oreo cookie wafers

New video blogs coming out soon...just in time for some december holiday baking!  In the meantime, here's a recipe I tried out this year...homemade oreo wafer cookies.  I have quite a few recipes on this blog using the cookie as a coating or crust for cakes and pies.  Wouldn't it be easier to make the cookies myself sans the creme filling (since I'm always scraping it off)?  These cookies also freeze well for months after baking!  

The texture of these cookies aren't exactly like a crunchy oreo cookie.  They are crisp on the outside and remarkably chewy and dense on the inside.  But if you stick them in the freezer and eat them frozen, they have a texture more reminiscent of an oreo cookie.  And not to worry, a frozen cookie wafer is not hard like a block of ice so it will be easy to bite into and enjoy without having to defrost the cookie!

I imagine adding a creme filling center sandwiched between two of these oreo wafers will make the cookie softer (due to the extra moisture from the filling) and it will be very similar to whoopie pies, albeit much smaller and less cakey.  

I didn't do much tweaking to the recipe as I wanted to try it out as written from the New York Times and I have to say that the flavor of the cookie wafer is spot on.  However, the texture may need some work.  But I like the softer texture from the homemade version.  The crunchy store bought oreo texture is probably due to the shelf stable ingredients Nabisco uses and I wouldn't doubt the role of presevatives as well.  Overall, this recipe is a keeper.  I've definitely added it to my recipe book.  Should oreos go out of business like our iconic Hostess treats, all won't be lost!

Homemade Oreo Cookie Wafers

Recipe from The New York Times

Ingredients for 48 cookie wafers

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

105 grams ( 1/2 cup) sugar

45 grams (3 tablespoons) brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large egg yolks

115 grams ( 3/4 cup) sifted all-purpose flour 

85 grams (1 cup) sifted cocoa powder, plus more as needed

Directions

1) Using a mixer, cream together butter, sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, coffee powder and vanilla extract. With mixer still running, add egg yolks one at a time.

2) Stop mixer and scrape bowl with a rubber spatula. Add flour and 1 cup cocoa, and resume mixing at low speed until the mixture is crumbly and uniformly blended. Scrape the bowl and knead the dough lightly to form a smooth ball. Transfer to a work surface and flatten into a disk. The dough may be rolled right away or wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to a week; bring to room temperature before rolling.

3) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly sift some cocoa powder onto a work surface, and roll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Slide a metal spatula under the dough to prevent it from sticking. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out cookies and transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. The cookies will not spread during baking so may be placed close together. Knead and reroll the dough scraps to make more cookies.

4) To add texture to the cookies, place any remaining dough in a mixing bowl. Mix with enough hot water until the dough has thinned into a paste. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a very small tip, or a heavy duty Ziploc bag with a tiny hole poked in the corner. Pipe a design on each cookie; a tight cornelli lace design gives the impression of an Oreo.

5) Bake the cookies until firm, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely on a rack.