbs.

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