homemade double chocolate mint filled Oreo's

I love Oreo's.
I do, BUT....
I cannot take all those chemicals in them.
Sure as a kid I could eat a ton of Oreo's and never have that "crash & burn" feeling.
But now that I'm older,  if I have a few, about an hour later I feel like taking a nap for days.
Always wondered what would Oreo's taste like without all those chemicals?
And, what would they taste like if I used high-quality cocoa powder?
I just always felt as if the chocolate Oreo could use a lot more deeper, darker chocolate flavor.
And I wanted an Oreo filling that did NOT leave a waxy coating in your mouth.
Don't you hate that?
So I made my own....



They look hard to make, but really they aren't if you do them in steps.
Dough and filling made 1-2 days ahead.
Roll and bake next.
The only hard part, if you have to call it that?
The rolling out, as the dough is a bit sticky, so you need patience to roll, cut, and place on cookie sheet.
After that, it's easy. I mean who doesn't like the "filling the cookie" part?
Right?
These cookies look like they are soft, but trust me, they are crunchy. If you look closely at the bitten cookie you will see the "crunch".

This is the best high quality dark cocoa powder.
From King Arthur Flour.
Invest in some. It has so many other uses.


Oh yeah, I always keep Oreo dough next to my healthy green drinks. Ironic?

homemade double chocolate mint filled Oreos
recipe adapted from so many sources online

print recipe

Cookie base:

7 TB unsalted butter, room temp

½ cup sugar

3 TB brown sugar

3/4 ts salt

¾ cup double Dutch DARK cocoa powder (+more for dusting board for rolling dough)

¾ cup all purpose flour

½ ts baking powder

¼ ts baking soda

1 ts pure vanilla extract

2 egg yolks

mint filling:

4 TB unsalted butter, room temp

1 + ¼ cups powdered sugar, sifted

¼  ts  pure vanilla extract

¼ ts (or more) pure mint extract

a pinch of salt

Cook notes:

If you can’t find double dutch dark cocoa powder then use regular DARK cocoa powder but you might need more than ¾ cup; possibly a cup? Not sure since I haven’t made it with regular cocoa powder.  I highly suggest investing in some double dutch dark cocoa powder.  King Arthur Flour sells it.

If you don’t want mint filling then you substitute the mint extract for vanilla extract; use ¾ ts vanilla extract. Do a taste test of filling to see if it needs more mint.

I used 4 inch cookie cutters, feel free to use 2 inch or whatever shape you desire.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, baking powder; set aside.

Using a mixer cream butter and both sugars. Add in the egg yolks.

Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Next add in the dry mixture (the flour mixture).  And mix until combined.  It will be a thick, sticky dough. Place dough in plastic wrap, shape into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and flatten into a disc.

Chill dough for at least a couple hours.  When ready to use, let it sit at room temp for 20 minutes or when it’s ready/easy to roll.  Don’t let dough get too warm; we want it to stay fairly cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Dust your board and rolling pin with cocoa powder, and roll out dough to about 1/8 of an inch thickness

Cut out circles with a 4” or 2" round cutter or whatever shapes you desire.   Use a thin metal spatula under the dough to move it to the cookie sheet.

Place a couple inches apart on cookie sheet. They don’t spread much, but if your dough is too warm they might.  If you think your cookie dough got too warm then just pop them back in the fridge before baking.

Knead the scraps of dough together, re-roll and cut out until all or most of the dough is used.

Bake 10 - 12 minutes, or until almost firm.  You need to let these cool on the cookie sheet (about 8-10 minutes); they need to set up.

Mint filling:

Using a hand or stand mixer cream together butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, mint, and salt on medium speed 5-7 minutes until light, creamy and fluffy.

I found that using a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip worked best.  But you can use a ziploc bag with a hole in the corner or simply use a spoon/knife to place filling into center of cookie.

Should make:

12-14 (4 inch cookies)

22-24 (2 inch cookies)

Store in airtight container. Keeps 2 days if that.

pumpkin blondies

Pumpkin blondies?
Can we call it that?
Not sure since the pumpkin is on the top, along with a hint of cream cheese. But the cake-base is a blondie mix...so why not call it a blondie.
It's delish no matter what you call it, and it has a nice light pumpkin flavor.

Are you making any pumpkin dishes for Thanksgiving?  What about breakfast?
Do you do breakfast? Or just snacks until the big feast?

If you need an idea for a light breakfast, my pumpkin-butterscotch is perfect.
I love to hear what everyone is eating and making for Thanksgiving.
You know what I love most about holiday dining?  The apps, the side dishes, and desert.  Oh yeah.
I can easily skip the whole turkey and ham and just dig into the side dishes.





Need a really tasty dessert for Thanksgiving?

Try my pumpkin cheesecake with nutella ganache

A couple great ideas for an easy breakfast:

sweet potato muffins stuffed with cinnamon-mascarpone


crumb cake muffins with creamy espresso filling


raspberry-cream cheese crumb cake (this one is very popular on Pinterest right now)

      
banana-butterscotch bread

pumpkin blondies

print recipe

blondie base:

10 TB unsalted butter, room temp +extra butter for pan

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ts baking powder

3/4 ts salt

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

2 large eggs

½ ts pure vanilla extract

pumpkin topping:

4 ounces cream cheese

½ cup plain pumpkin puree

1 egg yolk

1-2 TB sugar

a few dashes of either cinnamon and/or pumpkin spice

Cook notes:

I don’t like a lot of pumpkin pie spice, so I was very gentle on adding it in the mixture.

You might want to taste test if before baking to see if you like it. 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Butter or non-stick spray a 8-inch square baking pan.  If your pan needs to have parchment paper to avoid sticking go ahead and do so.  

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside.

In a glass or cup, mix the eggs and vanilla extract until combined, set aside.

In a large bowl mix the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on medium speed until smooth and fluffy.  Then add in eggs and vanilla mixing well.   Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.  No need to overmix.

Pour batter into prepared pan; spread with a rubber spatula or wet hands. Make sure it gets into the corners.

For the pumpkin topping:

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. I used a fork to mix this, as I wanted lumps.

If you don’t want lumps then mix all this in a mixer until smooth.

Using a spoon or piping bag, place lines of the pumpkin mixture on top of blondie batter.

I just left it as lines.  If you want it more mixed then use a chopstick or thin/skinny knife and make swirls.

Bake in oven for about 25-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into blondies comes out “almost” clean; okay to have a few bits of crumb on the cake tester.  Cooking times vary depending on oven, so please check at 25 minute mark.

Let cool before cutting into squares. 

For decoration, dust with confectioners' sugar before cutting into squares.

friday links

It's Friday!

My latest finds at Trader Joe's:


Don't you love those free samples at Trader Joe's?
You know I hang out at that booth as long as I can.
Well this was the free sample of the day and it was heavenly.
This pizza or is it flatbread?  Tastes like a crispy thin pizza.  It's delish.  You must try this.
When you bake it at home, place it on the wire racks (or pizza stone), this way it gets nice and crispy.


I added on some artichoke hearts.  So good.

These were good.

Haven't tried this yet.  Have you? It sounds good.

On the fence with this one.  But I might give it a go if mixed with sushi rice (like on the package).

These were really dry. Like over-cooked dry.  Maybe I got a bad batch,  Good idea though.

These are dangerously good!

This was good. Needs more rice, but the taste was good.

I love this.  Dry, salty salami with a sharp cheese.  Mmmm.

If you ever need a new idea for a pesto add in--these spicy cashews are it!

I can't remember where I got these, but if you see them get them.  They are so good.  Spicy good.

Anyone tried these new coconut almonds from Blue Diamond?

These were on sale at Whole Foods--you know they were actually quite good.
Very deep chocolate flavor.
Speaking of Whole Foods--did you hear they are FINALLY coming to cape cod?  Yes yes indeed.
I am over the moon thrilled with this news.  They announced it on their Facebook page a few days ago.  I had to do a triple take when I read the words "Hyannis, MA".
I am their number one fan--they have no idea what they're in for do they?
Where in Hyannis?  I think, not 100% sure so don't quote me, but I think they are taking the old Borders store on Rt. 132.
I will keep you updated.  (lol)

And speaking of whole foods.  Should you need a last minute appetizer (or snack), you must try these.
So good.

Yes these are my PINK kitchen counters. Not by choice--came with the house.
Recently I spilled red food coloring on them.  Nothing was working to get the stain out, until someone
on twitter told me to try those Magic Erasers.
And it worked, perfectly. So now you know.

Perfectly clean.

Worlds skinniest house.

Iron rich fruits & veggies

Outside adventure film school

Bizarre celebrity homes

Skeletal remains found in upended tree

Be a "qualitarian" and eat your way to amazing health

Backpack camera system brings Google street view to grand canyon

DIY oyster crackers

I love hoe cakes, and I guess True Blood made them popular--again

Deep dish pumpkin pie w/ dulce de leche walnut streusel

5 foods to eat for happiness (blueberries need to be on there)

Wonderful add in's for chili

Fig & walnut crackers (sounds good!)

Chili & cornbread waffles!

Famous writers overcoming writers block

Cranberry curd bars with walnut shortbread

Buddhist monk is the worlds happiest man (there's proof!)

How to carve a turkey

10 life lessons from Forrest Gump (#4 is my favorite)

Man finds his doppelgänger at philadelphia museum of art

Have a wonderful weekend!

pumpkin-butterscotch crumb cake

Are you like me when you taste good food, that first bite, your brain says "hmmm I wonder how this would be if x and x were added?"
That's exactly what I did when I made my NY Style Pumpkin Crumb Cake--I instantly thought, 'I should add a hint of butterscotch next time'.
Pumpkin and butterscotch a no-brainer right?
Well, as long as the butterscotch is toned down a bit--too much is just wrong and tastes all chemically.


This actually would be perfect for a Thanksgiving breakfast.
It's quick and easy to throw together.
And if you're a crumb-junkie (like me) then you'll love this.
Plus it's a bit lighter than the NY style crumb cake.

It makes a lot of crumb--but this is good.
If by chance it is too much crumb for you, freeze half for another cake!


Is it wrong that I wanted to eat it raw?  I mean doesn't that look good?

The smells of pumpkin and butterscotch it leaves in the house.....

pumpkin-butterscotch crumb cake

print recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 ts baking powder

3/4 cup sugar

¾ cup of plain greek yogurt (or sour cream)

½ can (or 7.5 ounces) plain pumpkin puree

2 large eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

a couple dashes of pumpkin spice

a couple dashes of cinnamon

giant pinch of salt

crumb topping:

1 stick of butter (8 ounces) melted & cooled

½ cup sugar

¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 cup flour

a few dashes of pumpkin pie spice

½ ts salt

¾ cup pecans, small chop (or you could use walnuts)

¼ cup (or more if you like) butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350F.

Sift flour, baking powder, and spices into a bowl; add in the sugar and mix.

In a separate bowl whisk greek yogurt, eggs, pumpkin, and oil together.

Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. Lumps are good, do not overmix.

Spread batter into 9 or 10 inch cake pan.

Make the crumb mixture by combining all ingredients in a bowl, mix well, and then add in the butter;  mix.

Using your hand, make medium clumps and place on top of cake batter.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Please let this set up and cool at least an hour before slicing.

You could try using this batter in muffin tins.  Just reduce and/or watch the baking times.

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

You've heard me 1000 times complain about the worst part of making cookies is waiting for that darn butter come to room temperature.
And I have made a few cookie recipes using melted butter with great success. (thank goodness)
And here is another one.
Seeing so many delish pumpkin cookie recipes in the food blogging world, I wanted to make them NOW.

I go looking for recipes at night and get incredibly hungry: bad combo.
Not wait for butter to come to room temp here on a cold fall day---will not happen.
And, I do try the 'microwave till soft method', but I always end up melting half and the other half is hard--fabulous.
I do not trust those microwaves at all.
Call me old fashioned--hate using microwaves.
With these cookies, I used milk chocolate chips, but you could try semi-sweet.
If I make them again, I will use salty pecans instead of chocolate--just been dying to try that.
Also, I barely used any pumpkin pie spice, so only a few dashes in this recipe.
If you want more then go right ahead.  Do a quick taste-test of the batter to see if you like it.




Use a small or medium ice cream scoop. This dough is very sticky.

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

print recipe

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled

1 cup light brown sugar, not packed

½ cup dark brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

1 ts pure vanilla extract

1 cup plain pumpkin puree

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ts baking powder

1 ¼ ts baking soda

½  ts salt

4 quick dashes of pumpkin pie spice (or more if you like the flavor, I don’t like a lot)

3 dashes of cinnamon

2 cups milk chocolate chips

Mix the butter and all sugars together. I did this by hand; feel free to use a mixer.

Mix until smooth.

Add in the eggs 1 at a time, then the vanilla & pumpkin puree.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.  

Slowly add, in batches, the dry mixture to the wet mixture. 

Do not over mix!  Lumps are good!

Stir in the chips.   Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees, Line a couple cookie sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray, or whichever method you like.

Using a medium or small ice cream scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets.  Do no press them flat, leaven them round. 

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges.

Let cookies cook on wire racks.

Should make about 36 cookies if using a medium ice cream scoop, more if you use a small ice cream scoop.

Seven Layer Bars with Pumpkin

Those infamous 7 layer bars now made with pumpkin.
Have I lost my mind? No, just really into the pumpkin cooking spirit.
I've been dying to do this for a while now, but weary of how it would turn out because well, now there are 8 layers, so things could get sloppy, not set up, be too sweet, etc...
That buttery graham crust layer was just yearning for a nice layer of pumpkin.
It came out really good.
The pumpkin layer is very gentle in flavor, and adds a nice savory touch.
I went easy on the pumpkin spice flavoring, as I'm not a big fan of it.
I do like extra cinnamon in my pumpkin.
Made this in a 9 or 10 inch cake pan (just for something different).  It should work in a 9x13 pan, might be "just enough" or "slightly short" on ingredients--I don't know I haven't done this in a 9x13 pan yet.


Seriously?  These were insanely good.  The butterscotch with the pumpkin with the buttery graham cracker crust?  Oh heavenly food combo.






buttery graham layer first

pumpkin layer next--don't spread to the edges

pecans next, or use walnuts

chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips

coconut then pour on the sweetened condensed milk

time to bake!




Look at that crust!

Seven Layer Bars with Pumpkin

print recipe

Pumpkin layer:

1 egg

8 ounces of plain pumpkin puree

½ ts pure vanilla extract

a few dashes of cinnamon

a few dashes of pumpkin pie spice

1 ½ - 2 cups crushed graham crackers (depending on how thick you like the crust)

12 tbsp. unsalted butter

¾ cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup white chocolate chips

½ cup butterscotch chips

¾ cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted (optional to toast)

1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 350° F. 

Heavily spray with nonstick or line a 9 or 10-inch cake pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.  If using parchment or aluminum make sure to spray that too with nonstick cooking spray. 

Melt the butter over medium heat; add in the graham crumbs, and mix well.

Using your fingers or a spatula spread crumbs into pan, making sure to get all the edges. If you want to prebake this for 10 minutes to help it get crisp then go ahead.  I did not. 

In a small bowl mix the pumpkin puree with the egg; add in the vanilla extract and as much spice as you want. I did about 4 shakes of cinnamon and 2 shakes of pumpkin spice. 

Then place a layer of the pumpkin mixture on top of the graham.  Do not spread the pumpkin mixture to the edges (see photo)—you don’t want it to seep out.

Then add the layer of pecans, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and toasted coconut.  Next pour the condensed milk evenly over the entire dish. 

Bake until the top is golden brown and mixture is set in the middle (no jiggly), about 25-28 minutes. 

Cool on a wire rack for a couple hours.  I then put mine in the fridge to help it firm up to make the slicing much easier. 

Remove the bars from the pan.  Then using a very sharp knife, cut into bars in small pie slices.  If the slicing is sticky, it helps to wet the knife with warm water.

It’s best to store this in the fridge. Keeps about 2 days then it gets soggy.