Homemade Oreo Cookies

The other day, Oreo cookies came up not once, but twice in conversations I had with two different people.  I don't discuss Oreos very often, so I took that as a sign and decided to recreate the iconic cookie at home.  The thing I like most about Oreo cookies is the nostalgic contrast between the dark, bitter, almost salty chocolate wafers and the crazy-sweet, sugary cream filling.  Together they join to make a classic taste.  My homemade version uses a judicious amount of dark brown sugar, a lot of dutch processed cocoa (for intense chocolate flavor and color), salt and a bit of instant espresso powder for that special burnt bitterness.  The cream filling is simple, but the powdered sugar-butter-vanilla combination is just the right thickness for these mini sandwiches, and somewhat magically thickens a bit more as it dries.  The deep, dark chocolate cookies bake up crisp around the edges and deliciously soft and chewy in the middle, which I find to be ideal, but bake them a bit longer for a crunchier and even more authentic version.  These homemade Oreo cookies may not look exactly like the classic, but I think you'll find that they taste even better.

Homemade Oreos
Makes 15

For the cookies:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp instant espresso powder (or instant coffee granules)
1 1/4 sticks butter, slightly softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the cream filling:
1 stick butter, slightly softened
1 2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and espresso powder.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer) cream the butter and sugar until just combined.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix again until the egg is fully incorporated into the butter and sugar.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.  Using a rubber spatula, mix the batter until fully combined.

Drop 12 tablespoon-sized mounds of batter on each cookie sheet, spacing them evenly.  Bake for 10 minutes (or longer for a crisper cookie).  Once cool enough to touch, transfer cookies to a baking sheet to cool.  When the baking sheets have cooled a bit, continue with the rest of the dough, using the same parchment paper.

While the cookies are cooling, make the cream filling.  In the bowl of an electric mixer (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer) cream the butter.  With the mixture on low, slowly add the powdered sugar and blend until combined and creamy.  Add the vanilla and salt and blend until combined.

When the cookies have completely cooled, assemble them by spreading a generous mound of cream filling onto the underside of one cookie and topping it with another cookie to form a sandwich.  Press the cookies together gently to distribute the cream filling evenly.  Continue with the rest of the cookies and filling.  Enjoy with a cold glass of milk.

Dark, bittersweet chocolate cookies.

Ready for their sweet and creamy filling.

Fill each cookie generously.

Surprisingly similar to the classic treat, only better.

Whole Wheat Shortbread Scones with Maple and Figs

I have had my heart set on making a batch of whole wheat scones for quite some time. These particular scones have a unique texture, much like a cross between a shortbread cookie and a scone.  A bit drier than a traditional scone, but equally delicious with ample melt-in-your-mouth buttery toastiness.  They have quite a bit going on flavor-wise as well, including nutty whole wheat, oats, maple syrup, walnuts and dried figs.  They're not too sweet, which I love.  For a less shortbread-like texture, one might try adding a big more milk or cream.  I, however, thoroughly enjoy the crumbliness of these scones.  Perfect for breakfast with a hot mug of tea. These scones come out of the oven toasty, nutty, earthy and smelling of maple.  Not quite traditional, but certainly delicious and they've definitely fulfilled my whole wheat scone craving.

Whole Wheat Shortbread Scones with Maple and Figs
adapted from this recipe
makes 12 small scones

1/4 cup pure maple syrup
6 Tbsp milk or cream + a splash for the egg wash
2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
12 Tbsp cold butter, diced into cubes
1/2 cup dried figs, chopped
1 egg
turbinado sugar or other sanding sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and cream.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, walnuts, baking powder and salt.  Add the diced butter to the flour mixture and squish the butter between your fingers to incorporate it into the flour.  Work at this until the butter is the size of small peas and the flour resembles wet sand.  Add the figs and maple cream mixture and mix until it just comes together.

Dump the dough onto a floured work surface and knead it a few times to incorporate all of the ingredients.  Roll or pat the dough into a rectangle, about 1 inch thick. Trim the sides of the dough to make straight sides and sharp corners.  Cut the dough into 12 square scones and set them on the parchment lined sheet pan, spacing them a 1/2 inch apart.

In a small bowl, gently whisk the egg.  Add a splash of milk or cream and continue mixing.  Using a pastry brush, generously brush each scone with the egg wash. Sprinkle a bit of turbinado sugar over each of the scones.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges turn golden.

Golden, butter-flecked dough.

Brush generously with egg wash.

Sprinkle with a bit of crunchy turbinado sugar.

Bake until golden brown and smelling of maple.

Rich, buttery shortbread scone goodness.

Quick Cinnamon & Cardamom Rolls

As my winter of all things sweet continues, I recently found myself craving a warm, gooey breakfast roll.  Not the kind dripping in caramel and filled with pecans, but just a simply fragrant cinnamon roll, filled with warm spice and smothered in a tangy white icing. Though I've never made such rolls from scratch, it seemed to me that they would require quite a bit of time, which I was not interested in spending.  Enter puff pastry.  I always have a box of puff pastry in the freezer and it seemed to me that these ready made sheets of pastry would be just perfect for that quick morning roll I was after.  Luckily, I was right.  Just thaw a box of puff pastry in the refrigerator over night, then in the morning, roll the pastry up with brown sugar, cinnamon and, for some extra special spiciness, a bit of ground cardamom. Bake until golden then smear with a tangy, cream cheese icing.  As these perfectly sized rolls puff in the oven, the ratio of crisp outer crust to soft, gooey and buttery inner dough is divine.  Plus, in the short 20 or so minutes it takes for these to bake, your entire home will fill with the glorious smell of warm cinnamon.  These puff pastry rolls will most definitely fulfill your warm breakfast roll cravings, and in record time.

Quick Cinnamon & Cardamom Rolls
makes 12

For the rolls:
1 package of frozen puff pastry (2 sheets) thawed overnight in the refrigerator
3 Tbsp melted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp kosher salt

For the icing:
2 Tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature
2 Tbsp buttermilk
1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
tiny pinch of kosher salt

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 12 cup muffin tin and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine both sugars with the cinnamon, cardamom, salt and one tablespoon of the melted butter.  Mix together until combined and set aside.

Remove puff pastry from the refrigerator and unfold both squares on your work surface.  Brush each square of pastry equally with the remaining two tablespoons of melted butter.  Sprinkle the sugar and spice mixture evenly over the two sheets of pastry.  Gently press the sugar mixture into the pastry.  Tightly roll each sheet of pastry into a cylinder of dough.  Trim the ends off each roll and carefully slice each roll into 6 pieces, for a total of 12.  Carefully transfer each roll into a cup of your muffin tin.  Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes or until the top of the pastry is golden and the sugar is bubbling.  Do not over bake or you will risk burning the sugar.

While the rolls are baking, make the icing.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and buttermilk until the mixture becomes a smooth paste.  Whisk in the vanilla.  Add the sifted powdered sugar, and whisk until completely smooth.  Add a tiny pinch of salt and whisk again until combined.

While still warm, transfer the rolls from the muffin tin to a parchment lined sheet pan.  Smear or drizzle rolls with the icing.  Enjoy rolls while they are still warm.

Delicate rolls of pastry filled with sugar and spice.

A bit of cardamom gives these cinnamon rolls an addictive warmth.

Bake until golden, puffed and gooey.

Such a quick and delicious cinnamon fix.

Glazed Lemony Banana Cake

Instead of ringing in the New Year with healthy resolutions as I usually do, it seems this year all I want to do so far is bake myself treats.  I call this dessert a cake because, to me, it is more a cake than a bread, but it is very similar to a traditional banana bread.  To make it a tad more cake-like, I decided to take a cue from one of my favorite blogs and bake it in a bundt pan and pour a heavy amount of golden brown, crackly glaze on top. However, a traditional loaf pan works just as well.  This cake ends up looking very old-fashioned or like something your grandmother would make, which, I think, makes it all the more special.  A bit of lemon zest in the cake and some lemon juice in the glaze gives it a fresh zing, quite perfect on these cold January days.  I used a mixture of all purpose and whole wheat flours to add a bit more flavor and texture, but don't be fooled by the whole wheat;  this is still a gloriously glazed and moist cake.  Great for breakfast, as a snack, with tea or after dinner, this cake is the perfect way to celebrate the new year, whatever your resolutions may be.

Glazed Lemony Banana Cake
makes 8-10 servings
(adapted from this recipe by Melissa Clark and inspired by this blog post on 101 Cookbooks)

For the cake:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup whole milk yogurt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp fresh lemon zest
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the glaze:
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
3-4 tsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Generously grease a 9x5 loaf pan or standard sized bundt pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, toasted walnuts, sugar, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, mix together the mashed banana, yogurt, eggs, butter, lemon zest and vanilla.  Using a rubber spatula, fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing only until there are no streaks of flour left.  The batter will be very chunky.  Scrape the batter into your prepared pan and bake until the cake is golden and just baked through, about 40 minutes if using a bundt pan, 50-55 minutes if using a loaf pan.  You do not want to over bake this cake.  Allow the cake to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and set it directly on the wire rack to cool.

While the cake is cooling, make your glaze.  In a small sauce pot, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium-high heat.  Whisk until the mixture has melted together and tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pot, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the confectioners sugar and just enough lemon juice to make the glaze runny, about 3-4 tsp.  You don't want the glaze to be too thin. Immediately pour the warm glaze over the barely warm cake and allow it to sit until the glaze has dried and the cake is completely cooled.  Cut into slices and enjoy.

Golden, buttery glaze with just a hint of lemony flavor.

Happy New Year.