I believe that Oreos are the king of all cookies. Not sure why - they aren't particularly special. There is just something about that combination of crunchy cookie and cream filling that makes me swoon. So when I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I knew I had to try them. Luckily, I attended an Ugly Sweater Christmas Party this weekend, giving me the perfect opportunity to try these. I should also mention that I took second place for my shoulder padded ensemble. Thank you very much. I also went home with a somewhat creepy, somewhat adorable wooden elephant that is now residing on my counter top.
Anyway, the original recipe called for sprinkling these with crushed candy canes. I changed these up a little bit from the original recipe because I am not crazy about candy canes. I thought the texture of them (too crunchy) would mess up my gorgeous Oreo pops. Instead, I added some peppermint extract to the candy coating for a subtle, minty taste. The result, as the hubby so eloquently stated, was "thin-mints on crack!" I have to agree - these were sort of amazing. Very much a thin-mint flavor, but more crunch, more chocolate, thicker and all around delicious.
These are a fun little holiday treat that I recommend if you are attending a cookie exchange or holiday party in the coming weeks. Enjoy!
PEPPERMINT OREO POPS RECIPE
(Lulu the Baker)
1 package double-stuffed Oreos (the regular ones aren't thick enough)
2 bags white candy melts or 1 package chocolate bark (I used chocolate bark)
Paper lollipop sticks- I used 4 inch ones
1 tsp. peppermint extract
Red sprinkles
Line 2-3 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Very carefully, twist the Oreos until the top comes off and you have two pieces. Set them on the cookie sheets. Don't worry too much if they break - you can use the candy coating to put them back together and then they get covered up with candy coating so you can't see it anyway.
Using a wooden skewer (or anything that size), start at the edge of the cream filling and carefully pull away the cream filling, bit by bit. This is where the lollipop stick will go.
Heat about a quarter of your bark or candy melts, following the instructions on the package. Dip the end of a lollipop stick into the bark/candy coating and carefully but firmly place the stick in the notch you created in the cream filling. Using a spoon or the end of another lollipop stick, place about a pea size dollop of bark/candy coating on the non-cream filled side of the Oreo. Place it back on top of the cream filling and carefully but firmly press down. Repeat until all Oreos are done. Let them set for about 20 minutes.
Heat the rest of the candy coating/bark. Once melted add, the peppermint extract. The extract will slightly thicken the bark/candy coating - don't work. Taste the mixture and see if you like the level of peppermint, add more if you like.
One by one, dip the Oreos into the melted bark/candy coating. Hold the Oreo parallel to the counter top, over the bow, and tap the stick against the side of the bowl to remove excess coating. I also used a spoon and gently "pulled" the extra off the bottom - no one will see this anyway. Place on the parchment paper and sprinkle with red sprinkles (or whatever you like).
