Homemade Oreos to Make with Kids for Halloween

This Halloween I discovered black cocoa powder and made homemade Oreos!  My grand daughters, Rylin and Addison came over for a surprise visit and they helped me make them in all sorts of Halloween shapes.  It was loads of fun and the cookies?... So super cute!  

But not as super cute as my littlest granddaughter, Rylin.  She and her beautiful big sis, Addison, came over and gave me a hand in the kitchen.  

The Key to Homemade Oreos

They key to making homemade Oreos is black cocoa powder.  I ordered mine from Amazon and got it with in 2 days. This was my first go at playing around with it and believe me, it's intense!  So I cut it with a little unsweetened dark cocoa powder a la Hershey's.

Next time you work with chocolate, try using a variety.  If the recipe calls for 8 ounces semi sweet, try using 5 ounces semi sweet and 3 ounces bittersweet or German chocolate.  It deepens the chocolate flavor.  So does adding a pinch of instant coffee.

A Special Thank you!

I found this recipe and tweaked it a bit from my friend Laura over at Foodology Geek.  Thanks, Laura!!!  I never would have known about black cocoa powder if it wasn't for you. ? And your homemade bat Oreo recipe is spot on!

You still get deep rich black cookies that taste surprisingly like... Oreos!  

What I like about these cookies (aside from their dark sumptuous chocolaty-ness) is there is no painting or decorating involved.  This is a classy cookie.  If you want to add an extra spooky touch, pipe red eyes on any of them.

How to Make Homemade Oreos

Black Cookies

• In a large bowl, sift all dry ingredients together: flour, black cocoa powder, regular cocoa powder and baking soda.  
• Cream together room temperature unsalted butter, sugar and vanilla extract.  
• Beat the eggs in 1 at a time into the butter and sugar mixture.  
• Slowly mix in the dry ingredients.
• Mix until just combined, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerated for at least ½ hour.  
• Roll dough out to ⅛ inch and cut with cookie cutters.  
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat mats.  Bake at 325F for 12- 15 minutes.
• Let cool completely.
• Then pipe filling on one leaving ⅛ inch border.  Sandwich with another matching cookie.  

Filling

• With an electric mixer, beat 2 sticks of butter with a paddle attachment until they are almost white and fluffy.
• Carefully add 3 cups powdered sugar and mix until well combined.
• Add 1 tablespoon vanilla
• Slowly mix in 3 tablespoons milk until you get a firm but whipped consistency.  Add more if necessary.  

Halloween Cookie Tips

For these homemade Oreos, or any sandwich type Halloween treat, use a shape that is bilaterally equal to itself like a circle or symmetrical bat.  OR... Simply flip over ½ of the shapes pre-baking to create mirror images.  That way you have a cookie with 2 finished sides!  

For a crazy cookie that will have your tiny tots giggling in no time, get your favorite cookie dough (homemade or store bought) and cover it in edible eyeballs.

Chocolate chip cookies with eyeballs = Instant Cookie Monster... perfect for any Halloween party!  Get really funky and give them some candy corn horns as they're cooling.

Cooking with kids

There's hardly anything better than cooking with your kids, weither they're 2 or 52!  To have fun cooking with (little) kids, set yourself up for success!  Here are some of my go to tips for whipping up some good times in the kitchen.

1. Do it only if THEY want to.  When the kids came over this night, Rylin was super excited to get cooking.  Addi, on the other hand, wanted to play the piano and create a dance recital.  Fine by me!  By the time, Ry and I were cutting out cookies, guess who joined in the fun???
2. Be prepared for short attention spans.  About every 12 seconds, Rylin was ready for her next "job."  Sometimes that job was "cleaning" the spatula! 
3. Make a MESS!!!  Ok, well... maybe not on purpose.  Relax, have fun, and know it's ok if things get a little messy.  Your kids will follow your lead!
4. Give them real tasks to do.  Kids are more interested in eating what's on the table when they are part of making it.  Yes, licking the spoon is great, but being a real part of the cook is... priceless.  
5. Have something easy to make that's both filling and satisfying.  It's hard for hungry bakers to have fun.  One of our family favorites is a big pot of Tortellini Soup.  The Italian sausage and big tortellinis give it a hearty bite and the bright green spinach finishes it off with a Florentine flare.  And the best part... it only takes 15 minutes to make!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!