Homemade Oreo Recipe

Oreo cookies seem to be pervasive in this country. Oreo cookies showed up at every party while I was growing up, and they are still used in countless desserts.

My personal favorite is Oreo cheesecake (not to slight my Oreo cupcakes). Oreo cheesecake was in the dessert cycle in our cafeteria on Semester at Sea and I just couldn’t resist it! Just the thought of an Oreo seems to bring a childlike grin to 80% of the population (the result of my informal study).

Yield: Makes about 40 Oreo average sized Oreo cookies. It’s hard for me to say exactly since I made a variety of sizes.

Ingredients

The Oreo Cookie Ingredients

• 1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 C unsweetened cocoa
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/4 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 C sugar
• 1/2 C plus 2 T butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg

The Filling Ingredients

• 1/4 cup room-temperature, unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

The Oreo Cookie Instructions

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar.
2. Beat in the butter and the egg. Continue mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. (I found that while the dough wasn’t sticky enough to roll, I could press it flat with my hands like the recipe said and then use cookie cutters to cut perfect circles. If you just care about the taste, then there is no need for the cookie cutters. Also, remember this is a chance to get creative and use all kinds of cookie cutters.)
4. Bake for 9 minutes at 375 F. Set on a rack to cool.

The Filling Instructions

1. Place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla.
2. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.

Making the Oreo Cookie

1. To make a cookie, pipe teaspoon-sized blobs of cream into the center of a cookie using a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch round tip. (If you don’t have a pastry bag, you could easily just spread the filling with a knife or use a Ziplock with the corner cut off as a pastry bag. I had a pastry bag, but I only had a star tip. The tip doesn’t matter much.)
2. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. (If you do this really fast, it will look like you are spinning records. See above.)
3. Eat the cookies using whatever method you prefer. I like the take apart, lick the cream, then eat the cookie method. Be sure to save some to make oreo cupcakes!

Ricotta Cheese Cannoli

This is one of my favorite Italian desserts and the perfect ending to any Italian dinner. Creamy ricotta is flavored with candied orange, and the crisp shell is toasty enough to cut the filling’s rich sweetness. Perfect with an espresso or limoncello.

Ingredients

Shells

• 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup white wine
• shortening, for frying

Filling

• 4 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup finely chopped maraschino cherry
• 1/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, optional

Directions

1. To make shells, mix flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.
2. Cut in butter.
3. Add egg yolks; stir with a fork.
4. Stir in wine, 1 tablespooon at a time, with a fork until dough clings together.
5. Form a ball with the dough and let stand for 30 minutes.
6. Roll dough almost paper thin, on a well-floured surface.
7. Using the rim of a margarita glass (about 3-4 inches across), make circle imprints into rolled dough.

1. Using a paring knife, make sure circles are cut all the way through.
2. Roll each circle of dough around a metal cannoli tube, overlaping the ends and press to seal, flaring out the edges slightly.
3. Fry one or two at a time in hot melted shortening (about 360°F) for approximately 1 minute, turning to brown all sides.
4. Remove from hot grease and drain on paper towels, seam side down.
5. Let cool a minute or two before trying to remove metal tube.
6. To remove the tube hold cannoli shell down on the paper towel and carefully slide the tube out one end.
7. Leave cannoil shells on paper towel, seam side down to cool completely.
8. ~NOTE~Shells can be stored in airtight containers and made several days prior to filling.
9. For filling, drain ricotta cheese over cheesecloth if ricotta is watery.
10. Combine ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until combined.
11. Squeeze Maraschino cherries with paper towels to remove all liquid.
12. (If you don’t squeeze them good, you will have a pink water filling!).
13. Stir in cherries and chocolate chips into the ricotta mixture, being careful not to over mix.
14. For a lighter filling, you may whip 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to form stiff peaks, and fold into filling mixture at this step.
15. Chill filling for about 30 minutes before piping into cooled cannoli shells.
16. You may garnish the cannoli by sprinkling powdered sugar on top.
17. Whipped cream, a cherry, and shaved chocolate can also be used to garnish the top.
18. Keep refrigerated until time of serving.

Chocolate Eclairs

 The dough, which is the same as that used for profiterole, is typically piped into an oblong shape with a pastry bag and baked until it is crisp and hollow inside.

Once cool, the pastry then is filled with a vanilla-, coffee- or chocolate-flavoured custard (crème pâtissière), or with whipped cream, or chiboust cream; and then iced with fondant icing. Other fillings include pistachio- and rum-flavoured custard, fruit-flavoured fillings, or chestnut purée. The icing is sometimes caramel, in which case the dessert may be called a bâton de Jacob.

All Credit: Chef Ron

Ingredients
Filling:

2 cups whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

Pastry:

1 cup water

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, plus 1 extra, if needed

Egg Wash:

1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons water

Chocolate Glaze:

1/2 cup heavy cream
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

Filling: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the saucepan. Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate until 1 hour before using.

Pastry: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt and sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer). Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, add 3 eggs, 1 egg at a time. Stop mixing after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add the remaining 1 egg and mix until incorporated.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe fat lengths of dough (about the size and shape of a jumbo hot dog) onto the lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between them. You should have 8 to 10 lengths.

Egg Wash: In a bowl, whisk the egg and water together. Brush the surface of each eclair with the egg wash. Use your fingers to smooth out any bumps of points of dough that remain on the surface. Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake until puffed up and light golden brown, about 25 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet. Fit a medium-size plain pastry tip over your index finger and use it to make a hole in the end of each eclair (or just use your fingertip). Using a pastry bag fitted with a medium-size plain tip, gently pipe the custard into the eclairs, using only just enough to fill the inside (don’t stuff them full).

Glaze: In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat just until it boils. Immediately turn off the heat. Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Set aside and keep warm. The glaze can be made up to 48 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, and rewarm in a microwave or over hot water when ready to use.

Dip the tops of the eclairs in the warm chocolate glaze and set on a sheet pan. Chill, uncovered, at least 1 hour to set the glaze. Serve chilled.

Deep Fried Twinkies

Oh my goodness…I was watching TV this weekend and saw a show where they fried everything from Twinkies to Pizza. I had never heard of such a thing and had to try frying a Twinkie for myself. Now, I normally eat pretty healthy, but, my monthly visitor arrived and well, you know how that goes. It tastes a lot like funnel cakes but with that yummy creamy center…try it, but, beware, it is REALLY good.

Credits: Chef Ron

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• 6 Twinkies (put them in the freezer for a couple of hours)
• 4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup of milk
• 2 tsp of red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup of flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• Powdered Sugar
• Chocolate syrup for decorating is optional

LET’S GET STARTED:

1. Add about 4 cup of vegetable oil to a large saucepan and heat for about 5 minutes over medium high heat.
2. While you are waiting for the vegetable oil to heat up…
3. Combine milk, oil and vinegar in a small bowl and stir well.
4. Combine flour, salt and baking powder in another bowl and stir well.
5. Slowly pour and mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated.
6. Lightly dust each Twinkie with a little bit of flour and then dredge in the batter mixture.
7. Add one Twinkie at a time to the hot oil for about 30-45 seconds (or until golden-ish brown).
8. Remove from oil and set on a paper towel. Lightly dust with powdered sugar and Chocolate syrup for decorating serve hot.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

The exact origins of this popular dessert, a combination of dates, brown sugar, and toffee sauce, may be in dispute, but it’s undoubtedly British and undoubtedly delicious.

Tip: Have all the cake ingredients at room temperature before beginning.

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

• 1/2 pound dates, pitted and coarsely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

For the toffee sauce:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick)
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS

For the cake:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat 8 (6-ounce) ramekins with butter and flour; set aside.
2. Combine dates, water, and baking soda in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and set aside.
3. Place salt and flour in a medium bowl, whisk to combine, and set aside. Bring a medium pot of water to a simmer over high heat for a water bath.
4. Combine butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until light and airy, about 5 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. Add vanilla extract, then beat in eggs one at a time, just until incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in date mixture until well combined, then stir in flour mixture until just incorporated (don’t overmix).
6. Divide batter evenly among prepared ramekins and set them in a roasting pan or baking dish (you will likely need to use both a 13-by-9-inch dish and an 8-by-8-inch dish to fit them all). Pour simmering water into the bottom of the baking dishes until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Very carefully place the baking dishes on the center rack of the oven. Bake until the center of each cake is just set and a cake tester inserted into the middle of each comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the toffee sauce.

For the toffee sauce:

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When it foams, add brown sugar and vanilla extract or seeds, stir once, and heat until bubbling and the color of maple syrup, about 5 minutes.
2. Carefully add cream in a slow stream while stirring, and cook until the sauce bubbles up and increases in volume, about 2 minutes; remove from heat.
3. When the cakes are finished, remove the ramekins from the oven and place on a cooling rack to come to room temperature. Once the cakes are cool, run a knife around the perimeter of each and invert to remove from the ramekins, then place upright on a serving plate. Serve the cakes at room temperature or slightly warmed, covered in warm toffee sauce.

Butterfinger Pie

After years of testing, trying and enjoying peanut butter pies I finally think it’s perfect! And of course it’s given me plenty of time to put my own twist on it. I’ve made this several times into small pies instead of a large one and it’s perfect because everyone gets their own individual pie! Plus they can be individualized if someone doesn’t want certain garnishes on top.

yields 8 serv.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups chocolate graham crackers, crushed (1 packet, 9-10 crackers)

• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 1 Butterfinger candy bar, crushed
• 8 ounces PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 16 ounces Cool Whip, unthawed
• 8 oz ounces Cool Whip Extra
• 8 mini pie pans
  or ramekins***
• 2 Butterfinger candy bar, crushed (divided into 2 bowls)
• 1 ounce mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate shavings
• 1 ounce crushed peanuts

DIRECTIONS

FOR PIE CRUSTS: Mix together first three ingredients (chocolate graham crackers, butter and one Butterfinger). Divide mixture evenly among eight mini pie pans
, and press firmly into bottom and sides. Put pie shells into freezer to chill until ready to fill.

FOR PIE: Mix together next 7 ingredients (PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, vanilla extract, dark brown sugar, granulated white sugar, creamy peanut butter, and Cool Whip and 1 cup Butterfinger candy bar, crushed). Beat on med-low for 30 seconds, then scrap down sides of bowl. Beat on high for 1 minute. Pie filling is now ready.

TO FINISH: Evenly divide pie filling into eight mini pie pans
. Garnish each pie evenly with the 8 oz ounces Cool Whip extra, crushed Butterfing, mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate shaving, and crushed peanuts (all optional). Cover each pie and freeze for at least two hours before serving.

ADDITION: This can all be made into one large pie that serves 8 or into 8 mini pie pans
for parties and other get togethers.

Homemade Peppermint Patties

Homemade Peppermint Patties

Although impressive, these homemade peppermint patties are actually easy to make with simple ingredients, quite unlike the store-bought variety. Just 5 ingredients! The peppermint candy filling is rolled up like sushi, chilled, and then cut up into bite size slices. Dip them in melted chocolate, and you’re done.

Credit ohnuts.com

Unlike store-bought peppermint patties, though, these don’t contain corn syrup, artificial flavors, or something mysteriously called “PGRP.” Chances are, you have all the ingredients to make homemade peppermint patties in your kitchen already! Read on if you want to learn how it’s done…

Homemade Peppermint Patties Recipe

yield: 36 patties

• 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp softened butter
• 2 tsp peppermint extract
• 2 tbsp cream
• 12 oz Mellting Chocolate Wafers

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, butter, peppermint extract, and cream. Beat them with a paddle attachment until the mixture comes together.
2. Homemade Peppermint Patties Recipe
3. Don’t be alarmed if it looks like this at first–it will be dry and crumbly as you start mixing it.
4. Homemade Peppermint Patties Recipe
5. Turn the mixer speed higher and beat until the candy comes together and is light and creamy. When you touch it, it should be soft but not at all sticky. If it seems sticky, add a little more powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, until it’s no longer sticky. It should be very stiff, like Play-Doh.
6. Homemade Peppermint Patties Recipe
7. Scrape the candy paste out onto a long piece of cling wrap, and form it into a thin tube, about 1 1/2 inch in diameter. Wrap it well in cling wrap and twist the ends so that it stays in place.
8. Homemade Peppermint Patties Recipe
9. This step is optional, but it’s a nice trick I’ve learned. To keep your candy round on the bottom, cut a slit in an old cardboard paper towel tube, and put the candy inside. This will help keep the bottom from flattening as it sits in the refrigerator. This also works for rolls of cookie dough!
10. Homemade Peppermint Patties Recipe
11. Chill the candy until it is very firm, about 45 minutes. Once firm, use a large sharp knife to slice off rounds about 1/4 inch thick. You should get about 36 candies from this recipe.
12. Melt the Melting Chocolate Wafers in the microwave. Melt in 30-second increments, stirring after every 30 seconds to prevent overheating.
13. Use a fork or dipping tools to dip a patty completely into the melted coating. (I like to drop it in, put the fork under it, flip it upside down, and then flip it again so the fork is on the bottom and bring it up out of the coating. I think the flipping method is easier than pushing the candy down into the chocolate and then fishing it out again.) Let the excess coating drip back into the bowl.
14. Set the dipped peppermint patty onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper, and repeat the dipping process with the remaining peppermint patties. If they get too soft to dip, chill them briefly in the refrigerator until they’re firm again.
15. Let the patties set at room temperature. The great thing about using Melting Chocolate Wafers is that they always set quickly at room temperature, and always produce a nice shiny coating! If desired, you can trim any uneven edges or “feet” from your candies once they’ve set.
16. Store your homemade peppermint patties in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. These are so tasty, I doubt they’ll last that long! You can also use them in baking recipes, just like you would store-bought patties. Try chopping them up and adding them to brownies, cookies, or cupcakes.
17. Another fun variation is to change the flavor of extract to make different flavored centers. Try vanilla, almond, or coconut! You’ll find that the creamy texture and chocolate coating goes well with everything.