Oweeo Snickerdoodles

Or…what else can you do with Homemade Opera Cream? I had some opera cream in my freezer leftover from Easter (I never got around to making candy with it). I also had some black cocoa powder sitting in the pantry and was hankering for something that tasted like that famous cocoa and cream sandwich cookie. Black cocoa snickerdoodles with a ball of opera cream inside baked just until set, Voila!

This recipe is quick and easy. To make the cookie dough, simply melt the butter in a small saucepan, then stir in all the ingredients. And, if you don’t happen to have any opera cream, make them anyway. Black cocoa snickerdoodles rolled in large crystal sugar and baked to gooey perfection are almost as good!

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons black cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 large egg

1/3 cup opera cream fresh from the fridge*

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (325 if using convection)

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment

Melt butter in small saucepan (or in microwave in a microwave safe bowl) just until melted

Add vanilla extract, sugar, cocoa powder and salt and stir

Dump all of the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and egg into the bowl

Stir until mixed well and uniformly black (no flour lumps or streaks)

Use a 1 inch scooper (or tablespoon) to scoop balls of cookie dough onto baking sheets

Reserve about 1/3 of the cookie dough for the top

Press dough balls down and place a teaspoon of opera cream on top

Take a teaspoon of the reserved dough and press it flat with your fingers

Place dough discs on top of the opera cream and press dough around the edges to seal cookies

Bake for 10-12 minutes

Remove from oven and let cookies cool completely on baking sheets

Enjoy!

Yield for this recipe is 12-16 cookies.

*If your opera cream is frozen, warm it up by thawing it on the defrost setting of the microwave for 2 minutes.