Chocolate Cookies With Cream Filling is made with three, simple ingredients and sandwiched with orange buttercream. Who does not love chocolate cookies? They are the quintessential snack: two chocolate discs sandwiching a cream filling with a variety of ways to eat them. While I appreciate the Oreo, I wanted my children to eat cookies that were not loaded with sugar. So I set to create a recipe after a few tweaks from regular chocolate cookies. This version of chocolate cookies is both quick and easy to make.
The heavenly combination of chocolate and orange is steeped in history. Oranges were an integral part of the Silk Road trade and were highly prized in Europe. Cacao, on the other hand, came from South America because of the Columbian exchange. So, it is no surprise that it was the Spanish Royalty who used orange to sweeten the bitter cacao as a beverage. You could, therefore, say that this iconic combination was the first tasty result of globalization.
For me personally, I grew to enjoy similar cookies from various bakeries in Chennai, India. One of the lost creations (the baker retired) was the light chocolate cookie filled with lemon buttercream. The baker used to pipe the cookies in a long swirl and sandwiched them with just a hint of lemon buttercream. The tart lightness of the buttercream perfectly accented the slightly bitter cocoa flavor. The cookie was not too sweet, and the contrasting flavors enhanced the whole mouth experience.
I wanted my kids to savor what I nostalgically enjoyed. These cookies have that hint of cacao bitterness and the sudden sweet burst of tart freshness from the orange or key lime zest. I use my own organically-grown oranges to provide that sweet-tangy flavor uplift.
Sometimes, I make these cookies on the spur of the moment when I find that the tea cupboard is nearly empty. These chocolate sandwich cookies filled with buttercream are simple to make, without the need for rolling or stamping. If you have the inclination and time, you can create more intricate designs on top of the cookies by using a fork or molds.
Afternoon tea is something of a tradition in my family that my children love to this day. This simple cookie with its rich yet light flavors is a perennial favorite. My daughter bakes them when she wants to eat them as an anytime snack. I generally bake a huge batch for my son to take back to his college in the UK. He finds these long-lasting cookies a wonderful treat with hot coffee or tea, especially in the cold and sometimes sodden English climate. I have even baked some Apple Muffins With Oil and Blueberry Muffins for him take back to college.
How to serve the Chocolate Cookies With Cream Filling:
I generally enjoy these cookies with tea or coffee. You could try it with milk. The wonderful thing about these cookies is that you can repurpose them. Crumbling them into a shake or using them as bases for sweet pies or flans is up to your imagination.
Piping the buttercream:
As I wanted to sandwich the buttercream, I did not bother to pipe cream onto the cookies. But if you prefer to make the presentation more elegant or fancy, you can certainly use a piping bag. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can just use a plastic bag or Ziplock by cutting at the tip and filling the bag with buttercream. You then just squeeze the bag gently as you trace the pattern. Other designs that you could create on top of the cookies is to use the fork to make a zigzag, swirls or imprint with a specific mold or indented utensil.
How to store the cookies:
Buttercream:
I have stored the chocolate cookies with cream filling in airtight containers with the buttercream for 2-3 weeks at room temperature in more temperate climes. If you live in hot or tropical areas, it is best to refrigerate the cream-filled cookies.
Dough:
The cookie dough can be frozen in boxes or Ziploc bags. On the day of making the cookies, thaw the dough to room temperature, make balls, and follow the instructions.
A word on the difference between biscuits and cookies:
To be clear, biscuits and cookies are NOT the same. A cookie is not an American version of a British biscuit. Beyond the fact that they are baked, the ingredients, the methods, and the history are different.
Biscuits are derived from the Latin expression bis (twice) and coquere (cook). A biscuit is ‘twice cooked’ and has a light and crusty exterior. Biscuits are made from butter, flour, and sugar or salt and are generally thinner than cookies. The hard dough is like bread that has a stiff consistency making it elastic and extensible.
Cookies, on the other hand, are derived from the Dutch word koekje which means ‘little cake’. Cookies are generally dense, moist, and chewy. Their thick batter can include a variety of ingredients including nuts, oats, chocolate, and raisins. The soft (or short) dough used for cookies has higher levels of fat and sugar yielding a fluffy and soft finish. There has been some controversy on whether to call something a biscuit or a cookie and many people use the term interchangeably.
How to make the Chocolate Cookies With Cream Filling:
- How to make the cookies:
- How to make the buttercream filling:
- How to make the Chocolate Cream Cookies With Cream Filling:
- Preheat the oven to 380 degrees F. Beat the butter and sugar until light in a stand mixer.
- Add the cocoa powder, self-rising flour, and salt. Beat until combined.
- Make small walnut-size balls. Place the cookies on a greased baking tray 1″ apart.
- Use a wet fork to flatten the balls. Bake the cookies for 9 minutes.
- Remove the trays from the oven and let the cookies rest on the trays for 5 minutes. Use a butter knife to gently ease the cookies onto a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
2. How to make the buttercream filling:
- Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the orange zest and beat for another minute.
- Slather the desired amount of buttercream on a cookie. Use another cookie to sandwich the buttercream. Serve with hot black tea or coffee.
1.Wet the fork every time the cookie dough sticks to the fork.
2. Allow the cookies to cool before easing them from the tray.
3. You could also shape the cookies into a crisscross or any other design.
4. The dough would look dry and crumbly. The key is to be able shape them into balls. There is no rolling required, so you need not worry about how crumbly the dough is.
Chocolate Cookies With Cream Filling
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chocolate cookies:
- 8 ounces self-rising flour
- 1½ ounces unsweetened cocoa powder
- 8 ounces unsalted butter
- 4 ounces granulated sugar
- a pinch salt
For the orange buttercream filling:
- 2 ounces unsalted butter
- 1 ounce confectioner's sugar
- 1 tsp orange zest
Instructions
How to make the chocolate cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 380 degrees F.
- Beat the butter and sugar until light in a stand mixer.
- Add the cocoa powder, self-rising flour, and salt. Beat until combined.
- Make small walnut-size balls. Place the cookies on a greased baking tray 1" apart.
- Use a wet fork to flatten the balls. Bake the cookies for 9 minutes.
- Remove the trays from the oven and let the cookies rest on the trays for 5 minutes. Use a butter knife to gently ease the cookies onto a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
Notes
- Let the cookies set before transferring them to a wire rack. Cool the cookies on the wire rack before sandwiching them.
Nutrition
One of my personal favorites! Love the combination of chocolate cookie and orange filling❤️
Great that you love them! Thanks!
Yums!
Thanks!
These are so much healthier to give my sugar-loving kids! Throwing out our Oreos today!