Taco ’bout sweet! If you’re looking for something different for Cinco de Mayo, I’ve got you covered, because these “tacos” aren’t what they seem to be. A wafer cookie is filled with crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and frosting, then topped with fake cheese, lettuce, and sour cream. (And yes, I used canned frosting. Even I am not nutty enough to make a batch of homemade frosting for just two-thirds of a cup.)
I used orange candy melts for the cheese, spreading it very thinly on a Silpat, then scraping it up with a knife. I used green melts for the lettuce, though green coconut would have been an easy alternative.
If I hadn’t chosen peanut butter-filled Oreos for the filling, I’d have added some maraschino cherries or even chopped red licorice for “tomatoes”, but neither sounded like a good match with peanut butter. Meh. Maybe next time I’ll use the cookies with the plain white filling.
A dollop of marshmallow fluff was perfect for sour cream.
The taco shells were easy but took a while since I could only bake two at a time without making a mess of things. But the recipe only makes 14 or so, and they bake for 6 minutes, so it’s not that crazy. Right? Right? Oh, c’mon, humor me.
Making cookie taco shells
I tried a couple of different methods and the easiest way to make the taco shells was with a stencil. I cut a four-inch circle out of cardstock, placed the stencil on a Silpat sheet (you can use parchment if you prefer) and spread the batter on with a metal spatula. They came out very uniform this way. They’re soft when they first come out of the oven and must be shaped right away. You’ll have to move quickly and drape them over a dowel or spoon handle.
Shaping the shells. They harden quickly!
Tip: if the shells get hard before you manage to drape them over the spoon handle, pop them back in the oven for a few seconds. As long as they weren’t overbaked, this should soften them up. Now move FAST!
| Faux Taco Cookies | Print |
- ¼ cup butter
- 3 egg whites
- ½ cup superfine sugar (Baker's sugar)
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or thick Bulgarian style buttermilk)
- yellow/orange food coloring (optional)
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
- 15 sandwich cookies (I used peanut butter-filled), crushed
- ⅔ cup chocolate frosting
- Toppings: orange candy melts, green candy melts (or green coconut), marshmallow fluff
- Heat oven to 375 F. and cover two baking sheets with Silpats (or parchment, if preferred).
- Melt butter. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl beat egg whites and sugar together until foamy.
- Add flour and cream (or buttermilk) and beat until smooth.
- Add butter. Beat on low until mixed.
- Add yellow and orange food coloring, if desired, to make the shells the color of a corn tortilla.
- Spread batter in 4-inch circles on Silpat sheets, leaving at least 1 inch between circles. The easiest way to do this is to make a simple stencil. Cut a 4-inch circle in the middle of a piece of cardstock. Lay the stencil on Silpat and spread 1 tablespoon of batter with a flat spatula. Lift stencil carefully and repeat.
- Bake for 5 minutes. Remove pan, carefully flip over with a flat spatula. Bake 1 additional minute, or until the cookies are beginning to brown. Immediately drape over a dowel or spoon handle (suspended between two cups or bowls) while you are baking the next sheet of cookies. Repeat.
- Melt the chocolate chips and brush a thin coat on the inside of each shell, coming half-way up the sides.
- Combine crushed cookies and frosting. Divide between each taco, crumbling to resemble meat filling.
- "Cheese" can be made by melting ½ cup of orange candy melts and spreading very thinly on Silpat. Once it's firm, run the tip of a table knife along the candy to create shreds.
- "Lettuce" can be made by melting ½ cup of green candy melts and spreading very thinly on Silpat. Once it's firm, run a fork along the candy to create thin shreds. (Or use green shredded coconut if desired.)
- Sprinkle orange and green toppings on tacos and top with a dollop of marshmallow fluff to resemble sour cream.
- Keep lightly covered until ready to serve.
Add the cream and flour to the egg/sugar mixture.
Brush a thin layer of chocolate on the inside of each shell, halfway up the sides. This will keep the “meat” mixture from making the shell soggy.
Crumble the cookie mix into the shells.
Why yes, I AM using a putty knife to spread the candy melts. A bench scraper works well too!
Scrape the candy with a knife tip to create “grated cheese”.
Or, for smaller shreds, use a large serrated blade.
Use a fork to make finely shredded “lettuce”.
Transfer the candy to the taco with the fork. Your fingers would melt it immediately!
See? Not too hard! And how fun would it be to serve these at your Cinco de Mayo celebration?
They’re messy to eat—there’s no denying that. They remind me of those nasty dry shells that come in a box (except, these taste good and melt in your mouth) because filling tends to fall out as you’re eating. Serve these cookies with napkins or plates and have your camera handy. People will just love being tagged in photos while they’re eating these!
Have a great Cinco de Mayo.
Lorinda