Last year on September 20, I met Dorothy from Crazy for Crust. Now, before you think I’m incredibly creepy for remembering the date… It was the day before her birthday, and since she posts something sweet every year on her blog to celebrate, it’s pretty easy to visit those posts to jog my memory!
But anyway… It was the most exciting thing that happened that entire month because it was the first time I had ever met a fellow food blogger in real life!
After realizing that we only lived about 40 minutes apart, we picked a Panera halfway between and scheduled a lunch date to get away form the mountains of dishes and millions of sprinkles strewn across our kitchen countertops.
After a few hours of laughing and talking, right before we cleared our dishes to leave, we talked a bit about cookbooks and how incredible it’d be to write one. Less than two months later, Dorothy signed her first contract! (With the cutest pen ever, I might add.)
Over the next couple of months, she baked, tested, wrote, and photographed her entire cookbook, Dessert Mash-Ups, all by herself! The whole time, she continued to publish regular blog posts and still commented and shared other bloggers’ recipes too. I swear, Dorothy must not have gotten a single minute of sleep… I have no clue how she did it, but she’s one of my biggest role models for succeeding and staying sane throughout it all!
When her cookbook came out last month, she invited her friends, family, and a few of us local food bloggers to a launch party, where she baked a few treats from her cookbook and signed copies for us.
Oh my GOODNESS GRACIOUS you guys… Her Truffle-Topped Brownies stole the show! I ate three while chatting at her house, then snuck another six to take home—and I didn’t share a single one. They were literally the BEST chocolate dessert I’ve had in years!
It was nearly impossible to choose a second favorite from the other treats she shared: Lemon Bar Cheesecake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Toffee Bark, Cake Batter Blondie Bars, Apple Pie Cookies… But as a huge chocoholic, I finally settled on her Chocolate Cheesecake Sandwich Cookies. They basically tasted like a soft-baked Oreo with a cheesecake filling—absolutely divine!
For Dorothy’s original cookie recipe, you’ll have to buy her Dessert Mash-Ups cookbook OR enter to win an autographed copy below! But I made something similar by tweaking my favorite chocolate cookie recipe. I added in Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder, like Dorothy did, to enhance the chocolate flavor and make the cookies’ color a little darker, like Oreos. For the true black Oreo color, use all special dark cocoa powder!
Now I know it sounds strange, but do not skip the cornstarch! In soups and stews, it absorbs liquid to thicken the dishes. When added to cookies, it also absorbs moisture, which keeps them extra soft. So yes, it’s a mandatory ingredient!
These chocolate cookies do not spread in the oven, so you’ll need to flatten them before baking. Make the cookies between ⅛” to ¼” thick—thinner for wider cookies, thicker for taller ones. Keep an eye on them because they bake quickly and finish in about 5-6 minutes! Take them out of the oven when they still feel a little underdone and soft in the centers. The cookies will continue to cook through on the warm baking sheet, so this prevents them from turning crisp and crunchy.
For the filling, I downsized Dorothy’s recipe since my chocolate cookie recipe only yielded 12 cookie sandwiches instead of 24-36. It’s so easy to make and tastes just like sweet vanilla cheesecake! Dollop a little on half of the cookies, top with the remaining cookies, and then chill the cookie sandwiches. If you skip the chilling, the filling stays liquidy, but after an hour or two in the fridge, it firms right up.
I found nearly every excuse I could to open the refrigerator and reach for another one of these Chocolate Cheesecake Sandwich Cookies! With their decadent chocolate flavor and sweet filling, they barely lasted a day in our house. And now that they’re gone, I’ve got my eye on that recipe for Truffle-Topped Brownies!
For more of Dorothy’s fun recipes, enter to win a signed copy of her Dessert Mash-Ups cookbook! Just follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter box below. It sometimes takes a few minutes to load, so be patient! (If you’re reading this in an email, click on the link to enter.) After logging in with your email address or Facebook account, enter using as many options as you’d like.
*Dessert Mash-Ups Giveaway will be open until 11:59 PM Pacific Time on October 23, 2014. Open to the US only. Winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond, or else a new winner will be selected.
These chocolate cookie sandwiches are so rich and indulgent! The soft-baked dark chocolate cookies pair perfectly with the light cheesecake filling. Store the cookie sandwiches in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This recipe is easily doubled to make more.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- To prepare the cookies, whisk together the flour, cocoa powders, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the milk and sugar. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated.
- Drop the cookie dough into 24 rounded scoops onto the prepared baking sheet. (They’ll be incredibly small!) Flatten to 1/8” to 1/4” thick. Bake at 325°F for 5-6 minutes. Cool on the pan for 4 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To prepare the filling, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. Pipe or dollop onto the center of half of the cooled cookies, and top with the remaining cookies. Seal inside of an airtight container, and chill for at least 1-2 hours before serving to allow the filling to firm up.
Notes: This is NOT Dorothy’s original recipe from her Dessert Mash-Ups cookbook! If you buy a copy, you can see her recipe—plus dozens more gorgeous breakfasts and desserts!
For the gluten-free flour, I used as follows: 1/3 cup (40g) millet flour, 8 teaspoons (23g) brown rice flour, 8 teaspoons (20g) tapioca flour, and ¼ tsp (<1g) xanthan gum.
For extra dark cookies, use entirely Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder. The cookies will taste very dark chocolaty and look almost black.
{gluten-free, low fat, low calorie}
hi, i would keep it for myself as cookbooks & food magazines are my favorite reading materials, thanks for the chance to win!
Would keep it for myself.
I think I would keep it for myself! 🙂
Those look heavenly! Definitely keeping them in mind for when I have access to an oven! Sadly, my apartment at school is ovenless. Quite a tragedy for a girl who loves to bake!
Hang in there Katie!! I went without an oven during college too, and although it was pure torture, it meant I baked so much the moment I moved into a new apartment!
Thank you so much Amy!! I pink puffy heart you, you know. xoxo
You’re welcome Dorothy! I love you too! 🙂 xo
I would probably keep it for myself.
I would keep it for myself! These cookies look so cute and delicious! I like the idea of cream cheese filling!
Thanks Mira! 🙂
I love the story of how you met Dorothy – I still get that giddy feeling meeting food bloggers I’ve been following in real life.
I’d share this cookbook as a gift for my cousin if I won!
It’s SO true about that giddy feeling! It’s a combination of excitement and butterflies and ohmygosh is this really my life? It’s almost like the same feeling you get from a first date! (Not that you’d know about that anymore… 😉 )
The cookbook looks amazing!!
Very excited to keep baking with this kind of inspiration!!!!!! Yummmm!!!!
I’m so happy to hear that Debra! I really hope you continue to bake and enjoy it! 🙂