mocha oreos

Lately I’ve been digging allllll sorts of healthy treats, like these chocolate chia balls I made for my last post and these peanut butter protein bites from Ambitious Kitchen. Balls/bites are the bomb and in case you didn’t notice, all of these things include chocolate. I ain’t sorry. This recipe isn’t really THAT healthy, but it does include chocolate. I snuck some spelt flour and coconut sugar in there so you can feel a little bit better about it.

Also, I need to document the fact that Dan legit said he liked the vegan nachos I made for the last Packer game more than the buffalo chicken wings I let him buy at the store. They were that good. We made the vegan nacho cheese from Minimalist Baker’s cookbook and just threw alllllll the toppings on: guac, peppers, black beans, refried beans, red onion and cilantro. It was epic. I ate half the pan and I don’t even care. I documented it here.

If you could care less about nachos then 1) you crazy and 2) get ready because now it’s time to talk about oreos.

If you don’t like nachos or oreos then you should really just leave this page right now. I’m not kidding.

Moving on: if you’re a reader of my blog then you know I’m obsessed with two things:

1. coffee / caffeine
2. chocolate

Okay, maybe peanut butter too but you get the picture.  I love all things coffee and all things chocolate and I certainly don’t discriminate. Unless it’s decaf. No one likes that crap.

After watching the news last week I decided I needed a good stress baking session. Honestly, I’ve been so focused on work recently and haven’t spent enough time doing recipe development that I almost forgot how much I just love to bake for no reason. Cooking dinner is great and all but it can feel more like a chore on occasion. Baking coffee oreos because why the hell not? Definitely not stressful.

And finally I nailed a thick-ass (sorry, Grandma) chocolate frosting recipe that is outtah this world. It’s probably the only one I will ever use again for recipes that require thick, creamy ganache that is also by the way dairy free (huzzzah!).

What else is new over here? Well for one I finally went to the chiropractor for the first time in about a year. I originally went for my plantar fasciitis because this specific chiropractor does something called Graston where they help break up the scar tissue. FULL DISCLAIMER that I am not a health care professional so don’t get too upset about my rather poor explanation of that. One thing I know for sure, it hurts like a mother effer. He spent the rest of the time doing some soft tissue work and literally laughed at how bad my hip flexor mobility is, laughed you guys. Yeppp, I’m that person who moves like an old person even though they are 24 years old.

I also started a new skin care dealio that I can’t wait to share along with my DIY dry shampoo recipe!

Okay what the heck are you waiting for? Go make these cookies.

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mocha oreos

Author: Dana Zychowski, inspired by Molly Yeh’s Lindsay Lohan Sandwich Cookies from MOTR

Active Time:           Total Time: 

1 hour                         2 hours

Servings: 15-16 cookies

Recipe Type: Snack, Dessert

Ingredients:

for the cookies

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup spelt flour *
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 TBSP black cocoa ** 
• 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup dairy free milk
• 2 TBSP freshly ground espresso or coffee beans
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

for the filling

• 2 cups organic powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup dairy free chocolate, chopped or chips
• 3-4 TBSP non dairy milk

Directions: 

For the cookies, start by preheating the oven to 325 deg F. In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, cocoa, coffee grounds and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter until it is nice and fluffy. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and mix again for a few extra minutes on high speed. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add milk and mix to combine. Next, add the flour mixture in 1/4 cup increments until combined. Remove the dough from the mixture and use your hands to work in any extra crumbles.

Split dough in half, rolling and cutting out one half at a time. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out until it’s about 1/4″ thick. Use circular cookie cutter (or something like a jar lid!) to cut out circles of dough. Gather “scraps”, roll out, cut dough, and repeat until you’ve used up all your dough. Bake cookies for about 16-18, or until the tops aren’t shiny. For a crunchier cookie, bake for up to 20 minutes but I recommend 18 because they are still nice and soft. Allow to cool on the pan for a few minute before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat with the second half of dough and allow cookies to cool completely before filling.

For the filling, place powdered sugar in a stand mixer bowl with the whisk attachment. Melt 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips (or chunks, or chopped up chocolate bar) in the microwave or using a double boiler. With the mixer on medium speed, add the melted chocolate. Don’t be surprised if it doesn’t mix until you add the milk. Increase the mixer speed to high, and add 2-3 TBSP of non dairy milk. This is where it will start to thicken up. You want it to be thick (and dreamy) but something that is still spreadable. Add the remaining TBSP of milk if needed.

Place a plastic bag inside a wide mouthed jar and fold edges over the mouth of the jar. Using a spatula, scoop the frosting into the bag. Remove the bag from the jar and use a scissors to cut a triangle at one end (tada, lazy man’s piping back). You can also use a real piping back if you want. Flip all the cookies onto their tops and pipe half of them with a little mountain of frosting. Quickly place a cookie without frosting on the top and press down gently. Once all the cookies are filled, place them in an air tight container for up to one week. I like to add a piece of bread or marshmallows to keep them soft! If you are freezing these cookies for a future event, freeze only the cookie portion and fill with frosting before serving.

Side notes:

*if you don’t have spelt flour any you can sub with whole wheat or all purpose flour

**if you don’t have black cocoa then you’re crazy but you can add an extra 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder