Today was the "official" last day of Izzy's preschool. He will be back there next week for Summer camp but I still wanted to mark the end with some gifts and treats for his marvelous teachers. I had planned on baking last night but somehow it didn't happen. I then convinced myself that I would just pick up some cookies from a local cookie bakery in the morning.
When I woke up I was overcome with the urge to bake something, something I had never baked before. I had seen these incredible looking homemade Oreos on Smitten Kitchen and I figured teachers were the perfect test candidates for them. The recipe was simple enough and I had all of the ingredients at home. The whole process, from dough to icing probably would have taken only about an hour to do but I dilly-dallied a bit so it took a couple of hours. The finished cookies were impressive, the filling divine. I couldn't help but lick the entire bowl. Something I surely didn't need to do.
When I woke up I was overcome with the urge to bake something, something I had never baked before. I had seen these incredible looking homemade Oreos on Smitten Kitchen and I figured teachers were the perfect test candidates for them. The recipe was simple enough and I had all of the ingredients at home. The whole process, from dough to icing probably would have taken only about an hour to do but I dilly-dallied a bit so it took a couple of hours. The finished cookies were impressive, the filling divine. I couldn't help but lick the entire bowl. Something I surely didn't need to do.
I wrapped them up before I could eat them all and brought them to school for Izzy to distribute. He loves giving his teachers treats and they seemed genuinely pleased to receive them. On the other hand, Izzy only managed to eat half of one..go figure.
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen
For the chocolate wafers:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg
For the filling:
¼ cup (½ stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
¼ cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375 degrees.
2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.
2 comments:
That's so funny -- I had that book, and got rid of it before the move...having never even tried one recipe! I should have given it to you :)
Curses! Never discard a cookbook without consulting me first! I collect them.
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