Triple Fudge Oreo Crunch Cookies

Triple Fudge Oreo Crunch Cookies - made dough May 30, 2021 from Budding Baketress

I don't normally bake with shortening but when sending military care packages to the Middle East during the summer months, that's exactly what we're advised to do. Because of the potentially long mailing time (typically my packages can get to their destination in 10 days to 3 weeks) and the triple digit heat, butter-based baked goods can go rancid.

Rancid is not a word anyone, baker or recipient, can look forward to. So I try to suppress my baking snobbery and go with shortening or partial shortening in recipes during the summer months.

Rather than experiment by subbing in shortening when butter is called for in an original recipe, I tend to use recipes that start off with shortening in the first place. No worries about substitution and someone else has already tested them out, right?

Such was the case here. I'm a fan of Oreos so it wasn't a hardship to pick this recipe to send out in desert-bound care packages. The flavor was good. The texture was more crisp than chewy which is the effect of the shortening. My snobbery had to be suppressed for safety and durability but this was a good stand-in for a butter-based cookie.

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

12-15 Oreos, roughly cut into quarters

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together shortening and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined, after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add to mixing bowl in two addition, mixing until just combined after each addition, until no flour streaks remain.
3. Fold in chocolate chips, Oreos and white chocolate chips.
4. Portion dough into golf-ball-size dough balls and flatten slightly. Cover and chill or freeze for several hours or overnight.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and evenly space dough balls. Bake 9 - 11 minutes or until edges are set and middles no longer look raw. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely.