Gluten Free Oreos – yum!

I love Oreos. They’re the perfect cookie. Crisp and chocolaty with a sweet creamy middle. I even like to frost them with peanut butter, dunk them in milk and then eat them. I have many fond memories of eating Oreos.

Of course when you have a wheat allergy it really cuts down on the enjoyment aspect of Oreos. There’s nothing like the promise of a gut-wrenching stomachache to put a damper on the lovely tradition of consuming to0 many sweet, chocolaty calories.

I don’t have a wheat allergy, but my husband does and it’s just mean to sit there and eat treats in front of him. Luckily, I ran across this recipe for Faux-Reos from King Arthur Flour and converted the recipe to be wheat free. (That link will take you to the regular, wheat filled recipe. See, I love you no matter what you eat!) I made them last night…..amazing. So go ahead, grab the peanut butter and milk and remind yourself just why Oreos are so stinkin’ tasty.

(8 oz of Charlotte Bronte, worsted dyed in the new colorway Stallion were present in my kitchen during the making of these tasty concoctions. Knitting content = filled!)

Gluten Free Faux-Reo Cookies

Before you get started, if you don’t have the extra Dutched (yes, that is the correct term – who knew you could be extra Dutch past tense?) a.k.a. black cocoa powder or they won’t turn out right. I used a mix of 2 parts black to 1 part regular cocoa powder (60%) and they were delicious. And when I did comparative shopping, King Arthur had it the cheapest. Also, if you have extra finely ground, dark roast coffee you can use it in place of the espresso powder or leave it out. It’s tasty but this recipe is so chocolaty that the coffee isn’t a dominant flavor.

1 c. + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

3/4 c. butter (room temp)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 large egg

1 Tablespoon cold water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. non wheat flour*

1 1/2 teaspoons Xanthan gum

1/2 c. black cocoa powder

1/4 c. cocoa powder

Filling

2 1/2 c. confectioner’s (powdered) sugar

1/2 c. vegetable shortening (you want the regular “white” kind)

2 teaspoons cold water

1.) Preheat your oven to 325. Lightly grease your cookie sheets – it took 3 1/2 sheets to bake the full batch.

2.) Beat together the butter, sugar, salt and espresso powder. Feel free to sample this concoction – it’s yummy.

3.) Beat in the egg,water, and vanilla. Then add the cocoa powders, wheat free flour and xanthan gum. The dough will be stiff. (There’s no leavening in these cookies. You can stop worrying about forgetting it now.)

4.) Use a teaspoon cookie scoop (or make 2 t. sized balls) to scoop out the dough and place them 1.5 – 2 inches apart on the greased cookie sheets. Use a flat bottomed glass slicked with a light coating of canola oil to flatten the cookies to 1/8 inch thickness.

They’ll be flat. Really flat. But it will work. I promise. Just think of how thin and crispy Oreos are and squish away. The evener, the better. Look past the plate of baked cookies to see that corner of unbaked ones – see they’re super flat, but delicious!

5.) Bake for 17-20 minutes. I recommend trying a 1/2 sheet to begin with. You want them to be just so; set but not overly done. They will come out set, but a little flexible and that’s ok. You’ve overdone them if they break instead of coming off the cookie sheet.

6.) Get the cookies off the sheet almost immediately. They’re crisp and delicate. Cool them on a clean counter or cooling rack.A really thin spatula helps get these babies off the sheet.

7.) Assemble the filling while the rest of the batch bakes. That way you can frost the cool cookies while the rest bake.

To assemble the frosting, beat the shortening and powdered sugar on low until it starts to stick together. (It will take quite a bit of beating, and you’ll be tempted to think I’m lying to you about it coming together, but I’m not.) Add the water and bea until smooth.

8.) “Frost” the underside of a cookie with 2.5 -3 teaspoons of filling. Squish another cookie on top until it sticks, being careful not to break it. I use “frost” loosely, because I made 3 small balls of filling and used my fingers to squish them into an even layer between the cookies. My 6 year olds loved helping with this and squishing the cookies with the glass. Apparently, squishing food with impunity is very satisfying to young kids.

9.) Eat these babies and enjoy. They’re rich, buttery and amazing. Plus, since they’re wheat free that means they’ll be just as crisp tomorrow and the day after.

Flour note – I use a mix of 2 parts superfine brown rice flour + 2/3 part potato starch + 1/3 part tapioca flour/starch. You can get superfine rice flour from Authentic Foods or by processing regular brown rice flour in a VitaMix for 60 seconds. You need a high-powered blender to get the flour fine enough – my KitchenAid blender doesn’t cut it.