The Italian Dish

You are going to love to make these. I've been making these fun dipped oreos with pattern tops for a while now and everyone wants to know how to make them and no one can believe how easy they are. There are a few different methods for making these kinds of oreos and I think I have gotten it down to the easiest method with the best result. I'm going to give you links to where you can buy the materials you need to make these and I'm writing this post early enough in case you want to do these for Christmas. I put a three-tiered plate stand out full of these last year on my Christmas Eve buffet in a variety of holiday patterns and they were really cute (and got devoured).

You can make these oreos for any occasion because the patterned transfer sheets that you need come in all kinds of themes and colors. The patterned sheets are called chocolate transfer sheets and they are entirely edible. They adhere to wet chocolate. I made a bunch for an election night party this year:

The chocolate transfer sheets can be found online from many places. Different places have different patterns, so look around. I even made some with aces, spades, hearts and diamonds and took them to my euchre group one night.

this is what the transfer sheets look like

Besides the chocolate transfer sheets, you need an Oreo mold. These are very affordable - only about $5. I have two of them so I can do a dozen at a time. Because the oreos are so fast to make, I don't think you will want more than two. You can really crank out a dozen at a time pretty quickly, as you will see.

these plain sandwich cookie molds can here found here

The next item you will need are Candy Melts. Regular chocolate will not work for these. Ghiradelli Candy Melts or Wilton is a special type of chocolate that sets up fast and hardens so that, even at room temperature, the chocolate doesn't melt and you can pick up something made with it and not have it all over your fingers. I use the Ghiradelli Candy melts, which my local grocery store carries. They also have the Wilton at craft stores, such as Michael's. These all work the same. Wilton has a large variety of colors, though, if you are looking for a special color.

The last thing you will need, of course, are the Oreos. For this you need the Double Stuffed Oreos (you can make it with the regular kind, but I think the Double Stuffed produce a nicer result).

I usually dip all my Oreos in chocolate and then do the tops in either chocolate or white chocolate, depending on the transfer pattern. Obviously, if the pattern has a lot of white, it won't show up well on white chocolate. Different patterns looks very different according to if you top your Oreos with dark or white chocolate. Here are some examples of the same pattern on different chocolates:

same pattern, on white or dark chocolate

So let me show you how to make these. You need these items:

Double Stuffed Oreos
Candy Melts chocolate
Oreo Mold
Chocolate Transfer Sheets
2 Rimmed baking sheets lined with wax paper

12 ounces of chocolate makes about a dozen Oreos

In a small bowl, microwave about 5 ounces of the chocolate for about a minute. This will vary, of course, according to your microwave. Stir the chocolate and microwave for about 30 seconds more. Stir until all the chocolate is melted and is smooth. Be careful not to microwave too much or the chocolate will seize up. It's better to microwave the chocolate just until it still has some lumps - they will smooth out when you stir and let it sit a minute and stir some more.

Add about a tablespoon of chocolate to each of the six wells one Oreo mold. Lay an Oreo in each well and press down until the chocolate comes up the sides of the cookie. Add a little chocolate on top of the cookie and spread it out, so it covers the entire top and then any gaps in the sides. Place the mold in the fridge to set up. They set up very fast - about 5 minutes and they are ready.

Meanwhile, cut out squares from your chocolate transfer sheets. If you notice, the transfer sheets have a smooth side and a rough side - the rough side is the transfer side, the side that you will lay against the cookie. Be careful in handling this side. Make sure your fingers aren't wet or anything - it's delicate. I lay my transfer sheets with the rough side up, so nothing touches them on the counter. Cut the sheet into a strip, about 2x2 inches, just a little larger than an Oreo. Set all your squares aside, keeping the rough side up.

Turn the molds over and pop out the Oreos. They should pop out very easily and be smooth and shiny. Melt a little bit more chocolate, about an ounce, (white or dark or whatever color you want) and spoon a little on the back of an Oreo. Press a square of the transfer sheet on top of the Oreo, rough side down, and take something flat (I use my meat pounder) and press down slightly on the Oreo, just until the chocolate is flattened out. Set the Oreo on the wax paper lined baking sheet. Continue with the Oreos, until you fill up your baking sheet and then set the sheet in the fridge to set up and harden. This takes about a good 5 minutes again.

Remove the Oreos from the fridge and gently peel back the transfer sheet square. If any of the pattern does not come off, the chocolate has not hardened enough in the fridge. Place the rest back in the fridge for a couple more minutes.

You can dip some of the Oreos in white chocolate, but I think it's pretty to dip the Oreo in dark chocolate and then top it with white chocolate. I like the contrast, but you can experiment and see what you like.

I use a meat pounder to gently press the transfer square onto the wet chocolate

These Oreos, once they are dipped, last several days, even at room temperature. It's nice to have a pretty bowl of these around. Check out all the themes you can make with these - birthdays, baby showers, graduations, Easter. They're fun to make and just different enough that they "wow" people!