When I was trying to come up with the final list of baked goods for our annual holiday party, I came across Stella Parks' recipe for Homemade Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookies and added it to the menu. It's not that I have any particular attachment to Fudge Stripe Cookies -- I can't even remember the last time I had one but I'm pretty sure it's been at least 30+ years. I can't even remember what an authentic Fudge Stripe taste like. It's just that I get a kick out of making homemade versions of grocery store baked goods. See, e.g, my knockoff Hostess Cupcakes, Fig Newtons, Faux-reos, Oreos, Hostess Choco-Bliss, Biscoffs, King's Hawaiian rolls, etc.
The recipe says it yields 25 cookies and I made a double batch. The ingredient list seemed a little strange -- the cookies contain corn syrup but no granulated sugar. To make the dough you just mix together all of the ingredients (flour, baking soda, corn syrup, melted butter, and vanilla). I didn't take the time to make clarified butter and just used regular melted butter instead. The recipe says that you should knead the dough into a ball, but my dough was a puddle that couldn't be formed into a ball or any other shape. I stuck the dough in the fridge, but instead of chilling it for just 10 minutes as specified in the recipe, I got distracted with another project and didn't get back to it for a few hours. At that point, the dough was rock hard and I had to let it warm up before I could roll it.
I rolled out the dough and cut it into ring shapes using two round cutters. Although my cookies were three inches in diameter (the size specified in the recipe), I only got 24 cookies total from my double batch of dough. I baked the cookies until browned. After they were cooled I dipped the bottoms in melted bittersweet chocolate and piped chocolate stripes on top. I didn't bother tempering the chocolate and so I stored the finished cookies in the refrigerator.
I thought these cookies were okay. I can't really comment on how close they are to a real Fudge Stripe Cookie since it's been so long since I've tasted the real thing. But judging this cookie purely on its own merits, it didn't do much for me. It had a crisp texture that surprised me because I was expecting more of a buttery shortbread. The cookie also didn't have much flavor and was dominated by the chocolate -- which might be a boon to chocolate lovers. But if I'm going to eat a cookie, I want to taste and enjoy the cookie itself, not just the garnish.
Even though these cookies didn't bowl me over, I still thought they would be a nice addition to the holiday party menu. Sadly, they never made an appearance. I had stored them in a plastic container in a drawer in the refrigerator, and since they weren't in plain sight, I forgot all about them and never brought them out during the party. Thankfully, they were still fine two days later and I took them to the office.
Below is a complete list of the recipes from the holiday party menu. The Sweet and Salty Brownies are a perennial favorite, and the other most popular items this year were the Squash on Toast and the Antique Caramel Cake. My own personal favorites included the Honey-Nut Nougat, the Popcorn Toffee Crack Bars, the Frozen Orange Mousse Torte, the Country Pâté and the Tricolor Cake.
Baked Goods:
The recipe says it yields 25 cookies and I made a double batch. The ingredient list seemed a little strange -- the cookies contain corn syrup but no granulated sugar. To make the dough you just mix together all of the ingredients (flour, baking soda, corn syrup, melted butter, and vanilla). I didn't take the time to make clarified butter and just used regular melted butter instead. The recipe says that you should knead the dough into a ball, but my dough was a puddle that couldn't be formed into a ball or any other shape. I stuck the dough in the fridge, but instead of chilling it for just 10 minutes as specified in the recipe, I got distracted with another project and didn't get back to it for a few hours. At that point, the dough was rock hard and I had to let it warm up before I could roll it.
I thought these cookies were okay. I can't really comment on how close they are to a real Fudge Stripe Cookie since it's been so long since I've tasted the real thing. But judging this cookie purely on its own merits, it didn't do much for me. It had a crisp texture that surprised me because I was expecting more of a buttery shortbread. The cookie also didn't have much flavor and was dominated by the chocolate -- which might be a boon to chocolate lovers. But if I'm going to eat a cookie, I want to taste and enjoy the cookie itself, not just the garnish.
Even though these cookies didn't bowl me over, I still thought they would be a nice addition to the holiday party menu. Sadly, they never made an appearance. I had stored them in a plastic container in a drawer in the refrigerator, and since they weren't in plain sight, I forgot all about them and never brought them out during the party. Thankfully, they were still fine two days later and I took them to the office.
Below is a complete list of the recipes from the holiday party menu. The Sweet and Salty Brownies are a perennial favorite, and the other most popular items this year were the Squash on Toast and the Antique Caramel Cake. My own personal favorites included the Honey-Nut Nougat, the Popcorn Toffee Crack Bars, the Frozen Orange Mousse Torte, the Country Pâté and the Tricolor Cake.
Baked Goods:
- Homemade Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookies from Bravetart (Stella Parks).
- Sweet and Salty Brownies from Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito (see this post from December 5, 2010).
- Chocolate Chip Cookies by Jacques Torres (see this post from July 11, 2008).
- Madeleines from epicurious.com (see this post from July 24, 2010).
- Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies from Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito (see this post from February 10, 2013).
- Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies by Bravetart (Stella Parks).
- Antique Caramel Cake from Baked Elements by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito (see this post from January 25, 2013).
- Tricolor Cake from Baked Occasions by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.
- Cream Cheese Crostata with Orange Marmalade from epicurious.com (see this post from March 6, 2014).
- Caramel Candy Popcorn Balls from Baked Occasions by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.
- Apple Cider Caramels from King Arthur Flour.
- Honey-Nut Nougat from Baking Chez Moi by Dorie Greenspan.
- Almond Ding from Ready for Dessert by David Leibovitz.
- Ginger Caramel Crunch by Nick Malgieri, available from Food & Wine.
- Popcorn Toffee Crack Bars from Bon Appétit.
- Frozen Nougat Terrine with Raspberry-Fig Sauce from epicurious.com (see this post from December 31, 2015).
- Frozen Orange Mousse Torte with Blackberry Sauce from epicurious.com (see this post from December 31, 2015).
- Nanaimo Ice Cream Bars from Baked Occasions by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.
- Frozen Caramel Mousse from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz (served with salted caramel sauce).
- Country Pâté from epicurious.com (see this post from December 29, 2015).
- Chicken Liver Pâté with Bourbon and Cranberry Gelée from seriouseats.com.
- Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Squash on Toast from The New York Times (served with homemade toasted brioche rounds that I made from some leftover brioche rolls stashed in the freezer).
- Roasted Garlic Soup with Parmesan Cheese from epicurious.com.
- Bacon Jam by Kevin Gillespie (served in sandwiches with smoked Gouda and argula).
Comments
I always use a course sanding sugar on them.