There’s a certain charm in the simplicity of an Oreo. Since I love to infuse a touch of nostalgia into my baking, I’ve added a spooky little twist by dressing up my homemade Oreo cookies for Halloween.

The. classic black and white childhood favorite gets a delicious makeover with a luscious white chocolate ganache filling that’s sandwiched between two crisp salted dark chocolate shortbread cookies. I’m using a bat shaped cookie cutter to give the cookies a visually striking and seasonally-appropriate look, but let your imagination go wild and use any other shaped cookie cutter you want. You can also add a few optional drops of orange gel food coloring for an extra Halloween-ish touch.

Far more delicious than the store-bought original (as everything homemade usually is), these Halloween Oreo cookies totally make me feel like a kid again. Let the trick or treating begin…..

*This recipe was adapted from the recipe in my original post on homemade Oreos, which you can find here

Homemade Halloween Oreo Cookies – Makes approximately 16-20 filled cookies

Ingredients for the White Chocolate Ganache:

• 125 grams good quality white chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream (whipping cream)
• A few drops of orange food coloring (for a festive touch, optional)

Directions for White Chocolate Ganache:

1. In a small saucepan, melt the white chocolate and butter together over low heat, stirring constantly.
2. Meanwhile, heat the cream until hot, with bubbles forming around the edges of the pan (be careful not to boil).
3. Pour the hot cream over the melted chocolate and butter mixture. Whisk until smooth.
4. If desired, add a few drops of orange food coloring to make it festive.
5. Let the ganache cool, cover it, and refrigerate it for at least four hours or overnight to set. Keep it cold until you’re ready to assemble the cookies.

Ingredients for the Chocolate Shortbread:

• 1 & 3/4 cups plus 1& 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 1 & 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/8 teaspoons baking soda
• 8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Directions for Chocolate Shortbread:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix the butter on low speed until smooth using an electric mixer.
3. Add sugar and salt, and mix for about two minutes until fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.
4. Add half of the cocoa/flour mixture to the butter and mix on low speed for about thirty seconds. Repeat with the remaining cocoa/flour mixture until the dough comes together (do not over mix).
5. Place the dough on your work surface, shape it into a block, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about an hour.

Cookie Cutting and Baking:

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C (325°F) and position the rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. Roll out the chilled dough between two pieces of parchment paper until it’s between 1/4 and 1/8 inch thick.
4. Cut out bat shapes from the dough using a bat-shaped cookie cutter.
5. Transfer the bat-shaped cookies onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1/2 inch of space between each bat.
6. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the cookies are set and slightly cracked on the surface.
7. Let the cookies cool completely before adding the ganache.

Icing the cookies:

1. Remove the ganache from the fridge and, using an electric mixer, beat it for about 3 minutes until it thickens and holds firm peaks.
2. Top one cookie (smooth side up) with ganache and press another cookie on top gently until they come together.
3. Refrigerate to set.. The ganache gets very soft so keep the cookies chilled until ready to serve

Bon appetit & Happy Halloween!