What's better than a chocolate chip cookie? This is not a rhetorical question.

This will be a kind of short one, ironically about some very tall cookies. I took on more freelance writing projects this week (figuring if I'm going to be taxed this much on my freelance stuff, I may as well make enough to compensate for not getting a return. I miss the days when TurboTax seemed to really be in my corner.) So while I'm off working on writing a new book (this one on the scintillating subject of economic indicators), I'm leaving you with a recipe. I made these for a game night (specifically a party centered around playing board games, not to be confused in any way with a party centered around watching the football game--and especially not the Superbowl). These, I think, successfully encapsulate all the gluttony and excess of American culture in a single (if it can be described as such) delicious cookie.

Behold! The Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie!


My friend, who co-hosted the party with me, came across these on a baking blog and we had to try them. I just love that someone eating a chocolate chip cookie somewhere paused for a moment to think: "This isn't sweet enough. What would make this more excessive? Aha! I could put a second cookie inside it! Specifically, the second greatest commercially produced cookie of all time--the Oreo." It's Eureka moments like this one that make this country great. Naturally, we had no choice but to try them.

If you wind up with cookies slightly smaller than tennis balls, then you're doing it right.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks (1 cup) softened butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 oz bag chocolate chips
1 pkg. Oreo cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars together with a mixer until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined. Take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie. Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo cookie. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo cookie is enclosed with dough. Place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

You should end up with about 2 dozen cookies the size of an average human fist.

Cookies filled with both love and transfat.

I hope you will all consider these for your next gathering. They were well-received by our slightly overwhelmed guests. My only advice would be to not attempt to make them when you're not having a party or get-together. Eating one of them is enough to last you quite some time, I found.