Homemade Oreos with White Chocolate-Coconut Cream

October 17, 2013

Homemade Oreo Cookies with White Chocolate-Coconut Cream Filling \ une gamine dans la cuisine


What, if anything, does being in one's mid-thirties actually entail? Are there rules to follow at the nexus of 25 and 45? Can I wear above-the-knee skirts & the lovingly-tattered Old Navy overalls that I've had since college? Is it okay to throw tantrums? (Hopefully, yes. I had one the other day...the background board kept falling over and smashing irreproachable homemade Oreo cookies.) Can I still giggle uncontrollably when someone burps in a quiet room (even if it's me)?

A lot of the time I feel as though I'm still 23, or 24. When I see someone who is "35"
advertising for life insurance, it's a bit of a shock to my youthful mind. Maybe it's because I don't have children, or because I always find the braying of goats to be an endless source of amusement...or because I was lucky enough to inherit my mom's ageless genes (as well as her wee 5 foot 3-inch stature). Whatever it is, even if it's simply denial, I don't think I will ever truly "feel" my proper age. Growing up I always felt older than my peers - maybe I've finally caught up, or I'm in the throws of regression...

Speaking of childhood and growing up, I was denied the sweet bliss of Oreo cookies, and Little Debbie snack cakes, and Ho Hos. My lunchtime 'desserts' came in the form of yogurt and fruit. This is my second post on homemade Oreos - I'm making up for lost time.   



Homemade Oreo Cookies with White Chocolate-Coconut Cream Filling \ une gamine dans la cuisine


It was my intent to deviate from the complexities of rolling out pie crusts and flouring cake pans - I wanted to make something simple...Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery cookbook was not quite the fluid yellow brick road I'd been searching for.

My kitchen scale has stopped working (I think I've yelled at it too often for being so indecisive). Ergo, I have to rely on fickle plastic cups to do the measuring. {Note: It's best to use a scale when making things from Mr. Keller's laser-precise book.} The cookies were a huge success, don't get me wrong - things were just slightly more dramatic than I had intended. If you have a scale, please, use it! If not, you might need to console the dough until it comes together, an egg yolk helps too. Luckily once the cookies are rolled out and cut into pretty little circles, it's a smooth sail to the scrumptious finish line.

Just like anything that's adoringly made from scratch, the cookies are leaps and bounds above their store bought counterparts. There's simply no comparison. The filling is the same white chocolate & coconut cream deity that I used in the chocolate tarts a few weeks ago. These cookies are a minxy mix of an Oreo cookie and a Mounds bar. I'm doubling up on the junk food love this month. Thank you for the toothsome excuse, Samhain. ;)



Homemade Oreo Cookies with White Chocolate-Coconut Cream Filling \ une gamine dans la cuisine


Homemade Oreo Cookies with Coconut Cream
makes about 10 regular (2-inch) cookies & five large (3-inch) cookies

for the filling
8 ounces high quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure coconut extract
1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional)

for the cookies
259 grams (1 3/4 cup + 1 1/2 Tablespoons) all-purpose flour
87 grams (1 cup + 1 1/2 Tablespoons) unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder
1.6 grams (3/8 teaspoon) baking Soda
6 grams (2 teaspoons) salt
227 grams (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
161 grams (3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon) granulated sugar
1 egg yolk (maybe...if your dough is sticky enough, the yolk won't be necessary)

method
Place the chopped white chocolate into a large, heatproof bowl; Set aside.
In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil over medium heat. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate - let it sit for about 30 seconds. Beginning at the center, and using small concentric circles, slowly start to whisk the cream and chocolate together until the mixture is smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least six hours.

Prepare the cookies: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt - whisk to combine and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth (about three-five minutes). Scrape down the edges of the bowl, add the sugar and beat for about 2 more minutes.
Add the flour/cocoa mixture in 2 additions, mixing on low speed for about 30 seconds after each, or until just combined - then continue beating on low till the dough comes together on the paddle. {Note: My dough looked extremely dry so I added 1 egg yolk and continued to mix until the dough came together.} Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface - pat it into a 6-inch square block. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat to 325 F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Unwrap the chilled cookie dough - if it feels too hard for rolling out, let it rest at room temperature until it softens. Flour a large work surface. {You should really roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper. I can't quite seem to figure out how the technique works - my dough slides around the counter. If you know how it's done, go for it.} :) With a rolling pin, pound the top of the dough, working from left to right, to begin to flatten it, then turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat (this helps prevent cracking). Roll the dough out to a 1/8-inch thick sheet. Use fluted cutters to cut out as many rounds as possible - be sure you have an even number to make sandwiches. {Note: I used a two sizes: a 2-inch and a 3-inch.} Reroll the scraps and repeat. Place the rounds onto prepared sheets, leaving about 3/4-inch between them.

Bake for 15-17 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until the cookies are just starting to develop small cracks on the surface and smell "chocolate-y." Remove the pans from the oven and place onto a cooling rack. Let the cookies rest for 10 minutes - then transfer them to the rack until completely cooled.

Filling: Remove the white chocolate mixture from refrigerator and scrape it into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the coconut extract and shredded coconut (if using). Using the whisk attachment, beat the chocolate on medium speed until stiff peaks start to form (Don't overmix!).

Assemble: If you're neurotic *hand raise* scrape the filling into a large piping bag and dollop half of the cookies with filling. If you don't want to go through all the hassle of piping, simply use a small offset spatula to smear half the cookies with filling. Use the remaining cookie halves to top the filled cookies.

Enjoy!

adapted from Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery cookbook 

31 comments:

  1. I feel the same! I'm like, wait a minute... what does this 35 thing mean?! In my mind I am 24!! Until I'm in a group of 24-year olds... that's when it hits me that I'm not 24. DAMN THEM!

    Oreos and I didn't start to get along until after college. Same with PB. Now they are my best friends!

    Your oreos like AMAAAAAZE!! You even have the whole shape thing down to a T! Go gurrrrrl!

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  2. They're like a work of ART! WOW!!

    mix of an Oreo cookie and a Mounds bar - two amazing things, I would love to sink my teeth into one.

    And I can't believe you were deprived of Little Debbie products and HoHos and Oreos as a kid - but you turned out just fine :) and I love that you're making up for lost time with this recipe!

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  3. I was deprived oreos (and other such things) as a child too. Whenever I babysat (infrequently - I've never loved children, but that's another story), I'd sample the treats that were forbidden at my house ;). Love these, especially the white chocolate-coconut filling. I think it's time for a cookie swap!

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  4. Beautiful and perfect! Homemade Oreo cookies taste better than the original ones...

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  5. I think I'm the only person I've ever met who doesn't actually like Oreos. I grew up on homemade cookies, and would choose them over Oreos 100 times out of a hundred. But homemade Oreos? Now you have my attention.

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  6. You're not neurotic. We're Virgos. Remember that. ;)

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  7. There are some things, which do not change with age, I hope. I am forty something, but I still love to laugh loud, to learn new thing every day, to keep the child in my and this is good, I suppose. Sure, there are probably some restrictions concerning dresses and so on, but you are still far from the need of obeying them. The age between 30 and 40 is the best according to me. And you make beautiful things. Greetings!

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  8. Love your ramblings as much as your recipes. This blog is a total treat!

    Age is in your mind. I'm pushing a biggish number with a -0- at the end and I still feel 13. Best part is I'm having more fun than ever and have more hobbies and friends. I love the sense of "invisibility" and finally growing into acceptable eccentricity.

    I'd love to know your "top ten" baking books.



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  9. Love, love, love when your blog posts land in my inbox! Regarding your comment about rolling dough between two sheets of parchment...have you tried wax paper instead? I roll my sugar cookie dough between wax paper before chilling (yes, straight out of the mixer!!). If my paper slides I run a just barely wet paper towel over the counter to keep the wax paper from slipping. Too much water and the paper shreades, but just a damp paper towel and voila! holds like glue! Thanks for your delicious blog and great sense of humor.

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  10. How gorgeous are these?! I was deprived oreos and sugar cereals too, my parents were early 1970's health food junkies (made their own yogurt, etc) so when I left for college it was, well not pretty..

    I frequently have a hard time believing I'm as old as I am as well. When I turned 40 my friend gave me a mug that says "Your not 40, your 18 with 22 years experience."

    I'd say you are making up for lost time in gorgeous, delicious style!

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  11. @Anon - My favourite things change at the drop of hat, but there are a handful of cookbooks that I'll always find dreamy:
    Dorie Greenspan's Baking; From My Home To Yours (This book is perfect for all levels of baking.)

    Baked Explorations (Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito (Quirky and irresistible.)

    Averie Sunshine's Peanut Butter Comfort (Great for beginners and peanut butter addicts.)

    and Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery (The recipes are slightly challenging but the results will make you want to own a bakery!)

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  12. @Kelly: Thank you so much for the wax paper tip! A wet paper towel to dampen the counter...that's brilliant (perhaps life-changing!). :D xo

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  13. I'm 34 and I don't have any kids. I related to your post so much! Don't even get me started on trying to figure out where I'm supposed to buy clothes. It's like there is this massive gap between the tweens section and the mature section. I can either pick up a glittery, rainbow, zebra print crop-top or I can pick up a deep purple blazer with giant, flowery-shaped gold buttons. HMM... DECISIONS....
    Your cookie recipe looks fantabulous by the way, and I love how you photographed them!

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  14. Oh I love you, laughing at your own burps and wearing short skirts - do it all :) Oreos are my packaged cookie weakness - yours look equally tempting!

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  15. these are going on my holiday baking list - they look wonderfully delicious! and I totally think it is appropriate, nay imperative, to wear short skirts and overalls, throw tantrums, and giggle when someone burps :)

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  16. I hate packaged Oreos but love homemade Oreos. There's a place in Toronto that makes incredible ones. I've been very tempted by the ones in Bouchon Bakery though!

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  17. Oh Valerie - these look sinfully delicious! I will have to make these in the near future. Hope you are having a great weekend thus far!

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  18. These look delicious and I LOVE the sound of that filling...yummy! Here's to being older and wiser - i turn 30 next year and life just seems to get better and better!

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  19. I didn't know homemade Oreos could get any better, but then you had to go and add coconut. Best. idea. ever :)

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  20. Val, these have been calling out to me since I saw them on Pinterest. Gorgeous!! Decadent!! Bravo!

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  21. we also were deprived...sigh. But I had amazing homemade goodies:)I got a taste of them when I was on my own. These are so pretty and I bet that coconut/white chocolate filling is crazy delicious! Love this, Val!

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  22. I feel the same way about my age, I feel on the inside in my early 20's but the reflection in the mirror shows otherwise :). I didn't get Oreo's either I had to beg the neighbors for theirs. Your Oreo's look much better than the store bought type and I'm positive they taste better too.

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  23. oh how lovely, Valerie! i was also denied the childhood pleasures of these types of treats and now that i'm older (also mid 30s but feel and act like i'm a child) i tend to prefer the homemade versions too.

    for some reason, i love that they yield just 10 smaller or 5 larger ones... less chance of overindulging?

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  24. Wow, home made oreos. Whatever will I stumble upon next.
    They look delish.
    35 is just a number (it's not really but it makes me feel better to think of it that way)

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  25. I often forget my own age, as well, and think that mentally, I can never get over the fact that in less than a year, I'll be turning 40. How can that be? I think I'll have to make a batch of these gorgeous cookies then, they're just fantastic, no matter how old we are!

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  26. The only way i've been able to get the two sheets of parchment paper rolling out to work it to make the papers long enough so they over hang the counter, and i pin them down with my hip while i roll! bit awkward, but worth it when the dough comes out so nicely.
    Kalle

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  27. Great idea, Kalle! Thanks for the tip. I'm all about "awkward" when working in the kitchen. :D

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  28. Oreos are a rare guilty pleasure for me. I rarely buy them because I know I'd sneak in a treat or two everyday until they're all gone. Maybe I'll have to finally open up my Bouchon book--I've been intimidated to try anything but maybe Keller's version of Oreos will finally change all that.

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  29. Gorgeous pictures. I made these oreo cookies for the super bowl party and it was a crowd favorite. I'm also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it. Thanks for sharing!

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Thanks for visiting, and for taking the time to read through my ramblings!
If you have a recipe comment or question, I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Baking!
♥ Valerie

 

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