Merry Christmas
Christmas trees! Christmas ornaments! Christmas Cheer! It’s time to bring out all the decorations and decorate everything in sight. More importantly, it's time to fill the house with the smell of fresh-baked cookies. Chocolate is one ingredient that’s at the top of my holiday baking list. And what could be a better treat to start the season than these dark chocolate sandwich cookies filled with white chocolate ganache. Yum. These pretty trees and ornaments are one of my favorite treats to bake and they’re a cookie that my whole family loves to eat.
“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” Norman Vincent Peale
As usual, I made a list of several different kinds of cookies to bake this year and decided to start out with a cutout cookie. Thomas Keller Oreos (TKOs) were the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. These chocolate sandwich cookies are so rich and the filling is so creamy that I couldn’t resist making them first...to kick off the Christmas baking season. See the Recipes section below for details about ingredients and where to get the recipe.
Thomas Keller’s elegant take on the Oreo cookie is a recipe you’ll be happy you found. It is by far the best chocolate sandwich cookie I’ve ever eaten.
Cookie specifics
TKO Oreos. A rich dark chocolate cookie, filled with creamy white chocolate ganache elevates this “Oreo” far above the original that inspired it. The filling alone is to die for. I substitute full-fat coconut cream for the heavy cream to make them dairy-free. The dark chocolate cookie is a chocolate-lover’s dream of what a chocolate cookie should taste like. Chef Keller, you’re a genius. The recipe makes 15 sandwich cookies and decorating them with thick pipeing glaze makes them festive and delicious.
Shapes
I use a smallish tree cookie cutter and one of my favorite ornament cookie cutters. See Cookie Cutters and Tools for all my Christmas tree cookie cutters.
Sizes
The tree cookie cutter is 3 inches high and 2 inches wide. The ornament cookie cutter is 3-inches around. 2½ to 3 inches is my favorite size for decorating and eating!
Cookie Recipe from This Talented Cookie Artist
TKOs (Chocolate Sandwich Cookies). Original recipe from Thomas Keller, courtesy of Saveur.
Icing & Frostings
Glaze for Piping: This glaze/icing dries hard enough that you can stack or package the cookies without damaging the embellishments. I often use it exclusively or in combination with Royal Icing.
Glaze for Piping Recipe
Cookies
TKOs (Chocolate Sandwich Cookies): flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, butter, salt, sugar
Filling
White Chocolate Ganache Filling: white chocolate, coconut cream
Icing & Decorative Embellishments
Glaze for Piping: sugar, water, corn syrup, various extracts for flavoring (I prefer vanilla for these cookies)
Plate, Box or Bag?
Bags. I wrapped the cookies individually in clear, food-safe bags, secured with a twist tie. This is a good way to prevent damage to the piping if you’re going to package the cookies for gifting or mailing.
Mailing. I made several batches and mailed cookies to my family and friends throughout the U.S. I sent them Priority Mail through the U.S. Post Office. I got many thanks and comments about how rich and delicious these cookies are.
What I’ve learned...
These cookies were made with the best ingredients I could find and baked in a small batch of two dozen. I’ve experimented with less expensive ingredients, but have come to the conclusion that flavor is best when I use the best. Why spend all this time baking and decorating if taste and texture are just so-so? Decorating the cookies takes time, but it’s an enjoyable process for me and I know that those who receive them appreciate that. Life is just better when you can share something you love with someone you love. Don’t you agree?
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