OREO-STUFFED RED VELVET CRINKLE

INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. liquid red food coloring
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
24 chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos)
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat in buttermilk, vanilla and red food coloring. 

Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Add to butter mixture and beat on low until just combined.

The dough should be very soft and a little sticky. If it is very sticky then add 1/4 cup more all-purpose flour and stir again. Cover and chill in the freezer until the dough is very cold and easy to handle.

Place confectioners' sugar in a bowl and set aside.

Using buttered fingers or cooking spray scoop out a 3-4 tbsp.-sized piece of dough and press the dough around the sandwich cookie.  

Alternate method: flatten dough between the palms of your hands.  Place a cookie on the flattened dough and fold the dough around the cookie. Butter hands between each dough piece.Roll lightly between the palms of your hands to make the cookie-stuffed dough a little more ball-shaped and roll in powdered sugar. Repeat until all the dough and cookies are used.

Place dough balls on a cookie sheet about 3 inches apart.  These cookies will spread, so I suggest placing no more than 5 per cookie sheet.

 Tip: re-roll dough balls in powdered sugar just before putting them in the oven.  The crinkled appearance will be more prominent.Bake until cookies are puffed and cracked on top about 14 minutes. Let cool on the pan about 5 minutes (cookies will be soft) then transfer to a wire rack to cool.