Chocolate Covered Oreos with Sea Salt

The first time my sister Elise saw these Oreos, she turned up her nose until Lyndsey convinced her to try them.  She’s not an adventurous eater, that Elise.  One bite later, she was convincing me box them up and ship a batch to her.   This is by far, the recipe I get asked to bring the most when we have get togethers.  Luckily, it’s also the easiest thing to throw together.  I can literally do an entire tray full in 15 minutes. 

Almost three years ago, I was looking for a quick and easy Valentine’s Day treat and decided to make these Oreos.  That first batch had little red chocolate hearts on them, but what put them over the edge was the slight sprinkling of sea salt, it kicks up the chocolate flavor a notch and a half.  My mom fell in love with them and they are her favorite guilty pleasure.  Now I make them without the extras, but if you’d like, you can add pretty sprinkles like Emily at Jelly Toast did.  Since that first time, I have made them at least once a month for everything from birthdays, to shipping them off to my sister Elise at college, to holidays, to just a batch for us to enjoy.  They are pretty enough and ‘fancy’ enough to put them in a little box and give them as a hostess gift or a little something for Christmas too.

They are really, really good.

What you need:

• Double Stuf Oreos {you can also use some of the fancy ones from Oreo with the colored fillings or peppermint flavored, but don’t buy the knock offs… and for the record, the Double Stuf is the best according to the very scientific poll I conducted by asking my family to try different kinds}
• Chocolate {once a year at Christmas time, at Sam’s you can buy the Ghirardelli dipping chocolate, I buy like 20 to last all year this is hands down the best ever and I wish you could get it all year, but you can use Nestle chocolate chips or Ghirardelli chocolate chips just fine}
• Sea Salt  {a flavored version or regular works just fine, my faves are listed at the bottom of this post, but any sea salt will do}
• waxed paper

Melt the chocolate on half power in the microwave, stirring after one minute and each thirty seconds after, until fully melted.  You can also melt over a double boiler on the stove.  I use a glass measuring cup to melt mine because it keeps everything in a smaller, deeper area and that works better for dipping and being able to use up all the chocolate. 

 

Note:  If you are using chocolate chips and you want a little shine and for the chocolate to harden up a bit, you can add a small piece of paraffin wax or a teaspoon of Crisco to the batch.  You do not have to do this!  If you’re using a dipping chocolate, like the Ghirardelli, this is already added for you.  Also, keep any and all water away from the chocolate, I mean not even a drop, this can cause it to seize up and you’ll have to start over.

Once your chocolate is melted, you will start dipping, discard any Oreos that are broken.  Give them to your family that are salivating over them, or you can hide them and eat them yourself later.  No judgment here, my peeps.

 

I use a fork to dip and it goes a little something like this… throw an Oreo in the chocolate, push down until submerged, put the fork underneath it and then tap, tap, tap on the side of the measuring cup.  This makes any bubbles disappear and it smoothens out the chocolate.  Then, scrape the fork along the side of the measuring cup getting the excess off the bottom, so you don’t get chocolate feet on your batch.

 

Then just slide it right on to the waxed paper.  I dip a row or two, then go back and sprinkle the sea salt on top after thirty seconds or so.  If you do it too soon, the salt kind of disappears into the chocolate.  Then, just let them dry at room temp.  You can also stick them in the fridge or freezer.

Sea Salt Recommendations:

• Fusion Vanilla Bean
• Taha’a Vanilla
• Artisan Salt Company Murray River
• La Baleine Fine
• Fleur de Sel