Oreo-Stuffed White Chocolate Raspberry Kiss Cookies.

When I think of Valentine's Day and all its romantic flavors (and yeah, we're going there. If it makes you feel better, I still have a candy cane bark I never posted from December.), I don't think of chocolate or red velvet. I don't think of champagne or strawberries or peanut butter cookies stamped with chocolate peanut butter hearts... although yes... I totally made all three of those things happen this year.

I think of these three sugary, knee-weakening words: white chocolate raspberry. 

Specifically, are we going on a halfway-fancy date, does it start with fried calamari and rose-colored wine, and will it end with a shared slice of with Oreo crust white chocolate raspberry cheesecake, with chocolate curls and piped swirls of whipped cream.

Rolled in sparkling sugar, stuffed with mini Oreo cookies that bake up cakey-soft for a rich, chocolatey surprise center, and topped with white chocolate raspberry Hugs... I can't even.

These fat, puffy vanilla cookies are are everything I love about Valentine's Day and combine at least four of my favorite things: pink, white chocolate raspberry, crinkly edges (obsessed.), and Oreos.

Now if we could just bake them into a cheesecake.

One of my favorite types of cookies to bake (and eat for dinner) have always been chocolate kiss cookies. There's just something about pressing chocolate candies into thick, puffy, sugar-coated dough balls right out of the oven. Cinnamon cookies, chocolate cookies, peanut butter cookies... it doesn't even matter. I will stick a kiss in it. Those doughy centers, crinkly edges, and just-melted chocolates... stop it. And 100% get in my face.

Everything about these cookies are perfection, starting with the sugary, snow-white cookie dough. The base for these cookies is absolutely irresistible... because here's a secret: it's basically vanilla buttercream. Softened butter, powdered sugar, and extra vanilla are creamed together with an egg into a thick buttercream base. Flour, baking powder, and salt are whisked in, creating a dough that tastes like frosting and bakes up into puffy vanilla sugar clouds.

Just these vanilla butter cookie bottoms alone, without the hidden Oreo surprise inside, are one of the best-tasting things I have ever baked.

And nestled inside these sugar bombs?

A chocolatey, cakey-soft mini Oreo cookie!

I've made Oreo-stuffed chocolate chip cookies before but these were even better.

Because raspberry kisses!

Any chocolate-raspberry candy will work if these pink Kisses have disappeared til next February. Why are the best things seasonal? I feel like raspberry kisses could totally be a March thing. Don't you?

There's cookies baked with love and then there's cookies baked with everything you love. I think this might be both. Get into it before everything's green and chocolate-stout-flavored!

Oreo-Stuffed White Chocolate Raspberry Kiss Cookies

Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/4 cup (2 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) package mini Oreos
Hershey Raspberry Hugs
Granulated sugar, for rolling cookies in

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line with a Silpat baking mat. Set aside. 

Unwrap Hershey kisses and place in a small bowl in the freezer until ready for use. (Make sure there's room in your freezer for a cookie sheet too.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and egg for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat an additional 1-2 minutes, until well combined. 

Scoop dough using a teaspoon: place a mini Oreo cookie on top of a teaspoon of cookie dough, then another teaspoon scoop of dough on top. Press dough around the edges until Oreo is completely covered, then gently roll into a ball, roll in granulated sugar, and place on prepared baking sheet 1-inch apart.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and gently press a frozen Hershey kiss into the center of each cookie, pushing down slightly until edges began to crack. Immediately place cookie sheet in the freezer for 5-10 minutes or until chocolate is set. (Tip: I moved my cookie sheets from the freezer to the refrigerator after five minutes to allow the cookies to cool completely without the Kisses melting). 

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Source: Adapted from Recipe Girl.

Triple Fudge Oreo Crunch Cookies.

2012. We're one month into this thing. 

... can we talk about New Year's resolutions for a second? Yeah I said it. On the thirty-first of January.

Did you make any resolutions this year? Let's be honest: have you broken them already?

I have. 

I've laughed. I've cried.

I've lost two pounds... then split a brownie fudge sundae with my boyfriend. It happens. 

Luckily broken resolutions are the very best kind. 

January always feels a little like everyone's holding their breath, doesn't it? Like this is your last shot at being the very best version of yourself or the entire year is shot and I guess we'll just try again next year. 

Whatever.

I'm going to tell you a secret. It's top secret and I've sort of just figured it out for myself.  

Breaking a resolution doesn't set you up for 365 days of failure; it sets you up for hard work, second chances,  and chasing after something you passionately want for yourself or in your life. 

Also: it really is still January. 

And no big deal, but this is your year. Because whether you like it or not, you're doing it. Right now actually! You're here. You're living it. I say figure out what you want to see when you look back on 2012 this December and get out there and make it happen for yourself. We got this!

And in the meantime... cookies. Cookies filled with crushed Oreos and white chocolate and chocolate chips and ribbons of Oreo filling. Because some things should never change, no matter what year it is.

Triple Fudge Oreo Crunch Cookies

Printable Recipe

1 cup butter-flavored shortening

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips or chunks

12-15 Oreos, roughly cut into quarters

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease baking sheets with no-stick cooking spray and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add to the sugar mixture and beat until well-combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate chips, Oreo chunks, and white chocolate chips until incorporated. Scoop out dough and roll into 2 tablespoons-sized balls. Place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart and slightly flatten with your hand. 

Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until done. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to cool completely.

Source: Barely adapted from my Double Chocolate Chunk Oreo Cookies and How Sweet It Is. 

Double Chocolate Chunk Oreo Cookies.

Fun fact: I've started running. This is why.

Oh man.

I know. Don't look at me like that. But this is a baking blog. I spend my free time thinking about cookies and s'mores and cheesecake, reading recipes, stalking food blogs, baking cupcakes, snapping photos of them, trying not to eat them, staring at/editing photos, writing about sugar and butter and frosting, anddddd... then starting all over the next day with something else new and sweet.

Four words: Freshman Food Blogger Fifteen. That's real life. 

Okay, let me Tarantino this post & go back to the running bit.

I went running last week, which really consists of me blasting Pitbull & Selena Gomez in my ears, running for 2-3 minutes, then walking/dragging/clutching at my side and hating my life for 5 minutes while I catch my out-of-shape breath, then blasting the Burlesque soundtrack and repeating the running/walking/hatred on loop until I feel like I'm gonna die. 

In purple Converses, one-size too small. Yeah. Blisters. I have them. 

Oh and in jeans. I don't have work-out clothes. Buying work-out clothes is like admitting, "Yeah. I'm out of shape. I've gained weight. I like cupcakes. I'm not perfect." I may or may not have commitment issues.

What's running have to do with these cookies? Nothing at all slash everything at all. Luckily these weren't for me. 

I love how these turned out. Perfectly chewy with crisp edges and studded with lots of chocolate chunks, rich white chocolate chips, and crunchy bits of Oreos.

Like a cookies and cream cookie.

Or a cookie within a cookie, if you will. 

... I guess this means more running tomorrow.

Double Chocolate Chunk Oreo Cookies

Printable Recipe

1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks or chips
12-15 Oreos, roughly cut into quarters
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cream together the shortening, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add to the shortening mixture and mix well, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Stir in Oreo pieces, chocolate chunks, and white chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the center tests done when poked with a toothpick. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Adapted from Nestle Tollhouse.

Chewy No-Bake Cookies & Cream Treats.

Things I don't understand:

Macarons. Cake pops. Cake in a jar. We get it. You're fancy. 

Nutella. What is the deal. I remember eating this as a kid and thinking score, chocolate on my toast! Chocolate for breakfast! Chocolate in my face!  But people go kind of crazy for this stuff, no? I don't know. Team Peanut Butter.

Red velvet cake. I feel like I'm going to get radioactive superpowers from all that food dye.

Fondant. I don't like you.

Gnocchi. Quinoa. Dulce de leche. Mascarpone. What are you. I can't even pronounce you.

Brownies. Can I throwdown? I don't like brownies. I mean, if you held me down and shoved a warm, chocolatey brownie into my face, I wouldn't punch you in the kneecaps, but they're just kind of boring and square and dense. Like they tried to be cake and failed. Chocolatey bricks. I just can't get behind this. Put some rocky road on that.  

Things I do understand: 

Marshmallows. 

Oreos.

Butter.

These are similar to the chocolate chip cookie treats I made last month, except these use a whole package of crumbled Oreo cookies instead of chocolate chip! The chocolate chip cookie treats are still my favorite... but then I've always preferred them to Oreos. 

These... let me tell you. These taste like a chewy, cookie-y, Oreo marshmallow Rice Krispie Treat. So. Good. Addictive really. And dangerous. 3 ingredients, 15 minutes, and this no-bake dessert can be in your face. Don't you just love summer? 

I know. I didn't mix them enough. They should actually be black, like an Oreo, not gray, like a slab of concrete. Don't be like me.

Chewy No-Bake Cookies & Cream Bars

Printable Recipe

1 (16-ounce) package of Oreo cookies
5 cups (1 bag) of large marshmallows
4 tablespoons butter

Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with aluminum foil, allowing the foil to hang over the edges, and set aside.

Place Oreo cookies in food processor (or crush in a large Ziploc bag with a rolling pin) and pulse until crumbly, but not ground.

Melt marshmallows and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl until puffy, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove and pour in ground cookies. Quickly stir to combine, then transfer to baking dish. 

Allow to set for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove bars from pan by foil edges. Cut, serve, and enjoy!

Source: Picky Palate.

Cookies and Cream Popcorn.

One of my most favorite snacks indulgences is a bowl of popcorn with M&Ms. Especially dark chocolate M&Ms. Or peanut butter. Or both. Don't make me choose. There's just something about the taste of sweet, melted chocolate with crunchy, buttery popcorn.

Or... there was.

Then this happened.

Cookies and cream popcorn.

Hot, buttery popcorn mixed with crushed Oreos and rivers of melted white chocolate. It's addicting.

And simple.

And delicious.

Make this or we can't be friends anymore. 

Cookies and Cream Popcorn

Printable Recipe

*1 bag popcorn, popped
6 ounces white chocolate candy coating
10- 15 Oreos, crushed or roughly chopped

Place the popped popcorn and Oreos in a large bowl (I poured the popcorn out on a paper towel & picked out the kernels first). Heat the white chocolate candy coating in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted and smooth.

Drizzle the white chocolate bark over the popcorn/Oreo mixture and stir to coat. Dump out on a large sheet of wax paper and spread into a single layer. Let cool and harden. Break into small pieces and serve.

*I used a butter-flavored popcorn, which is why mine looks a little yellow. Next time I'd use a white popcorn like Amy did, to make it a bit prettier and more cookies & cream-y.

Source: Sing for Your Supper.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies.

What's better than a chocolate chip cookie?

A chocolate chip cookie stuffed with even more cookie.

Holy addicting.

There's not much else to say. These are every bit as good as they look- a big bakery-style chocolate chip cookie...

... stuffed with an Oreo cookie that turns cakey and soft in the oven. They're rich and melt-in-your-mouth delicous.

Make them. Now. 

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Printable Recipe

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar 

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

10-ounce bag of chocolate chips

1 bag of Oreos, or about 24 Oreos (Jenny used Double Stuff in the original recipe, I used regular Oreos) 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Using a cookie scoop, take one scoop of dough and place on top of an Oreo cookie. Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo cookie. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo cookie is enclosed with dough.

You know these are going to be good when the dough balls are the size of small grapefruits.

Place onto a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet and bake cookies for 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking.

Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Source: Picky Palate.