How to make chocolate-chip cookies with embedded Oreos.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Good morning, faithful readers. We are still hot on the trail of celebration cake and Butterfinger cake, among others, but we do have one significant answer to last week's requests from a group of hungry teenagers. And here are some requests from the past that still need filling: Waycrazy's barbecue sauce, an authentic Spanish potato omelet and the fruit tea as served at Vine Street Market.

Our first correspondent recommended the Picky Palate blog as a source for the requested desserts. Peggy Sult also is searching for that celebration cake and suspects it has some connection with Paula Deen, so she will be watching as well. Here is the official recipe for chocolate chip cookies with Oreos baked inside, thanks to Ms. Sult.

Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla

31/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

10-ounce bag chocolate chips

1 bag Oreo Double Stuf cookies

Heat oven to 350 F. In a stand or electric mixer, cream butter and sugars 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, along with chocolate chips, until just combined. Using a cookie scoop, take 1 scoop of cookie 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 is enclosed with dough. Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or silicone baking mat, and bake cookies 9 to 13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Serve with a tall glass of milk.

Makes about 2 dozen very large cookies.

This great breakfast casserole, also sent by Ms. Thomas, "comes from Bridgeport ... and the First United Methodist Church Cookbook with credit to Mary Jim Warren McDowell."

Sausage Breakfast Casserole

6 slices bread

Butter or margarine

1 pound bulk pork sausage

11/2 cups shredded Longhorn or Cheddar cheese

6 eggs

2 cups half-and-half

1 teaspoon salt

Remove crusts from bread and butter bread slices. Place in a greased 9- by 13-inch casserole and set aside.

Cook sausage until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well and spoon over bread slices; sprinkle with cheese. Combine eggs, half-and-half and salt; mix well and pour over cheese. Cover casserole and chill overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before baking. Bake casserole, uncovered, at 350 F for 45 minutes or until set.

Linda Thomas of Bridgeport, Ala., answered your request about freezing blueberries and followed up with a breakfast casserole to boot.

How to freeze blueberries and how to use blueberries:

After picking, set blueberries aside to cool. Do not wash before you freeze.

However, if they will be used in jelly or jam, wash and cook down first to get the juice; this yields great results.

Take a handful, wash in warm water and add to oatmeal or cereal, or make a fruit crumb dessert by the following recipe; I have not tried grapes or raspberries, but they may work as well.

Blueberry Crumble

2 cups berries, washed, fresh or frozen and unthawed

1 stick margarine

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

Place berries in the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch dish. Cut margarine into flour and sugar until well mixed and crumbly. Add to top of berries and bake in a preheated 350 F oven until golden, approximately 30 minutes.

Betty Bagley sent in the following dish, which is suitable for Passover, Easter and other special-occasion dinners. She described it thus: "This recipe makes a lot and looks fancy, so it is a great party dish, but I think it could be cut in half for a family meal."

Green Bean Bundles

5 (16-ounce) cans whole green beans, liquid reserved

3 strips bacon

2 sticks butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Place drained green beans in a baking dish. Cut bacon lengthwise into small strips and use to tie beans into bundles, using more bacon if necessary.

In a saucepan combine butter, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Heat until sugar dissolves, and pour over green beans. Add enough bean liquid to cover beans - deep. Let soak 1 hour or overnight.

Heat oven to 350 F. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

We have some significant sourdough news, but it will have to wait until next week, as it's no simple matter to make a starter and the resultant bread.

Keep reading and keep writing; you're merely indispensable.

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