Homemade Oreo Thin Mints

I usually am not a fan of packaged cookies…why ?  BECAUSE they are easy (at hand, perfect for nibbling, pre-made, no stress, so simple…) and expensive (why, Nabisco, why ???) and full of unknown ingredients (preservatives ? Wax?  Wood shavings ?).  Mixing everything up by hand is just how I grew up (for the most part) and so boxed cookies are a “special event.”  Social Teas and Le Petit Ecolier excluded.

However…the other night, a friend of my family’s brought over these delicious little creations that are sort of like thin mints (those Girl Scout cookies that are über popular) and a peppermint patty.  It’s a thin wafer cookie – the bottom of an oreo – with a layer of mint cream on top that is subsequently smothered in chocolate.  On a hot night, these cookies are oddly refreshing…particularly when they come out of the freezer.

Somehow, I didn’t think my mother would be keen on buying Oreo’s latest creation, so I decided to make them myself.

Yep.  I’m making THIS :

It’s surprisingly simple HOWEVER BE WARNED : This recipe takes time.  Each individual component is easy to make, but the process of assembling the cookies themselves is rather involved.  If you have children who like helping in the kitchen (or a bunch of people who like rolling out dough and cutting it into shapes à la Christmas cookies…), then this is a great recipe.

I promise you…it’s worth it.  My sister says that these are the best cookies I’ve made to date in my life…given my love of baking, that’s a pretty regal compliment.

For the cookie:

8 oz butter
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt (optional)
1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350F.  Cream butter until light and fluffy.

Add the powdered sugar and beat again, keeping that fluffy texture.  Add the cocoa powder and watch out for cocoa clouds!

Stir in vanilla.  Add the flour; combine until the dough forms a ball.  Knead on countertop before putting it in plastic wrap.  Allow the dough to chill in the fridge for 1 hour (or in the freezer for 15 minutes).  Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface and cut into rounds.

Place on a baking sheet (the cookies won’t rise) and cook for about 10 minutes.

For the filling:

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 1/2 tbsp water
2 tsp peppermint extract
1 tbsp butter

Combine the 2 1/4 cups sugar, the corn syrup, water, extract, butter and salt and beat until combined. It will be quite malleable.

Dust work surface with remaining sugar and pour mixture overtop sugar.  Knead until smooth – it only takes a few turns.

Roll between two sheets of parchment paper until about 1/4 inch thick.

Freeze until firm – about 15 minutes.

For the coating:

10 oz semisweet chocolate
1 tbsp butter

Melt the chocolate and butter over the stovetop on LOW HEAT.

Assembly:

When the cookies have cooled, lay them on out a baking sheet covered with tin foil.  Remove the mint filling from the freezer and place on countertop (peel off parchment paper).

Using the same cutter as was used for the cookies, cut rounds of the mint filling and place them on top of the cookies

.

If your kitchen is warm and the filling starts to get sticky, place in the freezer again before covering with the melted chocolate.

Store in the freezer and laugh in the face of Oreo !

Bon appétit !