February 24, 2009

Sugar High Friday #52: Baby TKO’s

Food blog events used to be a regular part of my blogging routine. I found that they encouraged me to try new things as I sought out dishes that could be made to conform to the given theme. I seem to have gotten away from participating in blogging events lately but when I saw that the theme for this month’s Sugar High Friday, (hosted by Palachinka) was Copycat Recipes I knew it was an excuse to finally make TKO’s, (Thomas Keller Oreos). These have been on my ‘to-make’ list for ages but recently got bumped to the top after I sampled a real TKO from Bouchon Bakery in Yountville.


The TKO’s at Bouchon Bakery are quite large and although usually I’m all for supporting anything that complies with my ‘Go Big or Go Home’ motto, today I decided to make baby TKO’s. Each one is only about an inch across which makes it easy to grab a whole handful to enjoy with a glass of milk.


TKO's (from Thomas Keller in Essence of Chocolate)

Filling

1/2 cup cream

8 ounces white chocolate, chopped

Cookies

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all purpose flour

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

7 1/2 ounces butter, room temperature, cut into small cubes


For the filling: Place the white chocolate in a bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat on the stove.

Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk together to melt the chocolate. I find this is a pretty high chocolate-to-cream ratio, so if you are unable to get all the chocolate to melt, you can place the bowl over a bain-marie and stir until the chocolate is completely melted.

Transfer the filling to another bowl and let cool until it has thickened enough to spread - it may take a few hours. You can speed up the process by putting the bowl in the refrigerator. If the filling gets too stiff, you can heat it up again in the microwave.

For the cookies: you will make this dough and bake the cookies right away - there is no chilling time needed, so plan accordingly.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or Silpats.

Combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in an electric mixer. With the mixer still running on low speed, add the butter a few pieces at a time. Let the dough continue mixing until it comes together - it should go from looking like pebbles or cornmeal to a cohesive mass.

Turn the dough out onto a floured working surface and work into a solid block. Divide the block into two pieces.

Working with one piece at a time, roll out between two sheets of parchment paper until 1/8" thick. Using a 2-in cookie cutter, cut out shapes and place on the baking sheets about 1 inch apart (cookies will spread a bit in the oven).

Bake the cookies for about 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through baking time. Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks for a few minutes (cookies will be too soft to move at first), then transfer cookies to wire racks and let finish cooling.

To assemble the cookies: Place half of the cookies upside down on a work surface.

Whisk the filling lightly to fluff it up a bit and make it spreadable.

Using a small spoon, scoop a small dollop of filling onto the center of each cookie. Top with another cookie right side up. Press the cookies together until the filling spreads out to the edges.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies (or 18 sandwiches)

The cookies with keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

These look delicious!!! I must try them.

Engineer Baker said...

You can eat more because they're small, right? Because I don't think I could resist them. Great idea for a copycat recipe!

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Um . . . you know that's not nice don't you . . . not fair either . . . chocolate . . . oreo's . . . I have no resistance. I hope Engineer Baker is right you can eat all you want since they're small.

Meeta K. Wolff said...

bril, these look really good. love the idea for the copycat shf!

Cookie baker Lynn said...

These look so much better than a store-bought oreo. I like the dainty size, too. This goes in my to-bake pile.

Snooky doodle said...

how cute! these must be more delicious than oreos :)

Anonymous said...

Ah, TKOs have been on my "to bake" list since gobbling one at Bouchon Bakery in Manhattan. I love your idea of making mini-TKOs, Brilynn...all the better to eat more with. :)

Mike of Mike's Table said...

That looks like a great copycat endeavor. Being a former Oreo addict, I need to try this soon

Anonymous said...

My oh my, I haven't been here in a while. I wish it were Friday and that I could have some of these. And if you're back into blog events then I hope to see an entry for the newest Peanut Butter Exhibition!

Mr. Teacher Guy said...

I really want someone else to make these for me, and deliver them to my house with a big glass of cold milk and a nice note that says: "you're pretty, even in sweats with bed-head". Since that probably won't happen, I guess I'll have to make them myself. :)

kickpleat said...

i'm a fan of smaller cookies anyways! these look so cute and tasty.

Anonymous said...

An upscale whoopie pie? How cool is that?!

Anonymous said...

I have been dying to make sandwich cookies like these ... they look sooo good!

Deborah said...

I love the real TKO's, and I'm sure I'd love these!!

Annie said...

So decadent! It would be dangerous to leave a plate of those in front of me ;)

Anonymous said...

Things are always more fun in bite-sizes, especially sweet things! :)

Maria said...

Every time I open my book the TKO's scream at me to be baked, but I still haven't made them, sad!! They look so good!

Helene said...

And another SHF I missed! Great idea to make copycat Oreo's! They look delicious!

Cherie said...

Santa is drooling right now, wherever he is:)

Lori said...

Delicious dunking! Looks amazing!

Emily said...

Mmm, these little cookies look incredible! I wouldn't be able to stop eating them.

Maggie said...

Oreo's aren't readily available here in the UK, although I have seen them very occasionally.
Even better - we can now all make them thanks to you!
BTW they do look wonderful.

Anonymous said...

Looks great!! :)

Peabody said...

Mmm, yes please. I feel a midnight snack coming on!

The Duo Dishes said...

Oh yesssss!

Anonymous said...

Oh boy I am seriously craving those now! They look so good, and are such a playful mixture of gourmet and junk food.

I just wanted to let you know the announcement for the March theme for Sugar High Fridays has been posted:
http://inmybox.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/announcing-sugar-high-fridays-53-the-test-of-time/

Hope to see you there this month!

Anonymous said...

Oh wow - do those look great or what? I would eat the whole batch, I'm sure!

oneordinaryday said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
oneordinaryday said...

Yum-o! I like that you cut these into flower shapes. I'm really ready for some Spring around here.
Michelle

Jennifer said...

My husbands fav cookie is Oreos!!! I have to make these! thanks!

Half Baked said...

These look so good! I MUST make them soon:)

Eileen said...

I'm copying this recipe right now. I have to make these.

Maggie said...

I love the tiny size! I have to make these too.

Unknown said...

I have never seen anything so beautiful...thanks for the story as well.
keep well


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