Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Oreos
In the past, I’ve received quite a few requests for easy, no-bake recipes. These chocolate covered oreos should fit the bill – they’re so simple to make, and yet fancy enough to package neatly in a box and give to coworkers and neighbors for the holidays. I usually make these for our holiday party, as well – it’s a quick dessert to throw together, and always very popular. This is also the perfect opportunity to discuss my method for melting chocolate. If you’ve ever tried just melting a bag of chocolate chips and been frustrated with lumps, look no further: your problems will all be solved! First up, I don’t like melting candy wafers. I think they taste terrible. Whenever I’m dipping anything in chocolate, be it oreos or strawberries or truffles, I always use bittersweet chocolate chips (usually Ghirardhelli chocolate baking chips) since I vastly prefer the flavor. To achieve the smooth, melted texture necessary for dipping, stir in a little cocoa butter or coconut oil. For cocoa butter, I tend to use 1% by weight – i.e., for a 10 ounce bag of chocolate chips, add in 0.1 ounces of cocoa butter. If you’ve never worked with it before, cocoa butter is a solid at room temperature, so just scrape a little off with a spoon. Coconut oil scoops out easier, so I just go with a scant tablespoon per cup and a half of chocolate chips. When it comes to melting, I usually opt for the microwave over a double burner. They both work equally well, but the microwave is quicker, and I can use a glass bowl which can go in the dishwasher afterwards (win-win!). I always start by melting 3/4 of the total volume of chocolate I plan on melting along with the total volume of cocoa butter, and putting in in the microwave at 100% power for 30 seconds. Give the chocolate a quick stir, and then continue to microwave at 15 second intervals followed by stirring until smooth. Then, add in the remaining quarter of chocolate, along with any additional flavorings (vanilla extract, etc). Word of note: if you plan on adding extract, you have to include the cocoa butter or coconut oil to the chocolate – it will prevent the alcohol in the extract from seizing the melted chocolate. When it comes to the dipping process, I usually rest whatever I’m dipping on a fork, dunk it into the chocolate, and then shake off any excess. Put the chocolate-covered treat on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper, and you can slide the entire cookie sheet into the refrigerator to help set the melted chocolate a little faster. Easy-peasy! 
Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Oreos Ingredients:
- 1 package oreo cookies
- 1 pound (16 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1.5 tablespoons cocoa butter or coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons mint or peppermint extract
- crushed candy canes, for decorating
Directions:
- Melt chocolate until smooth. Add ~12 ounces of the chocolate and the cocoa butter to a microwave safe bowl and microwave at 100% power for 30 seconds. Stir, and continue to microwave at 15 second intervals until chocolate is fully melted. Stir in remaining 4 ounces of chocolate chips. If necessary, microwave for another 15 seconds until additional chocolate melts.
- Stir in peppermint extract.
- Using a fork, dip oreos into the chocolate to coat completely. Place dipped oreos on a sheet of wax paper and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
- Once fully dry and hardened, store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
