Baking Partners: Fauxreos and Cornflake Cookies

Hi Baking Partners! This is my first time to join in the activity and excited as I am, I decided to make two of the three recipes given by our host Swathi. 

Homemade Oreo Cookies: Fauxreos Adapted from Serious Eats

 From Reeni (Cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice)

Cookies:

            3 ounces/85g/ 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

            3 3/4 ounces/106.3g / ½ cup sugar

            1 1/2 ounces/42.52g/ 3 tablespoon  brown sugar

           3/4 teaspoon salt

            1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoons baking powder

            1/4 teaspoon baking soda

            1/2 teaspoon instant coffee powder

            1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

            2 egg yolks

            4 ounces/113.4g / ¾ cup all purpose flour (or rice flour), sifted

            3 ounces/85g / 1 cup cocoa powder, sifted

             

    For the filling:

            2 ounces/56.7g/ 4 tablespoon shortening or unsalted butter at room temperature

            5 ounces/141.7 / 1 ¼ powdered sugar, sifted

            1 teaspoon vanilla extract

            a pinch of salt

Yield:    Makes 32 sandwich cookies

Active time:    45 minutes

Total time:    2 hours

Special equipment:    2" round or other cookie cutter, pastry bag or Ziploc bag

my tested ingredients 

Procedures:

            1. To make the cookies: Using a hand or stand mixer set to medium speed, cream together butter, both sugars, salt, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and vanilla extract until combined. With mixer still running, add in egg yolks one at a time. Once incorporated, shut off mixer and scrape bowl down with a rubber spatula.

            2. Turn mixer to its lowest setting. Dump in flour and cocoa all at once. The mixture will be stiff. Continue mixing until uniform. Shut off mixer. Use a spatula to scrape the dough from the bowl and knead lightly to form a smooth ball. Use your hands to flatten into a disc.

            You may begin rolling the dough right away, or you may wrap it with plastic and refrigerate for up to a week. If you've kept the dough refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature to soften before starting to roll.

            3. Preheat oven to 350°. Sift some cocoa powder onto the counter (using cocoa instead of flour gives the Fauxreos their uniquely dark color). Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to 1/8" thickness.

            When finished, slide a metal spatula between the dough and counter to loosen. This will prevent the cookies from sticking.

            A 2" round cutter makes perfect "Oreos" but use any cutter you like. Cut out the cookies and use a metal spatula to lift and transfer to cookie sheet.

            Arrange cookies on ungreased cookie sheet. (If the cookie sheet is dinged up or uneven, line with parchment paper first.) The cookies will not spread during baking, so they may be arranged quite close together. Set the sheets aside.

            4. Gather up, knead, and re-roll the remaining dough scraps, likewise cutting and arranging on a cookie sheet.

          

To add texture to the cookies, place any remaining dough in a mixing bowl. Mix with a hand or stand mixer and add about 1 tsp of hot water or coffee. Continue adding hot water/coffee, a teaspoon at a time, until the dough has thinned into a paste. You can always add more liquid, but you can't take it away. Add slowly and let each addition mix in fully before adding more. When the mixture reaches a frosting-like consistency, use a spatula to scrape it out. 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.

I had total fun with this recipe but instead of piping the decor, I hand crafted simple dots and smiley designs

            Pipe some sort of design atop each cookie. A tight cornelli design gives the impression of an Oreo. But anything will do, have fun with your designs!

            5. Once the cookies have been decorated, bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until firm to the touch. If your oven has an uneven heating element, rotate the cookie sheets after six minutes. Once the cookies have baked, cool thoroughly, directly on the cooling rack.

            6. To make the filling: With a hand or stand mixer, cream together shortening/butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Cream on medium speed for five minutes; use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl down periodically. The long mixing time aerates the filling, making it especially white and less gritty.

            Using a spatula, transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip. Alternately, portion with a melon-baller sized ice cream scoop, or by using Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off as a makeshift pastry bag.

            7. To assemble the cookies: Flip half the wafers upside down. Onto each, pipe or scoop 1 teaspoon of filling (specifically: 1/4 oz for Double Stuf, 1/8 ounce for regular) directly into the center. To finish, top with remaining wafers and press down with your fingers, applying very even pressure so the filling will spread uniformly across the cookie.

            8.  Transfer cookies to an airtight container and refrigerate for several hours. This is crucial. After whipping the filling, it will be quite soft. Refrigerating it (especially if you're using butter) will solidify the filling, restoring its proper texture, and bonding it with the wafers. Serve.

I think I made too thick oreo cookies because the recipe only got me 2 dozens sandwhich cookies. But this recipe is definitely a hit with everyone at home and at work! :)

Cornflake cookies from a cookbook called Baking: Commonsense by Murdoch  Books

By Priya  Priya’s Versatile Recipes

Ingredients

125grams Softened unsalted butter

3/4cup/165grams Sugar

2nos Eggs (lightly beaten)

1teaspoon Vanilla extract

2tablespoons Black raisins

1+1/2cups/135grams Dessicated coconut

1/2teasponn Baking soda

1/2teasponn Baking Powder

2cups/250grams All purpose flour

2cups Crushed Cornflakes

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F, line two baking trays with baking paper.Sie ve the flour with baking soda and baking powder. 

Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl,using electric beaters until they turns light and fluffy.

Gradually add the egg, beating thoroughly after each addition, add the vanilla and beat until combined.

Now add the raisins,coconut, give a stir. Fold the flour mixture with a metal spoon and stir until the mixture is almost smooth.

Put the crushed cornflakes in a shallow dish, then drop tablespoon of this cookie mixture onto the cornflakes and roll into balls.

Arrange on the trays, bake for 15-10minutes or until they turns golden.

Cool completely and arrange it in an air tightened box.

and they bake...

into golden brown cookie crisps :)

 This recipe I did with my kids. They helped me with incorporating the cornflakes on the dough and made little sneaky munch every now and then :) This recipe is much easier to make but both tasted fab. 

I can't wait to see the other baking partner's post!