Fernet Branca 'Oreo Cookies'
Updated Dec. 6, 2022
- Total Time
- About 1 hour 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1⅓cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ pound unsalted butter, softened
- 2cups granulated sugar
- 2large eggs
- 1teaspoon Fernet Branca
- ¼ pound unsalted butter
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 3cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- About 1 tablespoon Fernet Branca, or to taste.
For the Dough
For the Filling
Nutritional analysis per serving (22 servings)
327 calories; 18 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 32 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 63 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
To Make the Dough
- Step 1
Sift together cocoa powder, flour and salt in a large bowl.
- Step 2
In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the Fernet Branca.
- Step 3
On low speed, add the dry ingredients, and mix just until incorporated. It will be very sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, shaping it into a flat disc. Refrigerate for at least an hour or until firm enough to handle easily. Divide the dough into two pieces. Place each between two lightly floured sheets of parchment paper, and roll ¼-inch thick. Using a small round cutter, cut the dough. Place the cookies on parchment-lined baking sheet, and chill for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake the cookies until they are set and slightly darker around the edges, about 20 minutes. Cool.
To Make the Filling
- Step 4
In a mixer, cream the butter and shortening until fluffy. Beat in the sugar and Fernet. Put in a pastry bag.
- Step 5
Finish by flipping half of the cookies upside down, and pipe filling onto surface. Top with remaining cookies.
Private Notes
Comments
An intriguing thought--Fernet Branca in the cookie and the filling--like a dessert with a built-in digestif!
But when it comes to unusual ingredients, please revisit Step 3 and the "flowered" sheets of parchment paper, before someone asks what KIND of flowers! ;-)
When a recipe calls for a liqueur, especially in small quantities, substituting another liquor works just fine. Here, the Fernet Branca is operating like vanilla extract, added in tiny quantities for flavor. If you're not into herbal-bitter but still want "grown up" flavor, you might try chartreuse or Benedictine. Creme de menthe or creme de violette would surely be nice options if you want something sweeter and more conventional.
Well, delicious is in the palate of the imbiber. My wife adores it, but at a guess I'd say that a greater number find it, what's the word?... Oh yes, vile. But in this recipe I think it might add a grownup pizzazz. I agree about using other Amari as a sub, but probably none of them are common pantry items for a lot of folks either. I have seen Fernet in teeny bottles at some liquor stores though, so you might be in luck if you ask at the counter.
I changed the cookie proportions to make the dough less crispy and converted the measurements to grams. Doubled the Fernet in both cookie and filling. Made the full cookie recipe, used a bite-size cookie cutter, and cut the filling recipe in half per the other cooks’ comments. Substituted mascarpone for the shortening and added orange zest. I don’t know if I’ll make them again but they were delicious!
For more recipes including Fernet Branca (in ever more imaginative ways) read Cooking with Fernet Branca, by James Hamilton-Paterson.
Instead of Dutch cocoa, I find that black cocoa gives a flavor more like Oreos. As someone who doesn't particularly like the "stuff" in those cookies, black cocoa gives me the best version so far - either in regular or gluten-free versions.