You know those super motivated people who churn out hundreds (thousands, even) of cookies and batch after batch of holiday candy? I don’t know how they do it. In my world, the days fly by so quickly that I’m lucky if I can cook dinner from scratch, never mind an entire bakery case [...]]]>

You know those super motivated people who churn out hundreds (thousands, even) of cookies and batch after batch of holiday candy? I don’t know how they do it. In my world, the days fly by so quickly that I’m lucky if I can cook dinner from scratch, never mind an entire bakery case full of goodies. If you’re one of those people, could you share your secret with me? Especially if it involves time travel, because I’ve always wanted to give that a try.

But what kind of baker would I be if I let December sneak on by without even one batch of cookies emerging from my oven? So I set out to the store with a mental list of ingredients for a new cookie recipe. But something on the holiday baking display caught my eye. Shiny green and silver wrappers proclaimed “Mint Truffle”. And I was inspired.

Wrapped in cookie dough, these candies become the perfect surprise center for the classic chocolate chip cookie. They flatten out as the cookies bake so that nobody will know what’s inside. The burst of chocolate and mint in the middle is sure to inspire even a twinkle of holiday spirit in the most persistent of scrooges. And I know that Santa will love these, too! The recipe is simple and the dough comes together quickly so that those of us with a busy schedule can get to the next item on our to do list.

Mint Truffle Chocolate Chip Cookies
Created by Simple Math Bakery
Yield: 30 cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup bittersweet (60%) chocolate chips
30 small mint truffle candies, unwrapped

Preheat the oven to 375°.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix on low speed until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate chips. To facilitate easier forming of the cookies, refrigerate the dough for 10 minutes or so.

Grab about one tablespoon of dough and wrap it around one mint truffle candy, forming a ball. Place the dough balls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, about 2″ apart.

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges just start to brown. Place the entire cookie sheet on a cooling rack to cool for 5-7 minutes, then remove the cookies from the sheet and cool them directly on the rack.

I think most people agree that Oreos are some of the best cookies out there.  Chocolate cookies with creamy frosting in the middle.  What’s not to love?

This homemade recipe uses all natural ingredients, producing a result that surpasses the store-bought variety (in my opinion)!

The December Flavor of [...]]]>

I think most people agree that Oreos are some of the best cookies out there.  Chocolate cookies with creamy frosting in the middle.  What’s not to love?

This homemade recipe uses all natural ingredients, producing a result that surpasses the store-bought variety (in my opinion)!

The December Flavor of the Month is Cookies.  Have you been into Trader Joe’s during the holiday season?  They bring out all kinds of holiday goodies, including these:

A whole display full of these boxes greets me whenever I walk in there.  And boy, are these cookies tasty!  They are like Oreos for peppermint lovers, with candy cane pieces mixed into the filling.  I try to resist them, but if I do happen to give in and take some home they usually don’t last more than a couple of days!

So when I decided to make homemade Oreos, I knew I would have to turn them into Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s.  The recipe begins with chocolate cookie dough:

I used chocolate mint candy canes for the filling, but you can use any flavor you desire, or leave them out altogether.

The fun part is crushing the candy canes!

See those larger pieces?  They got stuck in the tip of the pastry bag when I was filling the cookies.  Crush them up really fine, or spoon the filling onto the cookies if you’d like to keep the larger chunks.

This is how I filled the cookies.  I used the largest round tip that I have (Wilton tip 12).  The spiral technique worked really well, and left a smooth look to the filling after I placed the second cookie on top.

They look just like Oreos, and taste even better!

Homemade Candy Cane Oreos
Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
Yield: About 3 dozen cookie sandwiches

Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolk and vanilla, and beat to combine.  Add the flour mixture in three batches, mixing on low speed after each addition.  Mix just until a dough forms.

Divide the dough into two pieces.  Form each piece into a 6 inch square and wrap with plastic wrap.  Chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease two baking sheets, or line them with parchment paper.  Remove one piece of dough from the fridge and roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper until it is about 1/8 inch thick.  Place the dough and parchment onto a tray or extra cookie sheet and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes or until firm.  Repeat with the other half of the chilled dough from the fridge.

After removing the dough from the freezer, use a 2 inch fluted or round cutter to cut as many rounds as possible.  Chill the scraps to reroll for next batch.  Place the rounds onto one of the prepared baking sheets, 1/2 inch apart.

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until baked through and slightly puffy.  Cool the entire pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then remove cookies from pan and place them directly on the cooling rack.

Filling:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 pound confectioners sugar
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon mint extract, depending on taste
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup crushed candy canes (about 3 canes)

With an electric mixer, beat butter, mint extract, vanilla extract, and water on low speed until combined.  Add confectioners sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Mix in crushed candy canes on low speed until well combined.

To assemble cookies: Using a pastry bag or a ziploc bag with the corner cut off, pipe the filling onto the flat side of a cookie.  Top with another cookie, placing the flat side onto the icing.