Monday, September 24, 2012

Chewy Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Chips, Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces, & Cheesecake Filling

Chewy Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Chips, Birthday Cake
Oreo Truffle Pieces, & Cheesecake Filling
I've been wanting to make Red Velvet Cookies for a while now, but homemade... all from scratch. No box mixes. I struggled for a while trying to make a recipe that would yield chewy cookies because all of the other ones I had made were quite cakey. No thank you. Don't y'all worry your little hearts, I finally got one for ya! And trust me, they are worth it. The dough is a bright red color, which is exactly what I wanted, but it also has Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces and white chocolate studded throughout. Yes, you heard me right... BIRTHDAY CAKE OREO TRUFFLE PIECES in a cookie. This is perfect because it gives the cookie a chocolate flavor (that is known for from red velvet cake) and it also lends a slightly "birthday cake" taste to it. The fun doesn't stop there because when you bite into the center, there is a creamy cheesecake filling. We loved these cookies, even though it took me three previous batches to perfect it, and I can't wait to make them again. And for all y'all Alabama, UGA, and Falcons fans out there, it'd be a perfect tailgatin' dessert. Oh, don't you forget about Christmas either because these will definitely be on the list!! Enjoy :)
Those Dark Areas on the Cookies are Birthday Cake Oreo Truffles  
Don't forget the white chocolate chips...
Ain't that red color purdy??

For the Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces:
21 Birthday Cake Oreos, Finely Crushed
4oz Cream Cheese, Softened

For the Cheesecake Filling:
4oz Cream Cheese, Softened
2C Confectioners’ Sugar, Sifted
2T Powdered Buttermilk (optional, this can be left and the texture is still great)
1t Vanilla

For the Chewy Red Velvet Cookies:
2 ¼C AP Flour
1T Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
½t Baking Soda
1t Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel (scant)
1 ½ Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Softened
1C Light Brown Sugar
½C Sugar
1 Large Egg + 1 Egg Yolk
2t Vanilla
1oz Red Dye (to the color of your preference)
12oz White Chocolate, Roughly Chopped into Chunks
Prepared Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces
Prepared Cheesecake Filling, Chilled

Directions:
1. For the Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces: Line a small baking dish with foil and set it aside. Crush Oreo cookies in a food processor or blender until finely ground, and then in a medium bowl, mix with softened cream cheese until truffle forms. Press into foil-lined baking dish and flatten with hands. Place in freezer for 30 minutes. Once chilled, remove the Oreo truffles from the freezer and cut into small pieces. Keep chilled until you are ready to fold into the cookie batter.   
2. To Make the Cheesecake Filling: Using a mixer, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, powdered buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Using a teaspoon, scoop out cheesecake filling and place on a plate. Continue scooping out cheesecake filling into teaspoon balls until you have as many as you need for the cookies (I made about 25). Place plate in the freezer and freeze for at least two hours. After they have chilled, I rolled them with my hands, so that they were a smooth, round shape.  
3. For the Red Velvet Cookies:In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until smooth. Add in the egg and egg yolk, one at a time, making sure each one has been blended completely before adding the next. Add in the vanilla and the red dye and blend until everything is incorporated. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Blend in this sifted flour mixture into the red batter until just incorporated. Fold in the white chocolate chips, followed by gently folding in the Oreo Truffle pieces (make sure not to blend too much or they will mix into the cookie dough). Chill the cookie dough into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.
5. To Assemble the Cookies: Take about 1 scoop of the red velvet cookie dough and flatten it in your hands. Place one of the cheesecake filling balls in the center and wrap the cookie dough around the filling. Gently roll into a ball and place onto the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Bake for 10-14 minutes (depending on the size of your cookie dough balls) or until the cookies have started to set in the center, but are crisp on the outsides.
6. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then remove them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Let the cookies set before enjoying.

5 comments:

  1. Again, genius idea! I will definitely be making these this weekend. Hopefully there will be enough left to take to the office to share! Thank. you again, Miss B

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  2. Can these be made ahead of time and frozen? Or would it be best to make the cookie dough (including the oreo truffle), then freezing/refrigerating for a few days - adding the cheesecake layer just before baking?

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    1. I would have actually frozen these before during Christmastime! It was only about a week or so, but they still turned out great! I made the dough including everything except the cheesecake filling, froze it, and then defrosted it overnight, before the day I wanted to bake them. Once the dough is soft again, just start filling them with the cheesecake filling from the directions. I will say I do like them made about one day in advance, the texture tends to be a little more chewy than the ones I froze, but it was a small difference. I hope this helps!

      XOXO,
      Juliana

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    2. So happy to hear this, as I'm pressed for time and was hoping I could at least get some of the mixing/prep done tonight.

      THANK YOU! These look amazing and I can't wait to try them

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