Mike's Valentine's Day Cookie Surprise

Name: Mike's Valentine's Day Cookie Surprise
Total time: 7200 s
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 box Double Stuffed Oreos; 1 box Peanut Butter Oreos; 1 box Large Keebler Chocolate Chip Cookies; 12 oz Semi Sweet Dark Chocolate Chips; 12 oz Semi Sweet Regular Chocolate Chips; 12 oz Semi Sweet White Chocolate Chips; 12 oz Semi Sweet Peanut Butter Chocolate Chips; 12 oz Bag Sliced Almonds; 12 oz Bag Crushed Toffee; 12 oz Bag Crushed Peppermint Candies; 1 Bottle Assorted Holiday Candy Toppers; 1 Roll Parchment Or Wax Paper; 4 Ceramic Or Glass Bowls; 4 small Squeezable Bottles, Ziplock Or Frosting Piping Bags; 1 Plate Per Each Garnishment; 1 can Shortening; 1 Plastic Spatula; 1 box Cookie Sticks; 1 bunch Festive Holiday Cupcake Holders Or Tins; 1 box Clear Wrapers [if making cookies on a stick]; 1 box Ties Or Ribbons [if making cookies on a stick]; 12 Long Pointed Scewers [for dipping cookies that won't be on a stick]; 1 box Food Coloring Jels

MMOBRIEN @cook_2891564

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

Since my pet name for my sweetheart is, "Cookie Breath," I decided to make a Valentine's Day Cookie Basket filled with all of CB's favorites!

MMOBRIEN @cook_2891564

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

Since my pet name for my sweetheart is, "Cookie Breath," I decided to make a Valentine's Day Cookie Basket filled with all of CB's favorites!

Saved

Ingredients

2 hours

Cookies And Kitchen Items
1 boxDouble Stuffed Oreos
1 boxPeanut Butter Oreos
1 boxLarge Keebler Chocolate Chip Cookies
12 ozSemi Sweet Dark Chocolate Chips
12 ozSemi Sweet Regular Chocolate Chips
12 ozSemi Sweet White Chocolate Chips
12 ozSemi Sweet Peanut Butter Chocolate Chips
12 ozBag Sliced Almonds
12 ozBag Crushed Toffee
12 ozBag Crushed Peppermint Candies
1Bottle Assorted Holiday Candy Toppers
1Roll Parchment Or Wax Paper
4Ceramic Or Glass Bowls
4 smallSqueezable Bottles, Ziplock Or Frosting Piping Bags
1Plate Per Each Garnishment
1 canShortening
1Plastic Spatula
1 boxCookie Sticks
1 bunchFestive Holiday Cupcake Holders Or Tins
1 boxClear Wrapers [if making cookies on a stick]
1 boxTies Or Ribbons [if making cookies on a stick]
12Long Pointed Scewers [for dipping cookies that won't be on a stick]
1 boxFood Coloring Jels

Saved

Steps

2 hours

1

First, know that you can use any type of cookie of your partners fancy. Just make certain that they're not soft or weak cookies that will dissolve once dipped in warm chocolate.
2

Second, know you also have the option of dipping and decorating strawberries, bananas and cherries with this same recipe.
3

Have all chocolates and shortening at room temperature.
4

Make certain you kitchen is at a nominal temperature. 65° to 69°. A source of ventilation [ceiling fan] wouldn't hurt either since your cookies won't go into the fridge, they'll cool and harden on the counter.
5

You'll need everything ready to go before you start melting your chocolates, especially if you're going this alone. Know where everything is before you need it since once the chocolates are melted, the process goes pretty quick. It's helpful to set up your counter assembly line style.
6

Have all utensils at the ready.
7

Lay flat several large pieces of wax or parchment paper throughout your kitchen.
8

Crush or chop all cookie garnishments and place on individual plates.
9

Have all boxes, bottles or bags open and ready.
10

If you're making any cookies on a stick, have those already attached together.
11

It's very important that your bowls be glass or ceramic for heat control, distribution and cooling.
12

Add 2 tbs shortening [added for chocolate to achieve a tempered like sheen] to each glass or ceramic bowl and add each 12 oz package of chocolate chips to them. Know that you'll only be working on one type of chocolate at a time. A batch of dark chocolates first, white cookies second, etc., etc.
13

Place one glass bowl with chips and shortening in the microwave at 50% strength/output and set time for 1 - 2 minutes. Watch your heating chips very carefully. Mix chocolate regularly.
14

Ideally, you will only want your chips to melt at their edges. You'll use the residual heat in your glass bowl and the friction of your spatula to finish melting your chocolate. Do not overheat your chocolate or get any water into it. That will destroy it.
15

Now you can start dipping your cookies or strawberries. If dipping fruit, make certain they are clean and dry.
16

Dip and place on parchment paper. Decorate and let cool and dry. Reserve your leftover chocolate for decorations.
17

Start your next batch of chocolate in a clean bowl water free and follow the same steps as the last batch.
18

Now that you have two different colored cookies, you can use both to lightly drizzle on each other for decoration.
19

Continue to heat up your other chocolates, decorate and allow your cookies to set up.
20

Authors Note: You can get some extra milage out of your white chocolate by adding some food coloring jels to it. [pink, red, purple]
21

Place cooled and firm cookies in festive paper cups.

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MMOBRIEN @cook_2891564

on February 07, 2014 21:26

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

I'm a Certified Sushi Chef, Certified Culinary Youth Instructor [6 thru 21 year olds] Licensed CYFD Foster Parent, Certified Mixologist, avid Scuba and Spear Diver, fisherman, camper, big game hunter and crazy avid gardener. Hense my love for the year round super fresh meats, seafoods and crispy fresh vegetables my students have consistently listed for your families picky approval!With that, cooking, teaching and feeding others are obviously 3 of my absolute passions in life. My culinary specialties as an easy going Chef include Asian, Mexican, Cajun, BBQing, Grilling, Irish Pub food, Low Country foods, anything seafood related, extra spicy foods, fresh meat, extra fresh vegetables, US comfort, kid friendly and super fast, quick and easy foods. But, I'll literally put anything in my mouth at least once. Pfft! My daddy didn't nickname me, "Goat," at two years of age for nothin'! Yup! I'll literally put anything in my mouth at least once!P.S. Most ALL of my recipes posted on this site were soley submitted by my youngest 6, 7 and 8 year old culinary students. Mostly recipes for the homeless and battered women's shelters they regularly cook for. That means ANYONE can make these super easy, crazy delicious recipes!Lastly, my only culinary motto? Be sure to marry a Cook or a Chef. After all, looks fade. Hunger sure as hell doesn't." Anyway, hit me up with any questions. I'm happy to help all y'all out if I possibly can!