Sunday, February 5, 2012

Red Velvet Oreos


Is there a cookie in the world that is more universally loved than the oreo?  I dare you to find one.  So what if you combined the beloved oreo with a classic flavor combination - red velvet?  You will end up with one awesome cookie.

I honestly don't know where I thought of this.  I'd been wanting to make red velvet cookies, but most of the recipes started with a box of cake mix, and I don't really like to bake out of the box.  So I was just driving down the road, thinking about cooking and food (as usual), and the idea hit me like a ton of bricks.  Red.  Velvet.  Oreos.  With cream cheese filling, of course.  To me, red velvet is characterized by a light chocolate taste, a bit of tang/sourness from buttermilk, and of course the red color.  I've had a recipe for homemade oreos saved for months, so I figured I could just adapt it to my liking.  Of course I added some red food coloring and decreased the chocolate, but I was stumped a bit when it came to the buttermilk.  Should I just add vinegar?  Add a few tablespoons of buttermilk and hope it didn't affect the chemistry of the cookie?  And then I had another idea:  buttermilk powder.  Many people keep it on hand so they don't have to worry about buttermilk going bad.  Just like powdered milk, you just add water to the powder.  But since powdered milk is often used in baked goods, I figures why not try buttermilk powder?  And it worked!  These cookies are slightly chocolately with that characteristic buttermilky tang.  Fill them with cream cheese icing and you have one addicting cookie.


Now that the Super Bowl is over and it's time to start thinking about Valentine's Day, you should definitely consider these cookies as a strong possibility for a festive dessert.  They would be so fun to send in with you child to school, or just for dessert or a special snack.  They are literally mixed up in minutes, and before you know it you'll be snacking on your new favorite cookie.


These came out a little bit larger than I'd expected, so I've adjusted the instructions below.  I found buttermilk powder at my local Super Target, but I'm sure it's also available at most well-stocked grocery stores.




Red Velvet Oreos
inspired by Retro Desserts, via Annie's Eats and Smitten Kitchen

For the cookies:
  • 1 1/4cups all-purpose flour
  •  5 Tbs unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
  • 3 Tbs buttermilk powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 10 Tbs (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 - 2 tsp red food coloring
  • 1 large egg
For the filling:

  • 4 tbsp. (¼ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 oz. cream cheese, chilled
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • pinch of salt


Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

In a food processor or the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, cocoa powder, buttermilk powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.  Pulse a few times to combine.  Cut the butter into tablespoon size pieces, and add them to the bowl and pulse or mix briefly to incorporate.  In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg and stir in the food coloring. Pour into the mixture and pulse or mix until a cohesive mass forms.

Scoop about 2 teaspoons of batter onto the baking sheet.  Continue scooping, spacing the dough balls a couple of inches apart.  With moistened fingers, gently press down on the dough balls to flatten slightly.  Bake for 9-11 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.  Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheet. 

To make the filling, combine the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on medium-high speed until smooth.  Add the confectioners’ sugar and salt to the bowl and mix on low speed just until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  

To assemble the cookies, match them up by size.  Use a pastry bag fitted with a  round tip to pipe a swirl of filling onto the flat side of one cookie of each pair.  Sandwich together with the remaining cookie and press down so that the filling reaches the edges.




19 comments:

Made in Sonoma said...

These looks amazing! What is buttermilk powder? I don't think I've ever seen/heard of it.

Anonymous said...

I need to make these! They're perfect for Valentine's day!

Justine said...

Oh this is a very dangerous idea... ;)

Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie said...

I love that you used buttermilk powder! I made red velvet cookies awhile back and wish I had tried to add buttermilk powder to them because something was missing for sure. And these are even more amazing due to being oreos!

Annie said...

Inspired. You are awesome :)

Anonymous said...

These look so amazing! I am American so I LOVE oreos aaannnddd I was just talking to my friend about baking red velvet cupcakes, so you must have read my mind! We will definitely try these!

Nicole, RD said...

These are just...incredible. Everything about them. WANT!

Anonymous said...

Mmm, I bet a crunchy red velvet cookie similar to the crunchy chocolate oreo cookies tastes amazing! You had an awesome idea with these ones, major props!
*sigh* :( I'm going to miss all the awesome yumminess being baked on this blog, but in 3 months' time when I get back from my trip, I will have so much fun catching up on everything! Looking forward to some delicious treats! Until then--happy baking!

-ATP

Melissa @ Kids in the Sink said...

I saw buttermilk powder on the king arthur flour website. I love that place! These look amazing and I've been looking for good valentine's day recipes to help celebrate the day with the kiddos. Thanks for the yummy idea!

Dana said...

Awesome idea!

elizabeth @ the kitchen counsel said...

these look amazing! and so festive. i've never seen buttermilk powder--but then again, i've never looked for it. maybe i'll have to look around the grocery store the next time i go.

Joanne said...

Genius = you. Just so we're clear.

Kim said...

Oh no - this is heaven on earth for me right now! I love red velvet cake and I'm obsessed with oreos. I'm going to try to resist making these for awhile!

Amy said...

What a fantastic idea! I love red velvet anything!

Anonymous said...

Wal-Mart carries buttermilk powder. I use it to make my dry ranch mix all the time

Anonymous said...

Wow, these look delicious. Can you mail me one?

Josie said...

Ann, I hope you have a wonderful trip! I will miss your comments while you're gone, but I can't wait to hear about your experience! Take care!

Marisa Jackson said...

These cookies were fantastic!! I doubled the recipe and made over 50 of them tonight for the office for valentine's day... I'm sure they will be a hit, because I am going to have to go to sleep to keep myself from eating them ALL! :)

Josie said...

Marisa, I'm so glad you liked them!! Happy Valentine's Day! :)

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